The Whole Person Concept in Security Clearance Cases

If you are a federal employee that has run into problems with your security clearance, then you may have heard of the “whole person” concept.  If you are brand new to security clearance issues, check out our previous blog post on Security Clearances in Federal Employment.

Now turning to the “whole person” concept.  When responding to a Letter of Intent to revoke your security clearance, you may hear us refer to the “whole person” concept, meaning we want to provide evidence regarding you as a “whole person” to demonstrate that the individual is an acceptable level of security risk.

The Adjudicative Guidelines state that an adjudicator will evaluate an individual’s eligibility for a security clearance by examining a number of variables in an individual’s life to make an affirmative determination that the federal employee is an acceptable security risk.  There are nine factors that should be considered in examining the “whole person” as follows:

1. The nature, extent, and seriousness of the conduct;
2. The circumstances surrounding the conduct, to include knowledgeable participation;
3. The frequency and recency of the conduct;
4. The individual’s age and maturity at the time of the conduct;
5. The extent to which participation is voluntary;
6. The presence or absence of rehabilitation and other permanent behavioral changes;
7. The motivation for the conduct;
8. The potential for pressure, coercion, exploitation, or duress; and
9. The likelihood of continuation or recurrence.

These factors go into the adjudicator’s decision of whether you pose an acceptable level of risk, so that you may possess and retain your security clearance.

If you need assistance responding to a Letter of Intent to revoke your security clearance, please give our office a call (757) 460-3477 and set up your initial consultation with one of our attorneys.