Forensic Assessment Treatment Consultation Chapter 2 Forensic Assessment

Forensic Assessment, Treatment & Consultation Chapter 2

Forensic Assessment n Important Tasks in Forensic Assessment n Clarify and identify the legal question n Assess whether forensic psychology has something to assist the court

Core Concepts in Assessment: Reliability and Validity n Reliability n consistency n Validity n accuracy n of measurement Scope of Practice n area of expertise

Distinguishing Therapeutic from Forensic Assessment Goals and Objectives n Relationship of the parties n Identity of client n Consequences n Examinees perspective n

Interviewing § Unstructured § Semi-structured § PCL-R § Structured § SCID and SIRS § Advantages and Disadvantages

Psychological Testing n Personality Tests n Projective n n Objective n n Rorschach Inkblot Test, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) MMPI-II, MCMI-III Other Types of Psychological Tests n Intellectual n n Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III) Neuropsychological n Trail Making Tests A and B

Forensic Assessment Instruments (FAI) n Specialized forensic instruments n n designed to assess for specific legal or clinical issues such as insanity and competency Forensically relevant instruments n designed to focus on clinical issues such as risk of future violence and psychopathy

Archival and Third-Party Information § Greater reliance in forensic evaluations § Greater need for accuracy § High likelihood of secondary gain

Use of Written Reports in Forensic Assessments and Guidelines n n Separate facts from inferences Stay within the scope of the referral question Avoid information Over/Underkill Minimize clinical jargon

Treatment in Forensic Contexts May share much in common with traditional psychological treatments but also tied to legal context at times n Correctional psychology n n Application of clinical psychology to prison or correctional setting

Who are we Treating? Mentally ill offenders n Female offenders n Substance abusers n Domestic violence perpetrators n Sex offenders n Violent offenders n General offenders n

Mental Disorders in Offenders § Rates of mental illness n n n antisocial personality disorder substance abuse schizophrenia bipolar disorder major depression n < 5 to 50% are mentally ill § Reasons § Criminalization of mentally ill § prison experience § vulnerability of offenders

Types of Treatment n Management n crisis management n self-mutilation, general violence, trauma Maintenance n Outpatient n Special Programs n n sex offender, chemical dependency, and personality disorders

Success of Offender Programs n n n considerable enthusiasm for treatment programs in 1950 s and 1960 s since the 1970 s “the nothing works” view became dominant in recent years reviews of the literature have clarified the success of treatment programs n “A growing body of research literature attests to the fact that SOME rehabilitation programs are successful with SOME offenders when applied by SOME staff. ” Antonowicz and Ross (1994)

Successful Offender Programs Sound Conceptual Model n Targeting Criminogenic Needs n Responsivity Principle n

Consultation Need to be more mindful of ethical issues n Assist attorneys n n Referrals n Evaluate work of other psychologists n Work shaping policy