3 Hours / 3 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

The on-demand professional training program on The Five Question Model to Conducting Juvenile Competence Evaluations is presented by Ivan Kruh, PhD and Christina R. Riggs Romaine, PhD in partnership with The National Youth Screening & Assessment Partners (NYSAP).

Evaluation quality is enhanced when a conceptual model is used that guides data gathering, data interpretation, and the communication of findings in a manner consistent with scientific, empirical, and ethical standards. The most widely accepted model for guiding evaluations of competence to stand trial was offered by Thomas Grisso in 1986 and was applied to juvenile competence evaluations in 2005. The model lays out Functional, Causal, Contextual, Conclusory, and Remediation questions that, when considered and opined upon by evaluators in a systematic manner, yield an effective and informative evaluation and a report that can assist the court. In this program, each of the questions is explained, relevant research and forensic concepts are offered, and the process of forming opinions within each question will be modeled so that participants can apply it to their evaluations.

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

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for professionals who specialize in forensic psychology, child and adolescent forensic assessment, or the intersection of legal and psychological issues, particularly those involved in conducting or preparing to conduct competence-to-stand-trial evaluations.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Forensic Psychologists
    • Child and Adolescent Forensic Assessors
    • Legal-Psychology Consultants
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Forensic Evaluators
    • Clinical Psychologists specializing in forensic assessment

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for mental health professionals at various stages of experience with juvenile competence evaluations.

    • Beginner: Participants new to forensic evaluation or juvenile competence standards who seek foundational knowledge of conceptual models and the unique aspects of juvenile court evaluations.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience in forensic or juvenile evaluations who wish to deepen their understanding of Grisso’s model, developmental considerations, and the application of research to practice.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals practice at the intersection of mental health and juvenile justice, conducting competence-to-stand-trial evaluations for youth and communicating findings to the court. They work in multidisciplinary, legally integrated environments that prioritize structured, research-based assessment and use conceptual models (such as Grisso’s) to guide data gathering, interpretation, and opinion formation.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Juvenile court clinics and court-affiliated evaluation services
    • Youth detention centers and probation departments
    • Forensic inpatient units and state hospitals
    • Community mental health/outpatient forensic programs
    • Private practice forensic consultation services
    • Academic medical centers or university-affiliated forensic programs
    • Public defender or prosecutor offices (consultative roles)
    • Child advocacy or child protection multidisciplinary centers

Training Instructors:

Ivan Kruh, PhD

Ivan Kruh, PhD

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.

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Christina L. Riggs Romaine, PhD

Christina L. Riggs Romaine, PhD

Dr. Riggs Romaine studies juvenile’s comprehension of the Miranda warning, juvenile competency to stand trial, juvenile transfer, and risk in juveniles and young adults. She has worked with juvenile justice stakeholders across the country on projects ranging from local consultation and technical assistance to system-wide policy development, training and implementation in the areas of juvenile competence to stand trial and risk/needs assessment for dispositional planning.

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Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Importance of Conceptual Models in Evaluation
    -Enhancing data gathering, interpretation, and communication
    -Alignment with scientific, empirical, and ethical standards

  • Overview of Grisso’s Model
    -Original 1986 framework for competence to stand trial
    -Adaptation to juvenile competence evaluations in 2005

  • Core Questions of the Model
    -Functional
    -Causal
    -Contextual
    -Conclusory
    -Remediation

  • Application to Forensic Practice
    -Explanation of each question and its purpose
    -Integration of relevant research and forensic concepts
    -Modeling the process of forming opinions systematically

  • Practical Outcomes
    -Producing effective and informative evaluations
    -Writing reports that assist the court

We are proud to partner with

National Youth Screening & Assessment Partners (NYSAP)

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.

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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.