6 Hours / 6 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Evidence-Based Evaluations of Criminal Responsibility is presented by Terry Kukor, Ph.D., ABPP, in partnership with The American Academy of Forensic Psychology.

This program focuses on assessing a defendant’s mental state at the time of the offense as it relates to issues of criminal responsibility (sanity). Specific topics include practical assessment of the defendant’s understanding of the nature, quality, and wrongfulness of their behavior; objective and subjective standards of moral wrongfulness; evidentiary basis for inferences about wrongfulness; amnesia and sanity; using collateral information; psychological testing in criminal responsibility evaluations; the relationship between symptoms and mental state at the time of the alleged offense; dealing with complications (e.g., denial of involvement in the alleged offense); accounting for contradictory data; formulating opinions; and malingering in criminal responsibility evaluations. A practice model for the assessment of criminal responsibility is introduced, emphasizing gathering and evaluating the evidence necessary to address the functional legal capacities in question. Practical report-writing strategies are reviewed as well. Clinical cases and vignettes provide participants with valuable opportunities to apply the conceptual framework to case detail in criminal responsibility evaluations.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe legal principles relevant to the evaluation of criminal responsibility (sanity)
  • 2 Describe a conceptual framework for evaluating legal sanity
  • 3 Describe questions designed to elicit “big picture” and “behavioral detail” data pertinent to evaluation of criminal responsibility evaluations
  • 4 Describe examples of evidence that can be used to support an opinion about sanity
  • 5 Describe effective techniques for bridging clinical and behavioral data with relevant legal principles
  • 6 Describe how bias can interfere with objective consideration of diversity factors (e.g., race, culture, sexual orientation, etc.) in the evaluation of criminal responsibility
  • 7 Describe the conceptual framework to forensic case examples

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health and allied professionals who specialize in forensic psychology or criminal responsibility evaluations. It is designed for those involved in assessments of defendants’ mental state at the time of an offense and is relevant for individuals at any stage of their career.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Psychologist
    • Psychiatrist
    • Social Worker
    • Counselor
    • Allied Professional involved in forensic or legal settings
    • Professional specializing in forensic psychology or criminal responsibility evaluations

  • Experience Level

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

    • Beginner: New to criminal responsibility evaluations; seeking foundational knowledge of legal principles, conceptual frameworks, and practical assessment strategies.
    • Intermediate: Some experience with forensic evaluations; looking to deepen skills in integrating clinical and legal data, addressing complications (e.g., amnesia, malingering), and applying evidence-based models to case material.
    • Advanced: Extensive experience in forensic mental health; interested in refining advanced techniques, addressing complex cases, and enhancing objectivity in diverse and challenging evaluations.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals specializing in forensic psychology or criminal responsibility evaluations typically work in environments where mental health and legal systems intersect. These settings require collaboration with legal professionals, law enforcement, and the courts, and often involve secure or controlled environments. Practitioners may conduct assessments in correctional facilities, forensic psychiatric hospitals, court clinics, private practices with forensic specialization, or government agencies. Their workspaces are designed to ensure confidentiality, safety, and access to relevant legal and clinical records. They frequently interact with defendants, attorneys, judges, and other stakeholders, and their assessments contribute directly to legal decisions regarding criminal responsibility.

    • Forensic psychiatric hospitals
    • Correctional facilities (jails or prisons)
    • Court-based mental health clinics
    • Private forensic psychology or psychiatry practices
    • Government agencies (e.g., departments of mental health, public defender’s offices)
    • Academic medical centers with forensic programs
    • Community mental health centers with forensic services

Presented By

Terry Kukor, PhD, ABPP, Senior Forensic Psychologist at the Netcare Forensic Center

Terry Kukor, Ph.D., ABPP, is board-certified in forensic psychology, and is a Senior Forensic Psychologist at the Netcare Forensic Center. Dr. Kukor has specialized in criminal forensic evaluation for more than 30 years, during which time he has also done violence risk and threat assessment. He teaches multiple workshops for the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP) including Critical Thinking in Forensic Evaluation. He is a threat assessment consultant for Work Trauma Services Inc., and consults with a regional office of the FBI. In 2016, he was recognized with the Howard H. Sokolov Forensic Mental Health Leadership Award, presented by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. In 2019, he was granted the Distinguished Contributions to Forensic Psychology Award by AAFP.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Terry Kukor, PhD, ABPP

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Practical assessment of the defendant’s understanding of the nature, quality, and wrongfulness of his/her behavior

  • Objective and subjective standards of moral wrongfulness

  • The evidentiary basis for inferences about the wrongfulness

  • Amnesia and sanity

  • Using collateral information

  • Psychological testing, insanity evaluations

  • Relationship between symptoms and mental state at the time of the alleged offense

  • Dealing with complications (e.g., denial of involvement in the alleged offense)

  • Accounting for contradictory data and formulating opinions

  • Malingering insanity evaluations

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).



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.