Forensic Psychology Program
Forensic Psychology is a specialization within the domain of Clinical Psychology that involves the application of psychological principles, concepts, and assessment procedures to the legal process and the justice system.
Within the Division of Psychiatry and Law, forensic psychological evaluations are commonly conducted to objectively determine the presence, type, and severity of psychopathology associated with various psychiatric, neurologic, and developmental disorders. Adults, adolescents, and elderly individuals may be referred for such evaluations. Forensic psychological evaluations provide objective information regarding the validity of complaints and the functional implications of psychiatric disorders and psychological impairment regarding the following conditions in either civil or criminal cases.
Disability
- Mood disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
- Chronic pain
- Symptom validity
Competence and Guardianship
- Dementia
- Mental retardation
Criminal Cases involving issues of Fitness, Sanity, and Mitigation
- Developmental disorders, including mental retardation and learning disorders
- Psychiatric disorders, including psychosis, mood disorders, and personality disorders
This program offers the services of experts in the area of psychological measures that offers a significant contribution to the assessment of an individual’s character, capability, and function. Forensic assessment instruments minimize the examiner’s bias and provide standardization and the opportunity to compare performance to norms of an appropriate control group.
Each forensic psychiatrist/psychologist is trained to order appropriate forensic assessment instruments for his/her specific forensic case.
Faculty: