Forensic Assessment, Treatment & Consultation Chapter 2

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

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

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

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

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

Forensic Assessment Instruments (FAI) Specialized forensic instruments designed to assess for specific legal or clinical issues such as insanity and competency Forensically relevant instruments 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 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 Correctional psychology Application of clinical psychology to prison or correctional setting

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

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

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

Success of Offender Programs considerable enthusiasm for treatment programs in 1950s and 1960s since the 1970s “the nothing works” view became dominant in recent years reviews of the literature have clarified the success of treatment programs “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 Targeting Criminogenic Needs Responsivity Principle

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