4 Hours / 4 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Eight Best Practices to Improve Forensic Psychological Assessments is presented by Tess M.S. Neal, PhD.

The focus of this program reviews the state of forensic mental health assessment. It begins with a discussion of the rationale and development of the project; Eight Best Practices to Improve Forensic Psychological Assessments.  Dr. Neal provides an overview of forensic psychology’s history and discusses its possible future with multiple audiences in mind. This program distills decades of scholarship from and about fundamental basic science and forensic science, clinical and forensic psychology, and the law of expert evidence into eight best practices for the validity of a forensic psychological assessment. There is further discussion on the best practices that should apply when a psychological assessment relies on science's norms, values, and esteem to inform legal processes.  

The presentation is based on a free article recently published in the Annual Review of Law and Social Science. Portions of this original synthesis were prepared simultaneously for this article and for a report commissioned by the independent public inquiry by the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia called the Mass Casualty Commission. Drs. Martire and Neal served as expert consultants in the inquiry process. Our reports and testimony are publicly available.

The eight key considerations include:

  1. foundational validity of the assessment; 
  2. validity of the assessment as applied; 
  3. management and mitigation of bias; 
  4. attention to quality assurance; 
  5. appropriate communication of data, results, and opinions; 
  6. explicit consideration of limitations and assumptions; 
  7. weighing of alternative views or disagreements; and 
  8. adherence to ethical obligations, professional guidelines, codes of conduct, and rules of evidence.


Dr. Neal introduces a free resource developed and posted online on the open science framework with 117 specific questions that practitioners (psychologists, lawyers, judges) can ask as they read through any particular psychological assessment: these questions make concrete the 8 best practices as they would apply to any given case.

This program discusses how the authors used this framework in a specific high-profile case to date: as part of our expert testimony in the Mass Casualty Commission in Canada to evaluate the quality of a psychological autopsy that was used by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the aftermath of Canada's deadliest mass shooting. That expert testimony is publicly available if people are interested in the content - we'll share information about how to access more information about the case, this particular psychological assessment of interest, and our analysis of its quality through this framework.

This program is intended for all career stages, specialty areas, and environments involving mental health & law.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe how strategies borrowed from open science, forensic science, judgment and decision making, clinical and forensic psychology, and the law of expert evidence can be used to evaluate and improve the validity of forensic psychological assessment
  • 2 Describe eight best practices to evaluate the rigor and value of a forensic psychological assessment
  • 3 Describe three free high-quality resources for improving forensic psychological assessment practice
  • 4 Describe the differences in the foundational validity from the applied validity of a psychological assessment
  • 5 Describe how to minimize bias in assessment practices
  • 6 Describe weaknesses of how the law has evaluated psychological assessment evidence
  • 7 Identify at least 3 specific areas for effective cross-examination of psychological assessments in legal contexts
  • 8 Demonstrate one’s own practices to align with and exceed standards of practice and promote improvement in the field

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health professionals who work at the intersection of mental health and the legal system, with particular relevance for those involved in forensic mental health, including the assessment and evaluation of individuals within legal contexts. It is most useful for clinicians, psychologists, and other professionals conducting or reviewing forensic psychological assessments, as well as those whose roles require an understanding of how mental health and legal systems interact.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Clinicians
    • Psychologists
    • Forensic Psychologists
    • Social Workers involved in forensic assessments
    • Psychiatrists conducting legal evaluations
    • Counselors working with court-mandated clients
    • Professionals reviewing forensic psychological evaluations

  • Experience Level

    This program is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at all career stages who wish to enhance their understanding and application of best practices in forensic psychological assessment.


    • Beginner: Participants new to forensic mental health assessment or early in their careers will gain foundational knowledge of the eight best practices and learn how to apply structured evaluation tools to their own or sample reports.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience in forensic assessment will deepen their understanding of validity, bias mitigation, and quality assurance, and will refine their ability to critically evaluate and improve their own assessment practices using advanced resources and frameworks.

    • Advanced: Participants with extensive experience in forensic mental health assessment will engage in critical analysis of current standards, contribute to discussions on advancing the field, and explore strategies for exceeding existing professional and ethical guidelines.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals practice at the interface of behavioral health and the justice system, where psychological data inform legal decisions, expert opinions, and policy. Environments include secure or court-linked clinical services, evaluation units, and consultative roles within government, legal, and community systems that demand rigorous, unbiased assessments and clear communication to legal stakeholders.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Forensic hospitals and state psychiatric facilities
    • Jails, prisons, and correctional health services
    • Court clinics and competency/restoration programs
    • Community mental health programs serving court-mandated clients
    • Private practice consulting for attorneys and courts
    • Child welfare and family court evaluation services
    • Probation, parole, and pretrial services agencies
    • Academic or research centers reviewing forensic assessments
Presented By

Tess M.S Neal, PhD

Tess M.S. Neal, PhD is an associate professor of psychology and serves as a Dean’s Professor at Iowa State University. Before moving to Iowa in Fall 2023, she was tenured at Arizona State University, where she was the founding director of the Future of Forensic Science Initiative. She is a scientist; a licensed clinical psychologist trained to assess, diagnose, and treat mental and behavioral disorders; and a forensic psychologist trained to bring psychology into legal contexts. She studies the nature and limits of expertise. Her basic work focuses on understanding and improving human judgment processes – especially among trained experts, and her more applied work focuses on improving forensic and legal experts’ judgments in particular. Her work has been funded by multiple grants from the National Science Foundation, and she has published more than four dozen scientific papers. She is the incoming Editor-in-Chief of the journal Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, is a fellow of both the Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association, and recently completed a Fulbright Scholarship in Australia.



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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.