10 Hours / 10 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Mental Disorder and Violence Risk is presented by Stephen D. Hart, PhD, in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.

There is no doubt that mental disorder is associated with an increased risk for violence, but that association is by no means clear or simple. Dr. Hart reviews the research and clinical literature to identify and explain the mental health problems most relevant to violence, focusing on psychosis, personality disorder, paraphilic disorder, and substance use. He also discusses how best to incorporate mental health problems in the practice of violence risk assessment and management, including formulation (case conceptualization) of violence risk and the development of case management plans.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe the complexity of the association between mental disorder and violence risk.
  • 2 Describe the mental health problems most relevant to violence risk.
  • 3 Describe how to incorporate mental health problems into risk formulation.
  • 4 Describe how to incorporate mental health problems into scenario planning.
  • 5 Describe how to incorporate mental health problems into case management plans.
  • 6 Describe the relationship between substance-related disorders and increased violence risk.
  • 7 Describe the characteristics of psychotic disorders relevant to violence risk assessment.
  • 8 Describe the association between antisocial (psychopathic) personality disorder and patterns of violent behavior.
  • 9 Describe the role of borderline personality disorder in influencing violence risk.
  • 10 Describe the relevance of paraphilic disorders to violence risk assessment and management.

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for professionals specializing in threat assessment, violence risk management, and forensic mental health. It is intended to enhance the clinical understanding and practical skills of those involved in assessing and managing risk in a variety of contexts where safety and prevention are critical.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental Health Professionals (e.g., psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers)
    • Threat Assessment Specialists
    • Forensic Mental Health Clinicians
    • Law Enforcement Officers
    • Probation and Corrections Officers
    • Security Managers and Consultants
    • Case Managers
    • School Counselors and Administrators
    • Human Resources Professionals

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience with violence risk assessment and management.

    • Beginner: Participants new to violence risk assessment will gain foundational knowledge about the complex relationship between mental disorders and violence, including key diagnostic categories and basic risk formulation strategies.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience in risk assessment will deepen their understanding of specific mental health problems relevant to violence, enhance their ability to incorporate clinical findings into case conceptualization, and apply scenario planning and case management techniques.

    • Advanced: Participants with extensive experience in violence risk assessment and management will refine their skills in integrating recent research, addressing nuanced clinical and risk-related issues, and developing sophisticated, evidence-based management plans for complex cases.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals typically work in clinical, forensic, institutional, community, educational, and organizational environments where safety planning, prevention, and policy compliance are central. Their practice involves multidisciplinary collaboration, structured risk assessment, and case management that integrates clinical findings with operational decision-making.


    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • Psychiatric hospitals and forensic mental health units
    • Emergency departments and crisis response services
    • Community mental health clinics and ACT teams
    • Jails, prisons, and correctional health services
    • Probation and parole agencies
    • Law enforcement and public safety agencies
    • Courts and specialty dockets
    • K–12 schools and district threat assessment teams
    • Colleges and universities
    • Corporate workplaces, HR, and corporate security/risk management

Presented By

Stephen D. Hart, PhD Faculty in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University

Dr. Stephen D. Hart obtained BA, MA, and PhD degrees in psychology at the University of British Columbia. He has been on faculty in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University since 1990, and has held the rank of Professor since 2001. He also served as a Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Bergen in Norway between 2000 and 2021. His expertise is in the field of clinical-forensic psychology, with a special focus on the assessment of violence risk and psychopathic personality disorder. He has co-authored more than 250 books, chapters, and articles. He has served as editor of two scientific journals; a member of the editorial board of eight journals; and ad hoc reviewer for more than 40 journals. He has served as an executive committee member of several professional organizations, including President of the American Psychology-Law Society and the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services. He has received various distinctions for his professional work, including the Career Achievement Award from the Society of Clinical Psychology, the Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Research Excellence in Psychology and Law from the American Psychology-Law Society and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. He maintains an active practice in violence risk assessment. He has consulted with government agencies from more than 25 countries; led more than 500 training workshops around the world; and given expert evidence before courts, tribunals, inquests, review boards, and parliamentary committees in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Stephen D. Hart, PhD
We are proud to partner with

Protect International Risk and Safety Services

Protect International Risk and Safety Services

We are proud to partner with Protect International Risk and Safety Services for this training. Protect International's threat assessment professionals are internationally recognized experts that have developed some of the world's most widely used and best-validated threat assessment tools. Protect International provides services and products related to violence risk assessment and management, also known as threat assessment and management. Protect International services and products include threat assessment training and support, case assessment and management, legal consultation, policy review and development, and program evaluation and research; along with threat assessment manuals, worksheets, licenses, and software applications for those tools.

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) 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.