This is the first book devoted to the use of social media and other internet-derived data in forming forensic clinical opinions of behavior. Designed for mental health practitioners, it outlines the challenges and the benefits of incorporating digital information in forensic assessments. It offers best practice guidelines geared to both criminal and civil psycho-legal questions. Each chapter includes a brief overview of the psycho-legal issues, clinical applications of consulting internet-based data, ethical and legal considerations and real life, de-identified case examples. This book provides guidance to the clinician in an emerging technological environment in which there are few resources, and ensures a more scientific and legally sound practice.

This is the first book devoted to the use of social media and other internet-derived data in forming forensic clinical opinions of behavior. Designed for mental health practitioners, it outlines the challenges and the benefits of incorporating digital information in forensic assessments. It offers best practice guidelines geared to both criminal and civil psycho-legal questions. Each chapter includes a brief overview of the psycho-legal issues, clinical applications of consulting internet-based data, ethical and legal considerations and real life, de-identified case examples. This book provides guidance to the clinician in an emerging technological environment in which there are few resources, and ensures a more scientific and legally sound practice.

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.

Forensic mental health assessments are evaluations conducted by individuals from different disciplines on a variety of questions in civil, criminal, and family law. A growing number of mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers, are being called upon to assess everything from an individual's competence to stand trial to the risk or threat of future violence, and asked to weigh in on cases ranging from murder and assault to malpractice and child custody." General principles have emerged to guide professionals conducting forensic mental health assessment. Forensic Mental Health Assessment: A Casebook illustrates those principles using relevant, real-world case material. Built around actual case reports from expert forensic psychologists and psychiatrists, the volume probes a broad range of legal questions through the detailed examination of more than 40 cases. Topics include Miranda rights waiver, competence to act as one's own attorney, competence to stand trial, juvenile commitment, sanity at the time of the offense, child custody, termination of parental rights, guardianship, and malpractice. This is the first casebook focusing specifically on forensic assessment. It contains cases from a broad range of civil, criminal, and family legal questions, described in case reports contributed by expert forensic psychologists and psychiatrists. It will be useful for anyone involved in assessments for the courts and attorneys, including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and attorneys.

Forensic mental health assessment (FMHA) has grown into a specialization informed by research and professional guidelines. This series presents up-to-date information on the most important and frequently conducted forms of FMHA. The 19 topical volumes address best approaches to practice for particular types of evaluation in the criminal, civil, and juvenile/family areas. Each volume contains a thorough discussion of the relevant legal and psychological concepts, followed by a step-by-step description of the assessment process from preparing for the evaluation to writing the report and testifying in court. Volumes include the following helpful features: Boxes that zero in on important information for use in evaluations Tips for best practice and cautions against common pitfalls Highlighting of relevant case law and statutes Separate list of assessment tools for easy reference Helpful glossary of key terms for the particular topic In making recommendations for best practice, authors consider empirical support, legal relevance, and consistency with ethical and professional standards. These volumes offer invaluable guidance for anyone involved in conducting or using forensic evaluations. This book considers those legal, ethical and assessment issues that arise when forensic mental health professionals are asked to evaluate the capacity of adults to make independent decisions about the management of their personal and financial affairs. As our population ages, the competence of those who are elderly and mentally infirmed may be challenged more and more frequently, and this book will be an invaluable resource for those involved in assessing that competence.

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.

Forensic mental health assessment (FMHA) has grown into a specialization informed by research and professional guidelines. This series presents up-to-date information on the most important and frequently conducted forms of FMHA. The 19 topical volumes address best approaches to practice for particular types of evaluation in the criminal, civil, and juvenile/family areas. Each volume contains a thorough discussion of the relevant legal and psychological concepts, followed by a step-by-step description of the assessment process from preparing for the evaluation to writing the report and testifying in court. Volumes include the following helpful features: - Boxes that zero in on important information for use in evaluations - Tips for best practice and cautions against common pitfalls - Highlighting of relevant case law and statutes - Separate list of assessment tools for easy reference - Helpful glossary of key terms for the particular topic. In making recommendations for best practice, authors consider empirical support, legal relevance, and consistency with ethical and professional standards. These volumes offer invaluable guidance for anyone involved in conducting or using forensic evaluations. This first volume in the series serves an introduction to the field of FMHA, and provides an overview of the foundational concepts applied in the other 19 volumes.