10 Hours / 10 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Ethics in Forensic Psychological Practice is presented by Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP. This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts towards various certificates. Enroll to earn credit and share your new digital credentials with prospective employers and colleagues. This program counts as a foundational program in the certificates:

  1. Criminal Forensic Assessment Certificate
  2. Child Custody Evaluation Certificate
  3. Civil Forensic Assessment Certificate
  4. Juvenile Forensic Assessment Certificate
  5. Violence Risk Assessment Certificate


Using a case study approach, this program reviews ethical challenges/issues commonly encountered by forensic psychologists. 

After introducing an ethical decision-making framework and identifying the various sources of authority that can impose obligations on psychologists when providing forensic services, the following challenges are discussed: distinguishing between informed consent, assent, and notification (and when each must be provided and obtained); documenting and communicating findings; issues of multiple roles and relationships, and conflicts of interest; privacy, confidentiality, and privilege in the forensic evaluation and treatment contexts; recording of, or third-party presence during, forensic evaluations; release of reports and test data; examination billing and reimbursement practices; editing/altering reports; offering opinions about persons not examined; obligations to take into account issues of diversity in forensic evaluation contexts; use of social media data; and addressing the substandard practice by peers.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe a 7-step problem-solving process to respond to ethical/legal dilemmas
  • 2 Describe and locate key sources of authority for forensic psychology practice
  • 3 Describe conditions under which multiple roles/relationships are permitted, prohibited, and discouraged
  • 4 Describe the circumstances in which consent must or need not be obtained from forensic examinees
  • 5 Describe and employ strategies when asked to record, or allow a third party to observe a forensic evaluation
  • 6 Describe the circumstances/conditions under which psychologists are permitted to offer opinions about persons not examined
  • 7 Distinguish between privacy, confidentiality, and privilege as applied to forensic evaluation and treatment contexts, and describe how each impacts what information is included in one’s records and testimony
  • 8 Describe the substandard work of colleagues in such a way that meets one’s ethical obligations
  • 9 Describe the obligations one has when examining persons who differ in significant ways from groups on which traditional tests were developed

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for a diverse group of individuals who work at the intersection of psychology and the law, including those specializing in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, or allied mental health professions where legal and ethical considerations are central. Participants may be at any stage of their career, from students and early-career professionals to seasoned practitioners, and are likely to be involved in roles that require a strong understanding of both psychological practice and legal frameworks.

    • Forensic Psychologist
    • Clinical Psychologist
    • Allied Mental Health Professional (e.g., Social Worker, Counselor, Psychiatric Nurse)
    • Mental Health Professional
    • Student or Trainee in Psychology or Related Fields

  • Experience Level

    This training is applicable for all career stages: entry-level, mid-career, and experienced professionals.

    • Beginner: Participants new to forensic psychology or ethical decision-making in forensic contexts, seeking foundational knowledge of ethical frameworks, sources of authority, and basic obligations in forensic services.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience in forensic settings who are familiar with general ethical principles and wish to deepen their understanding of complex issues such as multiple roles, confidentiality, and diversity considerations.

    • Advanced: Participants with extensive forensic experience who regularly navigate nuanced ethical dilemmas, supervise others, or contribute to policy development, and are seeking advanced strategies for addressing emerging challenges and substandard practices.

  • Practice Setting

    Practice settings for these professionals are varied and often involve environments where psychological expertise intersects with legal, correctional, or healthcare systems. These settings may be structured, such as hospitals or correctional facilities, or community-based, such as private practices or social service agencies. Professionals may work independently or as part of multidisciplinary teams, frequently interacting with legal professionals, law enforcement, courts, or government agencies. The work environment is often characterized by high ethical and legal scrutiny, the need for clear documentation, and the management of complex confidentiality and consent issues.

    • Court clinics or forensic evaluation units within the judicial system
    • Correctional facilities (prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers)
    • State or private psychiatric hospitals
    • Community mental health centers
    • Private practice specializing in forensic or clinical assessment
    • Law enforcement agencies (providing consultation or crisis intervention)
    • Academic or research institutions conducting forensic or legal-psychological research
    • Social service agencies working with legally involved populations
    • Hospitals or emergency departments providing crisis evaluations
    • Training sites for students and trainees in forensic or clinical psychology

Presented By

Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP Professor and Chief of the Division of Forensic Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine

Randy K. Otto, PhD, MLS, joined the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in May 2025, where he serves as Professor and Chief of the Division of Forensic Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Otto was a member of the faculty at the University of South Florida between 1989 and 2022, and Nova Southeastern University between 2022 and 2025. Dr. Otto, licensed to practice psychology in New Mexico and Florida, is board certified in clinical psychology and forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Rochester, and masters and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Florida State University. After serving as a clinical psychology intern at the Medical University of South Carolina, he completed a two year, NIMH-funded fellowship in the College of Law and Department of Psychology at the University of Nebraska, where he was awarded a master’s degree in legal studies. Dr. Otto’s research, writing, and practice is devoted to matters of forensic psychological assessment. In press is the fifth edition of Psychological Evaluations for the Courts: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals and Lawyers, which he co-authored with co-authors Chris Slobogin, John Petrila, and Lois Oberlander. With Irv Weiner, he edited the fourth edition of the Handbook of Forensic Psychology, and he is also lead author of books devoted to forensic practice ethics and forensic report writing and testimony.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP

Earning a Certificate

This is a badge-earning program, which means it will help you earn a certificate that can be showcased on digital platforms like LinkedIn.
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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).



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.