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 (AAFP).

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 the 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 related to child maltreatment. Additionally, these concepts are explored in the context of gender/cultural issues, as well as 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.

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health and allied professionals who conduct parenting capacity assessments in the context of child protection proceedings. It is designed for those who evaluate parent-child interactions, assess risk and protective factors, and integrate psychological testing and collateral information to inform their assessments.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental health professionals (e.g., psychologists, social workers, counselors)
    • Allied professionals involved in child protection or family court assessments
    • Practitioners specializing in forensic or clinical psychology
    • Professionals conducting parenting capacity or child protection assessments

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience with parenting capacity assessments in child protection proceedings.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to parenting capacity assessments and seek foundational knowledge of case law, risk and protective factors, and essential evaluation components.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience with parenting capacity assessments and aim to deepen their understanding of best practices, integrate risk management techniques, and enhance their ability to communicate findings to court parties.

    • Advanced: Participants are experienced in conducting parenting capacity assessments and wish to refine their methodology, address complex cases involving cultural/gender issues and bias, and further develop their skills in presenting nuanced findings in legal contexts.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals practice in forensic and clinical environments connected to child protection proceedings, conducting structured parenting capacity evaluations, integrating testing and collateral data, and communicating findings to court stakeholders. Work is team-based and guided by case law and best-practice methodology, with attention to risk management, cultural/gender considerations, and bias.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Child protective services agencies and child welfare departments
    • Family/dependency court clinics and court-appointed evaluation services
    • Community mental health centers contracted for child protection evaluations
    • Hospital-based child protection teams and pediatric forensic programs
    • Private forensic psychology practices providing court-ordered assessments
    • University-affiliated clinics conducting forensic evaluations
    • Multidisciplinary family assessment centers and supervised visitation programs
Presented By

Krissie Fernandez Smith, Ph.D., 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. 


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Training Outline
Key topics covered in this training include:

Discuss essential elements of a parenting capacity assessment, including:

  1. parent interviews
  2. child interviews
  3. observations of parent-child interactions
  4. collateral sources
  5. the use of psychological testing
  6. risk and protective factors for child maltreatment
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).


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.