NYSAP: Key Differences Between Juvenile Competency and Adult Competency Evaluations
Presented by: Ivan Kruh, PhD and Christina L. Riggs Romaine, PhD
3 Hours / 3 CEs
On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training
This on-demand professional training program on Key Differences Between Juvenile Competency and Adult Competency Evaluations is presented by Ivan Kruh, PhD and Christina R. Riggs Romaine, PhD in partnership with The National Youth Screening & Assessment Partners (NYSAP).
In recent years, many U.S. jurisdictions have enacted statutory guidance around the conducting of competency evaluations for juvenile court cases. Evaluators with a history of conducting competency evaluations in criminal court cases may be required, recruited, or asked to assist with competency evaluations of juveniles. However, there are critical differences between these two tasks.
This program reviews the types of questions, data, and analyses uniquely necessary when conducting juvenile competency evaluations as opposed to competency evaluations of adults. Grisso’s (1986) Five Question Model for conducting competency evaluations is used to structure the discussion. Within each question, participants are introduced to the ways that differences between adolescents and adults, as well as the unique procedures of the juvenile justice context, impact what must be considered.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- 1 Describe how competence standards in juvenile courts sometimes differ from those in criminal court, as well as how these differences may impact the evaluation process
- 2 Describe why normal developmental immaturity can yield competency deficits, both directly and in interaction with mental health symptoms and cognitive limitations
- 3 Describe the unique types of competency-related deficits adolescents may demonstrate in the areas of factual understanding, rational appreciation, assisting counsel and legal decision-making
- 4 Describe how relationships with caregivers, peers and legal personnel can impact the context within which juveniles must be able to function competently
- 5 Describe unique challenges of remediating the incompetence of youths and how this may impact their opinions about “restorability.”
Presented By
Ivan Kruh, PhD, Partner, National Youth Screening and Assessment Partners
Ivan Kruh received his PhD in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Psychology & Law from the University of Alabama in 1998 and subsequently completed fellowship training in forensic psychology through the University of Washington. For ten years, he was the Director of Juvenile Forensic Mental Health Services for Washington State and directed a Juvenile Forensic Psychology fellowship through the University of Washington. He has offered juvenile forensic mental health evaluations privately in Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut since 2012. Dr. Kruh specializes in the conduct and coordination of evaluations of juvenile competency to proceed (JCTP) and has co-authored two manuals with Thomas Grisso regarding creation of state standards for these evaluations. He has provided training, quality assurance and technical assistance for a variety of state agencies nationally since 2010, all aimed at supporting the day-to-day provision of high quality juvenile forensic mental health evaluations.
Presented By
Christina L. Riggs Romaine, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College
Dr. Christina L. Riggs Romaine received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Forensic concentration from Drexel University. She worked as an evaluator, trainer, and service provider in pre- and post-adjudication juvenile justice facilities, before practicing as a full-time forensic evaluator in the MA Juvenile Court Clinics. Dr. Riggs Romaine is now an Associate Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College, MA where she continues to conduct research and provide clinical training on juvenile adjudicative competence. She is also an Associate with National Youth Screening and Assessment Partners (NYSAP) where she has consulted with and trained clinicians and juvenile justice stakeholders in 14 states.
Training Outline
Key topics covered in this training include:
-
Statutory Guidance and Emerging Practices
-Recent enactments across U.S. jurisdictions
-Increasing role of evaluators from adult criminal contexts in juvenile cases -
Key Differences Between Juvenile and Adult Competency Evaluations
-Distinctive questions to be addressed
-Unique data sources and analyses required -
Framework: Grisso’s Five Question Model (1986)
-Functional
-Causal
-Contextual
-Conclusory
-Remediation -
Application to Juvenile Contexts
-Developmental differences between adolescents and adults -
Unique procedures of the juvenile justice system
-
Impact of these factors within each of Grisso’s five questions
We are proud to partner with
National Youth Screening & Assessment Partners (NYSAP)
The National Youth Screening & Assessment Partners (NYSAP) is a technical assistance and research group dedicated to helping juvenile justice and related programs nationwide. Since 2000, NYSAP has assisted juvenile justice systems to make decisions about adolescents that are consistent with youths’ health and positive development and with the community’s interests by helping systems use reliable, evidence-based methods for screening and assessment. We provide training, technical assistance, and quality implementation services to agencies and programs in the areas of risk screening and risk-needs assessment, behavioral health screening, and competence to stand trial evaluations.
NYSAP professionals have played a key role for 25 years in research on juveniles’ competence to stand trial and in developing juvenile competence standards for forensic clinical practice, law, and policy. In response to the growing demand for juvenile competence evaluations nationally, we provide consultation to assist agencies in developing or refining their juvenile competence service delivery system, as well as creating and conducting quality assurance procedures. We train clinicians and juvenile justice stakeholders (e.g., judges, attorneys, and community partners) in practice standards for conducting high-quality juvenile competence evaluations.
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.
American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.
Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
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.