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 designed 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 ideal for those seeking to develop or enhance their skills in forensic assessment, expert reporting, and courtroom testimony, while ensuring compliance with evidentiary standards and ethical guidelines.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Forensic Evaluator
    • Clinician adding forensic evaluation to their practice
    • Expert Report Writer for legal proceedings
    • Courtroom Expert Witness

  • Experience Level

    This training is applicable for entry-level professionals. This program is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals seeking foundational knowledge in the provision of expert evidence in legal proceedings.

    • Participants are new to forensic mental health or have limited experience with expert testimony, admissibility standards, and the application of rules of evidence in criminal and civil cases. They seek to understand governing case law (e.g., Frye, Daubert, Kumho, Joiner), federal rules of evidence, bases of expert testimony, the rule against hearsay, and best-practice standards for data gathering and presentation.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals trained in forensic evaluation, expert report writing, and courtroom testimony typically work at the intersection of mental health and the legal system. Their practice settings are often multidisciplinary and may include private practices, hospitals, correctional facilities, government agencies, or consulting roles. These environments require collaboration with attorneys, judges, law enforcement, and other professionals, and involve both office-based assessment and report writing, as well as appearances in courtrooms to provide expert testimony. The work is guided by legal standards, ethical guidelines, and evidentiary rules, and often involves handling sensitive information, preparing detailed reports, and presenting findings in legal proceedings.

    • Private forensic mental health practices
    • State or federal psychiatric hospitals
    • Correctional institutions (jails, prisons)
    • Court clinics or forensic evaluation units
    • Government agencies (e.g., departments of mental health, public defender’s offices)
    • Academic medical centers with forensic programs
    • Consulting roles for law firms or courts
    • Community mental health centers with forensic services

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

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Participants focus on expert reports and testimony in the context of criminal and civil legal proceedings
    Admissibility Standards
    Governing Case Law
    Rules of Evidence Application

  • Participants learn about the provision of expert reports and testimony by Mental Health professionals in criminal and civil legal proceedings
    Expert Testimony
    Hearsay and Ethics
    Professionalism

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.