1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Mental Disorder and Violence Risk is presented by Kevin S. Douglas, Ph.D., LLB, in partnership with Protect International Risk and Safety Services.

In this program, the research base and empirical evidence for assessing and considering risk-related issues for individuals with mental disorders are described, and clinical assessment and management techniques are discussed. The link between major mental disorders and violence remains controversial. This program addresses this link, arguing that although there may be a direct link between mental disorder and violence for some people, there may also be less clear, indirect links, whereby mental disorder acts as an early, distal risk marker, a moderator, or a mediator.

For many individuals with major mental disorders, there is no link to violence. Regardless of whatever the nomothetic or population-level link between mental disorder and violence might be, it remains vital for clinicians to understand the idiographic role, if any, of mental disorders with respect to the potential risk of violence of their clients. There is also discussion on contemporary approaches to violence risk assessment and management in terms of their ability to facilitate understanding of the role that major mental disorder plays in violent behavior, their assessment, and their management.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe an appreciation of the complex link between major mental disorders and violence
  • 2 Describe the different ways in which major mental disorders may lead to violence
  • 3 Describe the role of major mental disorders in contemporary violence risk assessment approaches
  • 4 Describe insight into the role of major mental disorders within violence risk management

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for mental health and allied professionals who specialize in threat assessment and risk management, with a particular focus on understanding the relationship between major mental disorders and potential violence. It is intended for those seeking to deepen their clinical understanding and practical skills in assessing and managing risk in diverse professional roles.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental health professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, social workers)
    • Threat assessment specialists
    • Risk management consultants
    • Forensic evaluators
    • Correctional mental health staff
    • Security and criminal justice professionals
    • Social service case managers
    • Human resources professionals involved in workplace safety

  • 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 in individuals with major mental disorders.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to violence risk assessment and management, seeking foundational knowledge about the relationship between mental disorders and violence, and basic understanding of current research and clinical approaches.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience with risk assessment and management, and are looking to deepen their understanding of the nuanced, complex links between mental disorders and violence, and to enhance their application of contemporary assessment and management techniques.

    • Advanced: Participants have substantial experience in clinical risk assessment and management, and are interested in critically evaluating recent research, integrating advanced assessment strategies, and contributing to best practices in the field.

  • Practice Setting

    Format Practice occurs in interdisciplinary, high-stakes environments where professionals evaluate and manage violence risk among individuals with major mental disorders using empirically grounded, structured approaches. Work centers on integrating research with individualized formulations, coordinating with legal and organizational stakeholders, and implementing practical assessment and management plans in real-world clinical and operational contexts.


    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • Outpatient mental health clinics
    • Inpatient psychiatric units and state hospitals
    • Forensic hospitals and court clinics
    • Jails, prisons, and probation/parole services
    • Emergency departments and crisis centers
    • K–12 schools and university threat assessment teams
    • Corporate HR and workplace violence prevention programs
    • Community mental health and social services
    • Law enforcement and security agencies
    • Veterans and military health systems

Presented By

Kevin S. Douglas, PhD, LLB Professor of Forensic Psychology, Simon Fraser University

Dr. Kevin S. Douglas received his law degree (LL.B.) in 2000 from the University of British Columbia, and his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in clinical (forensic) psychology from Simon Fraser University. He spent three years on faculty at the University of South Florida in Tampa, and has been on faculty at Simon Fraser University since 2004. He currently is Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University. He is also a Guest Professor of Applied Criminology at Mid-Sweden University, and a Senior Research Advisor at the University of Oslo.

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Kevin S. Douglas, PhD, LLB
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.