Assessing Civil Capacities
Presented by Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP
This self-paced training program on Assessing Civil Capacities is presented by Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP.
The training program begins with a discussion of assessment principles that apply to all civil capacity evaluations, regardless of their specific focus. Next, characteristics of good and bad civil capacity evaluations and the reports that summarize them are reviewed, using documents extracted from actual cases (i.e., report excerpts, test data, affidavits). Then, for a number of specific rights/capacities, the legal definition/operationalization is offered, followed by a discussion of appropriate assessment strategies. In addition to consideration of specific competencies including the capacity to testify, write a will (testamentary capacity), manage finances, and make health care decisions, related matters are discussed including undue influence and conducting guardianship/conservatorship evaluations.
Upon completion of this course you will be able to:
Describe why civil capacities are typically less well-defined than criminal competencies and the extra efforts examiners should make when assessing civil capacities in response
Describe predicate impairment(s) that should be present if any opinion of impaired capacity is going to be offered
Describe key components of good civil capacity evaluations and the reports that summarize them
Describe errors that examiners are likely to make when conducting civil capacity evaluations and writing reports summarizing them
Describe the law defining the capacities to testify, execute a will, manage finances, and make health care decisions, and identify and employ resulting strategies for valid assessment of these psycholegal constructs
Describe rights that are often at issue in the context of guardianship/conservatorship proceedings and identify strategies for valid assessment of these rights
Describe “undue influence” as it applies to matters of legal decision making, and identify indicators of it
Review Before Proceeding
Lesson 1 Video
Psychological and Psychiatric Assessment of Decision-Making Capacity
Lesson 2 Video
Lesson Quiz
Lesson 3 Video
Sample Affidavit
Lesson Quiz
Lesson 4 Video
Lesson Quiz
Lesson 5 Video
Dr. Jeter Report
Lesson Quiz
Custom training options for groups of 5 to 500+