10 Hours / 10 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Forensic Case Formulation and Treatment Planning is presented by Michele Galietta, PhD. 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 focuses on teaching participants to utilize risk assessment data in formulations to inform the management and treatment of forensic clients. The program includes theoretical information about the process of case formulation and its utility. Current practices and the empirical basis for their use are highlighted, along with controversies about the relevance of particular types of data in formulations. The program describes both nomothetic and idiographic aspects of formulations. Although there are multiple variations in theoretical approaches to formulations and treatment plans, this program focuses specifically on using SPJ risk data and a behavioral and cognitive-behavioral framework to inform forensic case formulations in order to develop evidence-based treatment plans targeting the most salient treatment targets.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe the rationale for Forensic Case Formulation
  • 2 Describe the rationale for Treatment Planning
  • 3 Describe essential features of forensic case formulations in order to manage and decrease risk in forensic treatment cases
  • 4 Describe the prevailing research on the reliability and validity of formulations in forensic practice
  • 5 Describe the best practices for formulation and treatment planning
  • 6 Describe the relationship between SPJ concerning violence risk
  • 7 Describe the use of forensic case formulations, including treatment plans
  • 8 Demonstrate formulation and treatment planning using case vignette material

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health and allied professionals who work with forensic populations and specialize in forensic psychology or related fields involving risk assessment and treatment planning. It is suitable for those engaged in the assessment, management, and treatment of justice-involved individuals.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Psychologist
    • Psychiatrist
    • Social Worker
    • Counselor
    • Nurse
    • Occupational Therapist
    • Case Manager

  • Experience Level

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

    • Beginner: Participants new to forensic case formulation and treatment planning, seeking foundational knowledge of SPJ risk data, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral frameworks, and the rationale for evidence-based treatment plans.
    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience in forensic settings who are familiar with basic risk assessment and treatment planning, and wish to deepen their understanding of integrating empirical research, nomothetic and idiographic approaches, and current controversies into case formulations.
    • Advanced: Participants with substantial experience in forensic mental health, who regularly utilize risk assessment data and case formulations, and are interested in refining best practices, evaluating the reliability and validity of formulations, and applying advanced concepts to complex cases.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals who complete this training typically practice in secure, structured, or community-based environments where they assess, manage, and treat individuals involved with the criminal justice system. These settings require collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and often involve working with clients who present complex mental health, behavioral, and legal needs. The work environment may be highly regulated, with a focus on safety, risk management, and evidence-based interventions tailored to forensic populations.

    • Correctional facilities (prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers)
    • Forensic psychiatric hospitals or secure mental health units
    • Community forensic mental health services
    • Court clinics or court-mandated treatment programs
    • Probation and parole services
    • Specialized outpatient clinics for justice-involved individuals
    • Residential treatment centers for forensic clients
    • Crisis intervention teams working with law enforcement

Presented By

Michele Galietta, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Dr. Michele Galietta is Associate Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York where she served as Director of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program from 2005-2013. Dr. Galietta is a researcher and clinician specializing in the training, adaptation and dissemination of empirically-supported treatments to community and forensic/correctional settings.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Michele Galietta, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Review theoretical information about the process of case formulation and its utility

  • Discuss current practices and the empirical basis for their use, along with controversies about the relevance of particular types of data in formulations

  • Education on both nomothetic and idiographic aspects of formulations

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.