AAFP: Parenting Capacity Assessments in Child Protection Court
Presented by: Krissie Fernandez Smith, Ph.D., ABPP
4 Hours / 4 CEs
On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training
This on-demand professional training program on Parenting Capacity in Child Protection 
Court is presented by Krissie Fernandez Smith, PhD, ABPP, in partnership with The American Academy of Forensic Psychology.
Parenting capacity assessments completed in the context of child protection proceedings incorporate risk management techniques that consider the child's best interest. This program reviews relevant case law and helps you incorporate best practice methodology into your evaluation procedures and communication with appropriate court parties. Specifically, it discusses essential elements of a parenting capacity assessment, including parent interviews, child interviews, observations of parent-child interactions, collateral sources, the use of psychological testing, and risk and protective factors for child maltreatment. In addition, these concepts are discussed in light of gender/cultural issues and bias in forensic assessment.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- 1 Describe case law relevant to parenting capacity assessments in child protection proceedings.
- 2 Describe salient risk and protective factors for child maltreatment.
- 3 Describe important concepts to assess during evaluation.
- 4 Describe strategies for effectively presenting findings from a parenting capacity assessment.
Presented By
Krissie Fernandez Smith, PhD, ABPP
Krissie Fernandez Smith, Ph.D., ABPP has been board certified in forensic psychology since 2017. She received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology with a forensic emphasis from Sam Houston State University in 2007. Following her graduation, she completed various criminal forensic evaluations while employed at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Michigan. Since 2010, she has worked at the Cook County Juvenile Court Clinic where she completes court-ordered evaluations for juvenile justice and child protection proceedings. In 2016, she became the Associate Director of the Cook County Juvenile Court Clinic. She is an Assistant Professor in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and provides training for their Psychiatry and Law fellowship program. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Forensic Psychology and its examination faculty.
Training Outline
Key topics covered in this training include:
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Discuss essential elements of a parenting capacity assessment, including:
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Parent interviews.
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Child interviews.
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Observations of parent-child interactions.
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Collateral sources.
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The use of psychological testing.
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Risk and protective factors for child maltreatment.
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).
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.