4 Hours / 4 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on A New Way to Write Forensic Reports is presented by Terry Kukor, PhD., ABPP, in partnership with The American Academy of Forensic Psychology.

This program focuses on a bold new way of approaching forensic report writing. Ever wonder why we structure our forensic reports as we do or why we include some things that don’t seem pertinent in forensic reports? Do you dread typing or dictating lengthy histories? Do you struggle to make decisions about what data points are relevant in forensic reports? Have longer reports left you wondering if anyone reads more than the conclusion? If so, this program can help. It identifies specific strategies for decision-making about what data to include and practical approaches for implementing these strategies in report writing. 

It begins by focusing on core principles upon which efforts to reformulate the structure of forensic reports should be based. We anchor these principles to primary sources of authority related to forensic evaluations and report writing. This leads to a step-by-step review of how to map clinical data to functional legal capacities effectively. Finally, this program ties this all together and introduces a novel report-writing strategy that emphasizes efficiency, clarity, and relevancy.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe the rationale for restructuring reports summarizing forensic evaluations
  • 2 Describe principles to guide the restructuring process
  • 3 Describe models for restructured reports that meet professional standards and legal needs
  • 4 Describe specific methods for maximizing relevancy in forensic reports

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health and allied professionals who specialize in forensic psychology, particularly those involved in conducting and writing forensic evaluations.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Forensic Psychologist
    • Clinical Psychologist
    • Psychiatrist
    • Social Worker
    • Counselor
    • Allied Health Professional

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at all experience levels who wish to enhance their forensic report writing skills.

    Beginner:
    Participants with limited experience in forensic report writing or those new to the field, seeking foundational knowledge of report structure, relevant data selection, and professional standards.

    Intermediate:
    Participants with some experience in forensic evaluations and report writing, looking to refine their decision-making strategies, improve report clarity, and align reports with legal and professional requirements.

    Advanced:
    Participants with extensive experience in forensic report writing, interested in adopting innovative approaches, maximizing report relevancy, and contributing to the evolution of best practices in the field.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals who conduct and write forensic evaluations typically work in environments where mental health and legal systems intersect. These settings require a high degree of confidentiality, adherence to ethical and legal standards, and the ability to communicate complex psychological findings to courts, attorneys, and other stakeholders. Workspaces may include private offices, secure facilities, hospitals, government agencies, or court clinics, and often involve collaboration with legal professionals, law enforcement, and social services.

    • Forensic units within psychiatric hospitals
    • Court-affiliated mental health clinics
    • Private forensic psychology practices
    • Correctional facilities or jails
    • Government agencies (e.g., departments of mental health or justice)
    • Community mental health centers with forensic services
    • Academic medical centers with forensic evaluation programs

Presented By

Terry Kukor, PhD, ABPP, Senior Forensic Psychologist at the Netcare Forensic Center

Terry Kukor, Ph.D., ABPP, is board-certified in forensic psychology, and is a Senior Forensic Psychologist at the Netcare Forensic Center. Dr. Kukor has specialized in criminal forensic evaluation for more than 30 years, during which time he has also done violence risk and threat assessment. He teaches multiple workshops for the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP) including Critical Thinking in Forensic Evaluation. He is a threat assessment consultant for Work Trauma Services Inc., and consults with a regional office of the FBI. In 2016, he was recognized with the Howard H. Sokolov Forensic Mental Health Leadership Award, presented by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. In 2019, he was granted the Distinguished Contributions to Forensic Psychology Award by AAFP.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Terry Kukor, PhD, ABPP

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Identify specific strategies for decision-making

  • Discuss what data to include

  • Provide practical approaches for implementing strategies in report writing

We are proud to partner with

American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP)

American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP)

We are proud to partner with the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP) for this training. AAFP is a non-profit organization of board-certified forensic psychologists whose mission is to contribute to the development and maintenance of forensic psychology as a specialized field of study, research, and practice. The Academy does this by providing high-quality continuing education workshops, providing a forum for the exchange of scientific information among its members, and conferring awards upon outstanding students and practitioners in the field of forensic psychology.

Learn More About Our Partner

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.