4 Hours / 4 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Detecting Malingering in Criminal Forensic Evaluations is presented by Michael Vitacco, PhD, ABPP, in partnership with the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP).

This program discusses recent advances and challenges to appropriately diagnosing malingering in the context of criminal forensic evaluations. We will discuss structured approaches to the comprehensive evaluation of feigning and how biases can interfere with clinical judgment and accuracy.  The program provides tactics to improve judgment and overcome potential biases.   

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe challenges to accurately diagnosing malingering
  • 2 Describe legal cases that deal with malingering
  • 3 Describe recent research studies that advance how we conceptualize the evaluation of feigning

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for individuals involved in criminal forensic evaluations, including mental health professionals, forensic psychologists, psychiatrists, and other allied professionals.

    Job Titles or Roles

    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Forensic Evaluators
    • Social Workers
    • Psychologists
    • Psychiatrists
    • Allied professionals involved in criminal forensic evaluations

  • Experience Level

    This continuing education program is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health and allied professionals at all stages of experience.

    • Beginner: Participants new to forensic evaluation or malingering assessment seeking foundational knowledge of current advances, structured evaluation approaches, and awareness of bias in clinical judgment.
    • Intermediate: Clinicians with some experience in forensic settings aiming to deepen their understanding of recent research, legal cases, and practical strategies for improving diagnostic accuracy.
    • Advanced: Experienced professionals looking to refine their expertise, critically evaluate complex cases, and implement advanced tactics to mitigate bias and enhance judgment in challenging forensic contexts.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals involved in criminal forensic evaluations typically work in environments where legal and mental health systems intersect. These settings require careful, structured assessments of individuals involved in legal proceedings, often focusing on issues such as competency, criminal responsibility, and malingering. The work environment is often multidisciplinary, involving collaboration with attorneys, courts, correctional staff, and other professionals. Evaluations may take place in secure facilities, outpatient clinics, private practices, or government agencies, and often require detailed documentation, report writing, and expert testimony.

    Examples of Practice Settings

    • Forensic units within psychiatric hospitals
    • Correctional facilities (jails, prisons)
    • Court clinics or court-appointed evaluation centers
    • Private forensic psychology or psychiatry practices
    • Community mental health centers with forensic services
    • Government agencies (e.g., departments of mental health, public defender’s offices)
    • Academic or research institutions conducting forensic assessments

Presented By

Michael Vitacco, PhD, ABPP, PhD, ABPP

Michael Vitacco, PhD, ABPP, is a professor at Augusta University in the School of Public Health and an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior. He is board-certified in forensic psychology and has a small forensic consulting practice. Dr. Vitacco has over 120 publications with emphases in social media, response style, conditional release, and violence risk assessment.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Michael Vitacco, PhD, ABPP

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Introduction

  • Recent advances and challenges

  • Case studies

  • Reviewing data from evaluations

We are proud to partner with

American Academy of Forensic Psychology

American Academy of Forensic Psychology

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.