AAFP: Advanced Topics in Competency Assessment Part 1: Mapping Clinical Data to Functional Legal Capacities
Presented by: Terry Kukor, PhD, ABPP and Lori L. Hauser, PhD, ABPP
4 Hours / 4 CEs
On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training
This on-demand professional training program on Advanced Topics in Competency Assessment Part 1: Mapping Clinical Data to Functional Legal Capacities is presented by Terry Kukor, PhD, ABPP, and Lori Hauser, PhD, ABPP in partnership with the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP).
This is Part One of a three-part series on Advanced Topics in the Assessment of Competency to Stand Trial. It is recommended but not required that participants complete all three parts.
This program addresses the core conceptual underpinnings of Understanding, Appreciating, Reasoning, and Assisting Counsel, with an emphasis on practical assessment strategies for each. Particular attention will be given to key competency-related functions that are not easily assessed (e.g., decision-making, cognitive flexibility, capacity to manage symptoms, social/cognitive factors relevant to capacity to assist).
This program is not suitable for those seeking basic introductory-level instruction in assessing competency to stand trial. Participants who have some basic practical experience in competency assessment benefit the most from this program. Participants in the inpatient or outpatient environment would benefit from this program.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- 1 Describe the four key conceptual foundations of competency to stand trial
- 2 Describe the sources of data collection in competency assessment, their strengths, and strategies to avoid potential pitfalls associated with them
- 3 Describe mental status examination, behavioral observations, and input from treatment providers can be utilized to make inferences about capacity to assist and decision-making ability
- 4 Describe practical strategies for the assessment of case-related reasoning
Training Instructors:
Terry Kukor, PhD, ABPP
Terry Kukor, Ph.D., ABPP, is board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. In late 2023 he retired from his salaried position at the Netcare Forensic Center in Columbus, Ohio, where he had held a variety of roles including Director of Forensic Services, Senior Forensic Psychologist, and Training Director for the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology. He is now in independent practice.
Lori L. Hauser, PhD, ABPP
Lori L. Hauser, PhD, ABPP, is a board-certified forensic psychologist employed at Whiting Forensic Hospital in Middletown, Connecticut. There, she oversees the competency restoration service and conducts forensic evaluations – competency, as well as general and sexual violence risk management – for the hospital.
Training Outline
Key topics covered in this training include:
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Defining and assessing the four core competency constructs: Understanding, Appreciating, Reasoning, and Assisting Counsel.
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A structured review of key data collection methods including interviews, record review, psychological testing, and collateral information.
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Strategies for drawing the most meaningful clinical and legal data, integrating multiple sources into a defensible opinion.
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Identifying and avoiding common assessment pitfalls, such as misinterpreting symptoms or drifting from competency-related standards.
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Mapping psychiatric symptoms onto functional legal capacities, with emphasis on the ability-to-assist-counsel prong.
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Evaluating reasoning in nuanced and complex cases, including distinctions between delusions, extreme overvalued beliefs, and issues of pro se capacity.
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Case examples from practice, demonstrating the application of assessment concepts and strategies across diverse scenarios.
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Interactive engagement, with opportunities for participants to ask questions and relate the material to their own evaluation experiences.
We are proud to partner with
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.
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.
American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.
Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).
Sponsorship Approval Statements
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), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #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. Palo Alto University 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. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), 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. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by 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.