Forensic Behavioral Health Professional Certification

The curriculum presented throughout this certification effectively combines the knowledge and expertise of both behavioral health practitioners and legal professionals. This certification provides a professional roadmap for every behavioral health professional looking to expand their practice and knowledge into the Forensic Behavioral Health Professional space.

James J. Clark, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

The Forensic Behavioral Health Professional Certification will prepare behavioral health professionals to practice forensic behavioral health in the United States legal system.

Benefits to Behavioral Health Professionals:

Increase provider knowledge of the court systems in the U.S.
Provide a better understanding of the importance of the relationship between practitioners and attorneys, including the many roles practitioners can have in the legal system
Improve practice competence in forensic behavioral health
Boost participant knowledge of practicing behavioral health professionals to operate in the varying court systems in the U.S.
Educate the participants on the importance of the relationship between behavioral health practitioners and attorneys
Identify and explore the different roles for behavioral health professionals, and the mechanics of how to interview, prepare reports, and work with attorneys and the court

Testimonials

"This certificate program is one of a kind! The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, allowing participants to grasp the intricate relationship between legal frameworks and the challenges faced by clients with mental health, substance abuse, and trauma-related issues. The expert instructors share invaluable insights and real-world examples within various legal settings. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to equip participants with the essential skills needed to assess and/or advocate for clients struggling with behavioral health challenges. The program provides knowledge and training for all levels of mental health practitioners. It is not just the format of the training that is unique, it is the way faculty teaches students to merge behavioral health concepts with the law. Most importantly, it breaks down ways to navigate legal proceedings, so practitioners can apply each client’s unique behavioral health needs in the most practical and impactful way."

Elisa Quesada, ESQ LCSW
Chief Assistant Public Defender, Mitigation and Client Services
Law Offices of Public Defender Carlos J. Martinez

"The intersection of social work and behavioral health is a critical frontier in addressing the complex needs of those entangled within the justice system. A forensic behavioral health certification equips professionals with the specialized knowledge to navigate this challenging landscape, advocating for interventions that are both therapeutic and just. It is an investment in their education as well as an investment in human dignity and societal well-being."

Lori James-Townes, LCSW-C Executive Director, National Association for Public Defense

"This certificate provides invaluable information for any mental health professional who wants to be knowledgeable in forensic behavioral health. It provides the context and information needed to understand the complexities of the legal system. After completing this certificate, I am confident that I have important insight into the best ways to work within this system, while serving my clients well. I highly recommend to any mental health professional interested in working in this area."

Amberly Prykhodko, Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Supervisor

Individual Module Descriptions

Module 1 – The Legal System in the United States and Attorney-Expert Relationships

Overview and Introduction to the Certification Program
Purpose of the course
Curriculum Design
Organizational structure of U.S. courts and standards of proof for each
Specific Types of Courts
1. Social Problem-Solving Courts
2. Civil Courts
3. Criminal Courts

Module 2 - Behavioral Health Professionals’ Roles in Forensic Practice

Behavioral Health Professionals’ Roles in Forensic Practice
Friend of the Court:
1. Guardianship or Conservatorship
2. Drug Courts
3. Mental Health Courts
4. Family Courts
5. Juvenile Courts
Friend of the Court Functions
Consulting Experts
1. Prosecution and Other Non-Defense, Non-Prosecution Consulting Experts
2. Defense Consulting Experts
Testifying Experts
Teaching Experts
Treating Experts
Mitigation Experts
Mediation Experts
Other Ad hoc Consultation Roles

Module 3 – Practice Basics

Introduction
Setting the Stage for Forensic Clinical practices
1. Establishing the Practitioner-Attorney Relationship
2. Obtaining Attorney Guidance for Practitioners
Prerequisites to Interviewing and Collecting Information
1. The Risks of Bias in Forensic Behavioral Health
2. Ever-present Risk of Bias and the Role of Cultural Awareness
3. Increasing self-awareness: Introspection First
4. Forensic Professional Identity
5. Professional Influence and Reputation
Interviewing, Beginning the Forensic Behavioral Health Assessment
Assessment
Data Collection
Documenting Finding and Opinions
1. Friend of the Court (FOC)
2. Consulting Experts
3. Testifying Experts
4. Teaching Experts
5. Treating Experts
6. Mitigation Experts
7. Mediating Experts
Conclusion to Module 3

Module 4 - Presenting Findings and Opinions

Clothing – Self-expression versus “Uniform”
Presentation Manner
How to Handle “Objectivity”
How to Use the Literature
How to Finalize Reports and Supporting Documents
The Use of Video Materials
Conclusion to Module 4

Meet the Curriculum Developers

James Clark is the Provost and Executive Vice President of Florida State University. Prior to that he served for three years as the Director of the School of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati, as well as Associate Director for Research and faculty member at the University of Kentucky from 1991-2012. Clark co-founded the UK Center on Trauma & Children, a nationally recognized clinical research center. He has published in the areas of evidence-based behavioral health, forensic mental health, child and adolescent traumatic stress, criminal justice, ethics and accountability, and psychobiography and the study of lives.

Ed Monahan was a Kentucky public defender for 37 years specializing in death penalty litigation with complex mental health issues. He was the chief public advocate of the Department of Public Advocacy, Kentucky’s statewide public defender program, for nine years. He consults nationally on public defense issues and teaches public defender leaders and supervisors through the National Association for Public Defense. He serves as an expert in litigation about the adequacy of public defense. He is co-editor with James J. Clark, Ph.D. of the ABA’s Tell the Client's Story: Mitigation in Criminal and Death Penalty Cases (May 2017), and past chair of the American Bar Association Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division Council.

Robert Walker, a retired clinical social worker who had been a clinician and director of a mental health center for 30 years and, for 20 years, a research faculty member of the Department of Behavioral Science at the University of Kentucky. He has consulted on over 100 death penalty and murder cases with public defenders in Kentucky. His research focused on partner violence victimization and outcomes of substance abuse treatment.