The Role of Canadian Psychologists in Conducting Fitness and Criminal Responsibility Evaluations.

Viljoen, Jodi L.; Roesch, Ronald; Ogloff, James R. P.; Zapf, Patricia A.

doi:10.1037/h0086959

Cited by 17 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 98 publications

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“…Ultimately, there were no changes to the CCC in terms of the inclusion of psychologists in fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility assessments. Viljoen, Roesch, Ogloff, and Zapf (2003) reviewed the role of Canadian psychologists in fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility evaluations. Based on a review of empirical literature and case law, they concluded that psychologists were qualified to conduct these types of evaluations.…”

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confidence: 99%

Clinical-forensic psychology in Canada: A survey of practitioner characteristics, attitudes, and psychological assessment practices.

Hill¹,

Demetrioff²

2019

Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne

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In this study, we conducted a practice survey to obtain an overview of the demographic characteristics, education, and clinical training of 110 Canadian psychologists in forensic practice. Using an online survey, we gathered information about current clinical practices, types of forensic psychological assessments used, and involvement in court-ordered forensic evaluations. Although most practitioners received some exposure to clinical-forensic psychology during their education, only 47% of doctoral-level respondents reported completing formal training during their predoctoral residency. Participants reported working primarily in correctional facilities, independent practice, forensic hospitals, and outpatient forensic clinics. The most commonly performed types of forensic psychological evaluations were violence risk assessments (70%), general risk assessments (54%), and presentence assessments (30%). Despite limited involvement in fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility assessments, participants overwhelmingly endorsed the opinion that psychologists are qualified to conduct these evaluations independently in Canada. Our findings suggest a need to increase clinical training opportunities in forensic psychology and advocate for independent practice in court-ordered assessments in Canada.

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confidence: 99%

Clinical-forensic psychology in Canada: A survey of practitioner characteristics, attitudes, and psychological assessment practices.

Hill¹,

Demetrioff²

2019

Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne

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“…This is not surprising considering that students need to become familiar with the legislation in their country, and understand the applications of the law and the workings of the criminal justice system. This increased focus is notable considering that insufficient legal knowledge has been a source of criticism against psychologists and psychiatrists conducting forensic evaluations (Viljoen et al, 2003). Many scholars agree that this component is essential in the training of forensic psychologists (Burl et al, 2012; DeMatteo et al, 2009; Heilbrun, 2001) and should includefoundations of the legal system, sources of law, legal research, relevant civil and criminal case law, criminal and civil procedures relevant to forensic practice, legal rules and professional guidelines relating to expert testimony, and substantive law in relevant areas (e.g., competence to stand trial, mental state at the time of the offense).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Psychologists are also becoming progressively more involved in aspects of forensic mental health assessments of different types, including those that have been historically dominated by psychiatrists (Canadian Psychological Association, 2017; Gowensmith, Pinals, & Karas, 2015; Pillay, 2014; Viljoen, Roesch, Ogloff, & Zapf, 2003). This is an important shift, considering that clinical psychologists, in particular, are trained in forensic mental health evaluations.…”

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confidence: 99%

Towards the development of a forensic psychology training curriculum in South Africa

Pillay

Gowensmith

Banks

2019

South African Journal of Psychology

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With the growing need for forensic mental health services and the call for increasing rigour in clinical practice, the development of specialised training programmes appears to be increasing globally. In South Africa, the licencing authority has also been focusing on this issue, and its task group has been investigating specialty training models in regard to future developments in licensure, training, qualifications, and related registration matters. The present investigation was undertaken as a way of informing this process, especially in the area of curriculum content and development. The authors undertook a survey of existing accredited forensic psychology training programmes in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. The aim was to examine the qualification level, period of study, admission criteria, online study option, field placement, and the module content. The results are presented for the 62 programmes surveyed and discussed with reference to the South African context and local needs.

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“…Pillay and others have argued that the pool of evaluators be expanded to include clinical psychologists and psychiatrists (Large et al, 2009; Pillay, 2014). Historically, forensic mental health evaluations in the United States were restricted to the purview of psychiatrists or medical doctors only (Perlin, 1977; Viljoen, Roesch, Ogloff, & Zapf, 2003). However, the past several decades have seen a gradual expansion in the qualifications of eligible evaluator disciplines.…”

Section: Solutions To Datementioning

confidence: 99%

Fitness to stand trial evaluation challenges in the United States: Some comparisons with South Africa

Gowensmith

Robinson

2016

South African Journal of Psychology

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Like the Republic of South Africa, the United States faces serious challenges regarding fitness to stand trial evaluations, including long waitlists for individuals awaiting such evaluations. Some similarities exist between the RSA and US evaluation systems, including an increasing number of referrals for fitness to stand trial evaluations, limited evaluator resources, and concerns about the significant restrictions on civil liberties for those awaiting evaluation. Recently, the United States has implemented several different solutions to address these issues. These have included broadening the eligibility requirements for fitness to stand trial evaluators, utilizing localized and short-term settings for fitness to stand trial evaluations, and a host of other ideas. This article examines these different solutions, discusses their relevance and potential effectiveness for the RSA evaluation system, and makes recommendations for consideration by policy makers and mental health professionals.

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The Role of Canadian Psychologists in Conducting Fitness and Criminal Responsibility Evaluations.

Cited by 17 publications

References 98 publications

Clinical-forensic psychology in Canada: A survey of practitioner characteristics, attitudes, and psychological assessment practices.

Clinical-forensic psychology in Canada: A survey of practitioner characteristics, attitudes, and psychological assessment practices.

Towards the development of a forensic psychology training curriculum in South Africa

Fitness to stand trial evaluation challenges in the United States: Some comparisons with South Africa

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