Forensic mental health assessment: a casebook

Contents......Page 11
Contributors......Page 19
1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW......Page 27
Principle: Use nomothetic evidence in assessing causal connection between clinical condition and functional abilities......Page 41
Teaching Point: What is the value of specialized forensic assessment instruments in forensic mental health assessment?......Page 49
Principle: Use case-specific (idiographic) evidence in assessing causal connection between clinical condition and functional abilities......Page 50
Teaching Point: What are the limits of forensic assessment instruments?......Page 58
Principle: Clarify financial arrangements......Page 61
Teaching Point: How do you clarify financial arrangements under different circumstances (e.g., performing an evaluation privately, negotiating a contract, billing hourly vs. a prespecified amount) in forensic assessment?......Page 68
Principle: Use plain language; avoid technical jargon......Page 70
Teaching Point: How do you communicate complex scientific material to legal professionals and lay audiences?......Page 77
Principle: Select and employ a model to guide data gathering, interpretation, and communication......Page 78
Teaching Point: How can you use a model to structure the way you write the report?......Page 87
Principle: Decline referral when impartiality is unlikely......Page 88
Teaching Point: What strategies can be used for remaining as impartial as possible in high-visibility cases?......Page 97
Principle: Attribute information to sources......Page 98
Teaching Point: How does an evaluator separate interview data from structured-test data in analyzing, reasoning about, and communicating the results of FMHA?......Page 107
Principle: Use testing when indicated in assessing response style......Page 109
Teaching Point: How do you assess feigned cognitive deficits?......Page 117
Principle: Attribute information to sources......Page 120
Teaching Point: Why and how do you attribute information to sources in forensic mental health assessment?......Page 138
Principle: Provide appropriate notification of purpose and/or obtain appropriate authorization before beginning......Page 140
Teaching Point: How do you obtain informed consent in capital cases?......Page 150
Principle: Obtain relevant historical information......Page 152
Teaching Point: Role of history in sentencing in forensic mental health assessment......Page 157
Principle: Decline referral when impartiality is unlikely......Page 158
Teaching Point: What kinds of cases do you avoid accepting because they would make it too difficult for you to remain impartial?......Page 174
Principle: Obtain relevant historical information......Page 176
Teaching Point: How do you evaluate the accuracy of different sources of third-party information?......Page 195
Principle: Accept referrals only within area of expertise......Page 198
Teaching Point: What training and experience in forensic and mental health areas are needed for juvenile forensic expertise?......Page 210
Principle: Use relevance and reliability (validity) as guides for seeking information and selecting data sources......Page 212
Principle: Ensure that conditions for evaluation are quiet, private, and distraction free......Page 219
Teaching Point: What constitutes “good enough” testing conditions?......Page 230
Principle: Assess legally relevant behavior......Page 231
Teaching Point: How does a forensic clinician translate legal criteria into forensic capacities?......Page 242
Principle: Use third-party information in assessing response style......Page 244
Teaching Point: How can results from the interview, testing, and thirdparty sources be balanced?......Page 253
Principle: Determine whether the individual understands the purpose of the evaluation and associated limits on confidentiality......Page 255
Teaching Point: What are the advantages of using written versus oral notification in determining whether the notification was understood?......Page 261
Principle: Do not answer the ultimate legal question directly......Page 263
Teaching Point: What should be considered in the decision about whether to answer the ultimate legal question?......Page 269
Principle: Use multiple sources of information for each area being assessed......Page 271
Teaching Point: How much is enough? Diminishing returns from information sources......Page 281
Principle: Use relevance and reliability (validity) as guides for seeking information and selecting data sources......Page 283
Teaching Point: Strengths and weaknesses of classification systems......Page 288
Principle: Use scientific reasoning in assessing the causal connection between clinical condition and functional abilities......Page 289
Teaching Point: Sex offender typologies in sentencing......Page 299
Principle: Use third-party information in assessing response style......Page 303
Principle: Use nomothetic evidence in assessing causal connection between clinical condition and functional abilities......Page 306
Teaching Point: How can forensic clinicians use nomothetic evidence to apply science to practice?......Page 315
Principle: Testify in an effective manner......Page 316
Teaching Point: How can the forensic clinician move from “adequate” to “outstanding” in presenting expert testimony?......Page 322
Principle: Obtain appropriate authorization......Page 323
Teaching Point: Who must authorize FMHA—and how?......Page 330
Principle: Avoid dual roles of therapist and forensic evaluator......Page 331
Teaching Point: What strategies do you use in trying to remain impartial in the course of forensic assessment?......Page 342
Principle: Base testimony on the results of the properly performed forensic mental health assessment......Page 343
Teaching Point: How does the forensic clinician use the report to facilitate effective testimony?......Page 357
Principle: Testify in an effective manner......Page 360
Teaching Point: What kind of errors do you avoid to make your testimony more effective?......Page 372
Principle: Obtain appropriate authorization......Page 374
Teaching Point: How can the forensic clinician handle reluctance and refusal to participate in court-ordered evaluations?......Page 398
Principle: Describe findings so that they need change little under cross-examination......Page 400
Teaching Point: How should the forensic clinician communicate violence risk?......Page 409
Principle: Determine the role to be played if the referral is accepted......Page 411
Teaching Point: What are strategies for resisting pressure to play multiple roles in FMHA?......Page 422
Principle: Write report in sections, according to model and procedures......Page 423
Teaching Point: Why is sequential communication of FMHA results important?......Page 429
Principle: Assess relevant clinical characteristics in reliable and valid ways......Page 431
Teaching Point: How do structured instruments such as the MacCAT-T increase the relevance and reliability of FMHA?......Page 440
Principle: Determine the role to be played if the referral is accepted......Page 441
Teaching Point: Can one ever play more than one role in a single FMHA case?......Page 448
Principle: Use multiple sources of information for each area being assessed......Page 449
Teaching Point: What is the role of the forensic clinician in collecting third-party information?......Page 460
Principle: Use testing when indicated in assessing response style......Page 462
Teaching Point: How does the forensic clinician integrate response style data?......Page 471
Principle: Assess legally relevant behavior......Page 472
Teaching Point: What is the relationship between symptoms and disability in capacity to work?......Page 476
Principle: Identify relevant forensic issues......Page 478
Teaching Point: What are strategies for predicting violent behavior, and others for assessing risk reduction?......Page 485
Principle: Clarify role with attorney......Page 486
Teaching Point: What are strategies for avoiding dual roles in FMHA?......Page 493
Principle: Use nomothetic evidence in assessing causal connection between clinical condition and functional abilities......Page 494
Teaching Point: What are the advantages and disadvantages of using actuarial approaches in risk assessment in forensic contexts?......Page 501
Principle: Use case-specific (idiographic) evidence in assessing clinical condition, functional abilities, and causal connection......Page 503
Teaching Point: How does case-specific evidence contribute to the assessment of malingering?......Page 534
References......Page 536
C......Page 543
E......Page 544
I......Page 545
N......Page 546
R......Page 547
T......Page 548
W......Page 549