Forensic Mental Health

This course examines the forensic mental health system, the professionals within this system, and its consumers, or persons with mental disorders who also have legal troubles. Students will be introduced to the pathways for persons with mental disorders into and out of the criminal justice, mental health, social service, and juvenile justice systems. An overview of policies and outcomes of the FMH systems in also examined.

This course examines four important topics pertaining to victimology and victim services. These include the nature and scope of victim's rights; the nature and incidence of victimization, especially pertaining to the victimization of women, children and the elderly; the construction of victim services to respond to victims with special needs, including disabilities, substance abuse, mental health issues, HIV/AIDS; and ethical, mental health, media relations, and training needs to victim service providers.

This course has two emphases: evaluation and treatment. The student will be introduced to the assumptions, theories, methods and instrumentation used in the psychosocial and psycholegal evaluation of adults involved in the judicial and correctional systems. The special ethical issues presented by practice in forensic settings are emphasized. Students will learn how to appreciate relevant clinical and legal issues, and how to communicate findings to courts and social policymakers. Additionally, systems and clinical approaches to treating mentally disordered offenders will be addressed, with particular attention to the dual role of the forensic mental health professional in providing treatment and assuring public safety. Treatment and intervention methods will be examined from both individual and societal perspectives.

This course has two emphases: evaluation and treatment. The student will be introduced to the assumptions, theories, methods and instrumentation used in the psychosocial and psycholegal evaluation of court-involved youth. Evaluation questions pertaining to child welfare, child custody, and juvenile offenders will be considered. The special ethical issues presented by practice in forensic settings are emphasized. Students will learn how to appreciate relevant clinical and legal issues, and how to communicate findings to courts and social policymakers. Additionally, students will explore treatment and intervention models for court involved youth, in both community and institutional settings. Treatment of child victims as well as youthful offenders will be addressed. Treatment and intervention models will be examined from both individual and societal perspectives.

This course acts as an introduction to the contemporary legal system in the United States.  Major areas of law as well as precedent-setting cases, developing trends, and legal terminology will be discussed.

This course examines state regulation of and intrusion into the family.  Topics include the nature of marriage, definition of a family, courtship, rights and duties of husbands and wives, family breakdown, family after divore, and the legal relationship between parent and child.

This course examines sociological, psychological and legal aspects of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. In addition to lecture, students participate in a two day suicide intervention skills training, known as Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Upon completion of the training, students receive an ASIST certificate, which serves as a valuable resource in the professional world.

This course examines constitutional provisions, statutes, regulations and case law relating to the interaction of mentally ill persons with the civil and criminal justice systems. In the civil realm, topics include the standards/procedures for commitment of civil patients to mental health facilities, the right to treatment, informed consent/the refusal of medication and assisted outpatient treatment. Criminal law topics include standards for determining competency to stand trial, the insanity defense, the post-conviction civil management of sex offenders and sex offender registration requirements. 

With the approval of the instructor, students in the Externship in Forensic Mental Health will select a field placement setting that is part of the extended local, county, state, or federal forensic mental health system. The student will work a minimum of 240 unpaid hours under site supervision and will also be supervised by a SGS faculty member. Performance in the placement is accompanied by reduced seat-time class sessions.

The course explores the biopsychosocial vulnerabilities and motivations for substance abuse. Signs and symptoms of substance related disorders, as well as social, psychological and physiological consequences of substance dependence are explored. Prevention and treatment models are also presented.