1st Edition
Ethical and Legal Issues for Mental Health Professionals in Forensic Settings
Get crucial ethical and clinical knowledge as it relates to the legal system
Ethical and Legal Issues for Mental Health Professionals: in Forensic Settings comprehensively focuses on the integration of ethical, legal, and clinical issues for practicing mental health professionals dealing with legal processes in forensic settings. This unique text is organized around the most current ethical and legal standards as defined by the mental health professionals of psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, and psychiatry. Respected well-known authorities with diverse backgrounds, expertise, and professional experience offer a far-reaching discussion of ethical and legal issues important for every mental health professional to know.
Practicing clinicians increasingly find themselves needing to deal with the legal system about a multitude of issues. Ethical and Legal Issues for Mental Health Professionals: in Forensic Settings not only presents mental health professionals, but also attorneys who defend mental health professionals providing legal and ethical discussions of importance to the field. This powerful resource provides up-to-date crucial knowledge for graduate students and clinicians alike. The final book in the three volume series will focus on special populations/special treatment modalities.
Topics in Ethical and Legal Issues for Mental Health Professionals: in Forensic Settings include:
- the discovery process
- depositions
- personal injury evaluations
- various types of witness preparation for court testimony
- psychological evaluations
- juvenile court dependency
- forensic evaluations
- dealing with litigation with civil lawsuits
- tests that relate to false memories of trauma
- APA’s Ethics Committee process and State Ethics Committees processes
Acknowledgments. About the Editors. About the Assistant Editors. About the Contributors. Introduction. The Organization of this Volume. Section I: The Mental Health Professional and the Legal System: Court Situations. Donald N. Bersoff Deposition: Discovery, Procedures, and Practice Pointers. Nature and Purposes of Depositions. The Scope of Discovery. Deposition Procedures. Practice Pointers. Conclusion. David D. Stein Personal Injury: Consultation, Evaluation, and the Expert Witness. Legal Considerations. Typical Roles for Psychologists. Issues in Performing an Evaluation. Interpretations of Findings within a Psycho-Legal Framework. Feedback. Trial Preparation and Testimony. After the Trial. Pamela Thatcher Preparing for Court Testimony. Section II: Forensic Assessment and Techniques. Arthur N. Wiens, Reed M. Mueller How to Complete and Use a Psychological Evaluation in an Ethical Manner. Ethics for Psychologists. Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. From the Ethics Code to Specific Practice Recommendations. An Ethical Assessment Strategy. Conclusion. Russell S. Gold Evaluating Child Custody Cases: Techniques and Maintaining Objectivity. Critical Areas. Conclusion. S. Margaret Lee Acting As a Special Master in High Conflict Post-Divorce Child Custody Cases: How to be a Mediator, Therapist, and Judge in an Ethical and Legal Manner. Dual Roles. Informed Consent. Lack of Community Standards of Care. Ex Parte Communications with Attorneys and Judges. Confidentiality. Bias, its Sources, and the Special Masters Responsibility to Manage It. Recordkeeping. Summary. Alan Lincoln, Kathy Lincoln Juvenile Court and Dependency: Guidelines and Roles for Psychologists. The Minor As a Dependent of the Court. Factors Related to Successful Reunification. The Minor’s Experiences with the Court and Intervention Services. Psychological Assessment in Dependency Cases. Ethical Issues in Dependency Cases. Psychotherapy in Dependency Cases. Conclusion. Richard Romanoff Ethics in Performing Criminal Forensic Evaluations. Expertise. Dual Relationships. Fee Arrangement. Case Materials. Malingering. Appropriate Feedback. On the Stand. Follow-Up. Appendix. Section III: Mental Health Professionals and Litigation. O. Brandt Caudill Jr.When a Mental Health Professional is in Litigation. Sexual Misconduct Claims. Dual Relationships. Failure to Warn of a Patient’s Danger. Patient Suicide. Unusual treatment techniques. Litigation Self Defense. Conclusion. Margaret A. Bogie, Eric C. Marine Civil Lawsuits/Malpractice Professional Liability Claims Process and Claims History. The Professional Liability Claims Process. Historical Loss Data. Constance Dalenberg, Eve Carlson, O. Brandt Caudill, Jr. Ethical and Legal Issues in the Treatment of Patient/Plaintiffs with Recovered Memories of Trauma and Patients/Plaintiffs with “False Memories” of Trauma Ethics and the Treatment of a “Recovered Memory” Patient. Ethics and Treatment of the “False Memory” Patient. Legal Issues Relevant to the Therapist Treating “Recovered Memory” or “False Memory” Survivors. Summary. Julia Ramos Grenier, Muriel Golub American Psychological Association and State Ethics Committees.Ethics Committees: American Psychological Association and State, and Local. The Structure and Functioning of a State Ethics Committee. Conclusion. Index.
Biography
Bucky, Steven F; Callan, Joanne E; Stricker, George
"Full of practical information that certainly will be of value to psychologists and other mental health providers who in the context of their clinical practice become involved with the legal system. Well organized and written." -Samuel T. Gontkovsky and Shannon Calpin, PsycCRITIQUES
