This valuable compendium advances the understanding of mental health case law, making it highly accessible to practicing forensic professionals. Divided into two parts, the first section focuses on explaining important topics related to forensic psychological and forensic neuropsychological assessment, while the second section stands on its own as a collection of fascinating legal cases with high relevance to mental health and legal professionals interested in how mental health disorders impact criminal behavior among juveniles and adults. The book begins with an accessible primer on abnormal behavior, exploring the links between criminal behavior and mental health disorders. It goes on to thoroughly describe what goes into forensic psychological and forensic neuropsychological evaluations, including discussion about the Federal Rules of Evidence, as they pertain to evidence-generation during the mental health evaluation process. The book also focuses on psychometric concepts, including reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity, as well as an exploration of ‘science’ and ‘the law’ which includes a discussion about the difference between science and pseudoscience, the different sources of law (constitutions, statutes, and case law), and how the intellectually competitive practice of law is similar to the enterprise of science. Ethical issues faced by the forensic mental health worker are also addressed. The second section of the book, Legal Cases for the Forensic Mental Health Professional, is an alphabetical summary of important and interesting legal cases with relevance for mental health professionals. These cases offer real-world significance while summarizing complex legal decisions through a neuropsychological sieve, to allow both legal and psychological communities to better understand each other’s professions. This book will be an invaluable resource for forensic psychologists, forensic neuropsychologists, forensic psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals whose work brings them into contact with the juvenile justice and adult criminal justice system. It will also be of interest to legal professionals, criminal justice departments, and law schools.

This text provides an essential road map to forensic mental health assessments in death penalty cases for students and practitioners. The book integrates research with best practice recommendations, yielding a solid foundation of information related to capital punishment, death penalty litigation, and more.

Unlike most of the literature in forensic mental health assessment, this book posits the existence of broad principles of forensic assessment that are applicable across different legal issues and are derived from and supported by sources of authority in ethics, law, science, and professional practice. The author describes and analyzes twenty-nine broad principles of forensic mental health assessment within this framework.

This book examines the different ways that trauma is involved in the lives of those who interact with the justice system, and how trauma can be exacerbated in legal settings. It includes both victims and perpetrators in providing a perspective on trauma in general, and a framework that will guide those who evaluate and treat individuals in forensic settings. Comprehensive in scope, it covers key areas such as developmental issues, emotions, linguistic and communication difficulties, and special populations such as veterans, immigrants, abused women, incarcerated individuals, and children. The main objective of this book is to bring trauma to the fore in conducting forensic evaluations in order to understand these cases in greater depth and to provide appropriate interventions for a range of problems. “This masterful book, edited by Rafael Art. Javier, Elizabeth Owen and Jemour A. Maddux, is a refreshing, original, and thoughtful response to these needs, demonstrating – beyond any doubt – why lawyers and forensic mental health professionals must be trauma-informed in all of their relevant work.” –Michael L. Perlin, Esq., New York Law School

Forensic mental health assessment (FMHA) continues to develop and expand as a specialization. Since the publication of the First Edition of Forensic Mental Health Assessment: A Casebook over a decade ago, there have been a number of significant changes in the applicable law, ethics, science, and practice that have shaped the conceptual and empirical underpinnings of FMHA. The Second Edition of Forensic Mental Health Assessment is thoroughly updated in light of the developments and changes in the field, while still keeping the unique structure of presenting cases, detailed reports, and specific teaching points on a wide range of topics. Unlike anything else in the literature, it provides genuine (although disguised) case material, so trainees as well as legal and mental health professionals can review how high-quality forensic evaluation reports are written; it features contributions from leading experts in forensic psychology and psychiatry, providing samples of work in their particular areas of specialization; and it discusses case material in the larger context of broad foundational principles and specific teaching points, making it a valuable resource for teaching, training, and continuing education. Now featuring 50 real-world cases, this new edition covers topics including criminal responsibility, sexual offending risk evaluation, federal sentencing, capital sentencing, capacity to consent to treatment, personal injury, harassment and discrimination, guardianship, juvenile commitment, transfer and decertification, response style, expert testimony, evaluations in a military context, and many more. It will be invaluable for anyone involved in assessments for the courts, including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and attorneys, as well as for FMHA courses.

The essential guide for medical and mental health professionals who need to understand what to Know, Ask, Do (KAD) when firearm-related issues arise in their practices. In Firearms and Clinical Practice, Gianni Pirelli and Sarah DeMarco provide medical and mental health professionals with a practical guide on the intersection between mental health and firearms. Utilizing a best-practices model that encourages empirically-supported practice and decision-making, the authors present case examples, vignettes, and useful tips for medical and mental health professionals to navigate gun-related issues that may arise in practice. They further outline and review formal frameworks and models for clinicians to incorporate when firearm-related issues arise in therapeutic contexts, especially when the assessment of suicide and violence risk is necessary. In addition, they assess newly developed forensic mental health assessment (FMHA) models and applications for evaluating civilians seeking initial firearms permits, gun rights restoration, and reinstatement of firearms subsequent to revocation and forfeiture matters. Firearms and Clinical Practice is a must-have resource for a wide range of medical and mental health practitioners, designed to help readers apply firearm-related information, concepts grounded in the empirical literature, and best practices in the clinical and forensic treatment and evaluation arenas.

Focusing on juvenile transfer and disposition evaluations, this volume provides an up-to-date integration of current law, science, and practice with respect to juvenile risk assessment, treatment needs/amenability, and sophistication-maturity. Included are perspectives relating to international practices, use of specialized assessment tools, and a separate chapter on resentencing following US Supreme Court decisions on juveniles sentenced to mandatory life without parole. This text will be a useful and comprehensive reference for forensic psychologists and other mental health professionals engaged in juvenile evaluation, as well as legal professionals, juvenile and criminal justice professionals, and others involved with juvenile assessment, decision-making, and rehabilitation.

Most professional forensic literature addresses the assessment of adults yet neglects the necessary differences that arise when working with minors. Forensic Mental Health Assessment of Children presents the reader with essential knowledge and practical suggestions regarding the forensic assessment of minors involved in a variety of legal applications. Methods of evaluation are described by leading experts regarding topics frequently encountered and of great importance to the courts including: -Physical and sexual child abuse -Domestic violence -Child custody in divorce proceedings -Risk assesment for violence -Potential for rehabilitation in juvenile court cases -Special education -Childhood development and trauma as mitigating circumstances in death penalty cases In addition to reviewing a broad spectrum of topics, methods of evaluation, and the application of specific tests, chapters also address forensic assessment matters such as ethical issues, professional liability, and cultural considerations. This comprehensive resource will be indispensable to mental health practitioners and legal professionals, and of great interest to researchers and students.

Providing an excellent resource for forensic psychology undergraduate students, this book offers students the opportunity to learn from experts, through the collection of outstanding articles. Unlike other books in the area that are topic specific, it also gives them comprehensive coverage of the subject. Divided into five broad topic areas, it covers:professional issuesjuvenile assessmentcriminal forensic assessmentcivil forensic assessmentpervasive issues - malingering and psychopathy. Written by a group of internationally renowned contributors and including didactic information as well as pro.

Forensic Assessment of Violence Risk: A Guide for Risk Assessment and Risk Management provides both a summary of research to date and an integrated model for mental health professionals conducting risk assessments, one of the most high-stakes evaluations forensic mental health professionals perform.