10 Hours / 10 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Evidence for Forensic Mental Health Professionals is presented by David DeMatteo, 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


This program describes the admissibility standards provided by governing case law (e.g., Frye, Daubert, Kumho, Joiner) and the various rules of evidence (e.g., Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure).

This program also covers other topics related to the provision of expert reports and testimony by mental health professionals in criminal and civil legal proceedings, including the various bases of expert testimony (e.g., statutory, court rules), the rule against hearsay, ethics, and professionalism, expert immunity, and the role of discovery. Best-practice standards for data gathering and data presentation are also discussed.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe the admissibility standards for expert evidence articulated by the Supreme Court of the United States
  • 2 Describe the federal rules of evidence that govern the recognition of experts and admissibility of expert evidence
  • 3 Describe the bases of expert testimony
  • 4 Describe how expert evidence is affected by the rule against hearsay
  • 5 Describe how to collect data and present data in a manner that is consistent with best practices and likely to withstand admissibility challenges
  • 6 Describe several ethical and professional issues associated with the provision of expert evidence by psychologists in legal proceedings
  • 7 Describe how to engage in forensic practice in a manner that recognizes the diversity of the examinees and attorneys with whom psychologists work

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health professionals who are involved in or interested in forensic evaluation, expert report writing, and providing testimony in criminal and civil legal proceedings. It is designed for those who prepare expert reports, testify in court, and ensure compliance with evidentiary standards and ethical guidelines.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychologists
    • Psychiatrists
    • Licensed Clinical Social Workers
    • Professional Counselors
    • Marriage and Family Therapists
    • Neuropsychologists
    • Forensic Evaluators
    • Expert Witnesses

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience with expert testimony and legal standards.

    • Beginner: Participants with limited or no prior experience providing expert reports or testimony in legal proceedings, or those unfamiliar with admissibility standards and rules of evidence.
    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience preparing expert reports or testifying, who are familiar with basic legal concepts but seek to deepen their understanding of case law, rules of evidence, and best practices in forensic mental health.
    • Advanced: Participants with extensive experience in forensic practice, who regularly provide expert testimony and seek to refine their knowledge of complex legal standards, ethical considerations, and advanced data presentation techniques.

  • Practice Setting

    Format Practice occurs at the intersection of mental health and law, focused on evaluations, report preparation, and testimony for criminal and civil matters. Work is conducted in clinical, legal, governmental, and custodial environments across inpatient, outpatient, and community contexts, with structured procedures, security protocols, discovery demands, and strict adherence to evidentiary and ethical standards.


    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • Forensic psychiatric and state hospitals (competency/restoration units)
    • Jail and prison mental health services
    • Court-affiliated clinics and forensic evaluation services
    • Private forensic psychology/psychiatry practices
    • Government agencies (public defender/prosecutor offices, probation/parole)
    • Hospitals and academic medical centers (medico-legal programs)
    • Civil and criminal courts (e.g., probate, family, personal injury, criminal)
    • Child protection and juvenile justice agencies
    • Veterans Affairs/military justice settings
    • Independent medical evaluation firms and insurers

Presented By

David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP rofessor of Psychology and Professor of Law at Drexel University, and Director of Drexel’s JD/PhD Program in Law & Psychology

David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic), is a Professor of Psychology and Professor of Law at Drexel University, and Director of Drexel’s JD/PhD Program in Law & Psychology. He has published 14 books, more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, and more than 50 book chapters in his areas of interest, which include mental health law, psychopathic personality, forensic mental health assessment, and diversion of justice-involved individuals. He is a former President of the American Psychology-Law Society (APA Division 41) and the American Board of Forensic Psychology. He is also a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Divisions 1, 12, and 41) and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. He routinely consults with city agencies, state agencies, policymakers, correctional facilities, and law enforcement. He conducts forensic mental health assessments of adults and adolescents on a variety of legal issues, and he has testified as an expert witness in state and federal courts. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Law and Human Behavior.

View More Programs from this Presenter
David DeMatteo, JD, 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.
View Certificates

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.