Live Virtual Training via Zoom

Chriscelyn Tussey, PsyD, ABPP, presents a live virtual professional training program on The Aging Mind in Court: Cognition and Forensic Mental Health Assessment in partnership with the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP).

Older adults represent a rapidly growing segment of the population, and forensic mental health professionals are increasingly likely to encounter questions involving cognition, functional decline, and age-related neurological conditions. Differentiating normative aging from clinically meaningful cognitive change and determining when that distinction matters to a psycholegal question can be challenging.

This four-hour program will provide a practical framework for understanding and addressing neuropsychological issues that arise in FMHA of older adults. Participants will review cognitive changes associated with normative aging and distinguish these from patterns associated with mild cognitive impairment, neurodegenerative disorders, and other neurological, psychiatric, and medical conditions. Particular attention will be given to how these conditions may affect legally relevant abilities and their implications for forensic questions involving, for example, competency, criminal responsibility, and capacity. 

The program will also address practical considerations when evaluating older adults. Through case examples and interactive discussion, participants will practice determining when cognitive findings meaningfully inform a forensic opinion and when neuropsychological consultation or referral may be warranted. Ethical considerations will be integrated throughout. Participants will leave with a practical framework for incorporating aging-related cognitive findings into forensic assessment and decision-making. 

This program is appropriate for any career stage, but most appropriate for those with minimal to moderate experience working with this population. It is likely not ideal for those who already specialize and have many years of experience working with an aging population.  

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe patterns of cognitive and functional change associated with normative aging, neurocognitive disorders, psychiatric conditions, developmental history, and medical factors relevant to forensic mental health assessment (FMHA)
  • 2 Describe an age-responsive and culturally informed assessment strategy that accounts for linguistic and educational background, acculturation, sensory and motor limitations, medical complexity, fatigue, and response validity
  • 3 Describe how diagnosis, cognitive impairment, and functional abilities inform specific psycholegal questions in criminal and civil forensic matters
  • 4 Describe a structured decision-making framework to determine when cognitive screening is appropriate, when neuropsychological consultation or referral is warranted, and how to communicate conclusions within the evaluator’s scope of competence

  • Intended Audience

    This workshop is designed for forensic mental health professionals who work with older adults and are likely to encounter questions involving cognition, functional decline, and age-related neurological conditions in their practice. The intended audience includes those who must differentiate between normative aging and clinically meaningful cognitive changes, and who are responsible for addressing psycholegal questions such as competency, criminal responsibility, and capacity. Professionals in this audience routinely conduct or contribute to forensic evaluations in criminal and civil matters and require an understanding of how cognitive and functional changes, medical and psychiatric conditions, and cultural and linguistic factors impact forensic assessment and decision-making.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Forensic Psychologist
    • Forensic Neuropsychologist
    • Forensic Psychiatrist
    • Forensic Social Worker
    • Mental Health Professional

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals with varying levels of experience in forensic mental health assessment (FMHA) of older adults.

    • Beginner: Little or no prior experience assessing cognition or functional decline in older adults within forensic contexts; seeking foundational knowledge of normative aging, neurocognitive disorders, and their relevance to psycholegal questions.

    • Intermediate: Some experience conducting FMHA with older adults; familiar with basic cognitive screening tools and interested in refining skills for differentiating normative from clinically significant cognitive changes and applying findings to legal standards.

    • Advanced: Extensive experience in FMHA of older adults; seeking to deepen expertise in complex differential diagnosis, nuanced application of neuropsychological findings to psycholegal questions, and advanced ethical and consultation considerations.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals who attend this workshop typically work in environments where they conduct or contribute to forensic mental health assessments of older adults. Their practice settings often involve evaluating individuals in relation to legal questions such as competency, capacity, and criminal responsibility, and require careful consideration of cognitive, functional, medical, psychiatric, and sociocultural factors. These professionals may work independently or as part of multidisciplinary teams, and their work spans both criminal and civil legal contexts.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Court clinics or forensic assessment centers
    • Hospitals (psychiatric, general medical, or neurorehabilitation units)
    • Correctional facilities or jails
    • Private forensic consultation practices
    • Community mental health agencies with forensic services
    • Long-term care or skilled nursing facilities involved in legal proceedings
    • Academic or research institutions conducting forensic evaluations
    • Government agencies (e.g., departments of mental health, public defender’s offices)
Presented By

Chriscelyn Tussey, PsyD, ABPP

Chriscelyn Tussey, PsyD, ABPP, is the President and Founder of Metropolitan Forensic & Neuropsychological Consultation, an independent practice in New York City. She is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Board-Certified Forensic Psychologist who conducts clinical, civil, and criminal forensic and forensic neuropsychological evaluations. Dr. Tussey is a Clinical Instructor at New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor in the graduate psychology programs at NYU and Teachers College, Columbia University. She has published and presented in the areas of forensic psychology, neuropsychology, leadership, and brain health. Dr. Tussey has also held local and national leadership positions in both forensic and neuropsychological organizations. She is currently on the Board of Directors as the Secretary for the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP). She is also honored to be a member of the editorial team for the updated Oxford University Press Book Series, Best Practices in Forensic Mental Health Assessment. Dr. Tussey is a Fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN), where she serves on the Leadership Ambassador Development Program (LEAD) Task Force, and developed and instructs an online course, Fundamentals of Forensic Psychology for Neuropsychologists. At the state level, she has served on the Board of Directors of the New York State Association of Neuropsychology (NYSAN) and is currently a member of the Science Initiative Committee.

Click the Icon Below to View More Programs by this Presenter

Training Outline
Key Topics Covered in this Training Include:

  • Understanding the Aging Brain
    • Distinguishing normal aging from clinically significant decline
    • Mild cognitive impairment and major neurocognitive disorders
    • Common etiologies and differential considerations
    • Interaction of neurological, psychiatric, developmental, medical, medication, and substance-related factors affecting cognition in later life 
  • Assessing Cognition in Older Forensic Examinees
    • Identifying cognitive concerns during the FMHA
    • Overview of commonly assessed neuropsychological domains and selected cognitive screening instruments
    • Considerations involving hearing, vision, motor functioning, fatigue, and medical complexity
    • Cognitive screening measures and their appropriate role and limitations in FMHA
    • Performance and symptom validity in older populations
    • Recognizing when cognitive screening is insufficient and determining when referral for comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is indicated
  • Applying Aging and Neuropsychology Factors to Psycholegal Questions
    • Criminal contexts: E.g., competency and criminal responsibility
    • Civil contexts: E.g., decisional and functional capacities
    • Connecting cognitive deficits to legally relevant functional abilities rather than relying on diagnosis alone
    • Distinguishing diagnosis, cognitive impairment, and functional incapacity
    • Identifying when neuropsychological findings add meaningful information to criminal and civil forensic analyses


  • Ethical, Legal, and Practice Considerations
    • Scope of competence when interpreting cognitive findings
    • Bias and assumptions regarding aging and cognitive impairment
    • Communicating limitations and appropriately qualifying opinions
    • Decision-making framework
  • Case-Based Application and Interactive Exercises
    • Case vignettes representing different aging-related forensic referral questions
    • Differential consideration of normative aging, psychiatric conditions, and neurocognitive disorders
    • Determining whether neuropsychological referral is warranted
    • Applying cognitive findings to specific psycholegal abilities and appropriately qualifying forensic conclusions

Live Event Policy

Registration for our live events is covered for one (1) person per purchase. If you would like to purchase for a group, please purchase more than one registration for this event.

  • Event Communications

    When registering, use an email that is active and that you check regularly. We are not responsible for communications not being received; if you do not add [email protected] to your email safe sender list, our emails are likely to end up in your spam or junk folders.

  • Cancellation Policy

    Have a sudden change of plans and are unable to attend live? No worries; you will be given access to the on-demand version of the program once available. Please note that if you attend live, no access to the recording will be given.

  • Event Conduct

    Professional conduct is expected during our live programs. Our goal is to make our events as interactive as possible for all participants. We reserve the right to remove any participants who are disruptive, act unprofessionally, or who we are unable to verify their purchase.

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), 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.