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

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. Her areas of clinical expertise include the assessment and treatment of trauma, self-harm, and suicide across the lifespan. Dr. Galietta has created specialized units and/or consulted to numerous civil, forensic, and correctional settings on risk assessment, risk management, behavioral interventions, and complex needs case formulation.

Dr. Galietta is regarded as a leading expert in the implementation of dialectical behavior therapy. Dr. Galietta is a certified DBT clinician. For over a decade, Dr. Galietta served as a principal trainer for Behavioral Tech, LLC, the company founded by the developer of DBT, Dr. Marsha Linehan. Dr. Galietta has consulted to over 100 agencies in the US and abroad on DBT initiatives. She has worked extensively in public sector settings including state psychiatric hospitals and jails, prisons, and juvenile justice settings. She was principal investigator of an NIMH funded trial of DBT for individuals charged with interpersonal violence or stalking and authored the article, “Adapting DBT for the Treatment of Psychopathy.” She has conducted trainings for New York City Police Officers on mindfulness, communicating with mentally ill individuals, and hostage negotiations. Dr. Galietta has appeared on CNN and Court TV, and has been cited in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time Magazine, and other media outlets.


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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).

Sponsorship Approval Statements

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), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #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. Palo Alto University 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. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), 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. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by 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.