3.5 Hours / 3.5 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Responding to Concerns about the Work of Other Professionals in Forensic Practice is presented by Randy Otto, Ph.D., ABPP.

This program covers how psychologists can address concerns they have about the work of other professionals in adversarial proceedings.

First reviewed are basic principles that should guide psychologists when commenting on the assessment work of other professionals. Next discussed are four different roles and associated activities and responsibilities that may shape how psychologists approach this matter. Finally, the ethical obligations psychologists have to address the problematic work of other professionals are discussed, as are various ways that these responsibilities may be discharged. Case vignettes and audience surveys are used to facilitate discussion of principles and specific applications. 

This training is applicable to professionals practicing in civil and criminal forensic mental health assessment, forensic inpatient, human resources social services, community settings, and those who work at the intersection of clinical psychology and law. This training program is for beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level clinicians.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe four forensic contexts in which they might offer opinions about other professionals’ work
  • 2 Describe four general principles that can shape how they offer opinions about other professionals’ work in forensic settings
  • 3 Describe how concerns about problematic multiple roles and multiple relationships can shape their actions when commenting on other professionals’ work
  • 4 Describe what ethical obligations they have to address the problematic work of other professionals and how they may go about discharging these obligations

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for clinicians practicing in civil and criminal forensic mental health, particularly those in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, and related fields who may be called upon to evaluate, critique, or provide expert opinions on the work of other professionals in adversarial legal settings. The program is especially relevant for those who may be asked to comment on or assess the work of colleagues in legal or adversarial contexts.

    • Forensic Psychologist
    • Clinical Psychologist
    • Mental Health Professional
    • Human Resources Professional involved in psychological assessment or workplace investigations
    • Social Service Provider working with legal or forensic populations
    • Community Agency Staff at the intersection of psychology and law

  • Experience Level

    This continuing education program is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at all experience levels who work in forensic, clinical, and community settings.

    Beginner:
    New to forensic practice or with limited experience commenting on the work of other professionals; seeking foundational knowledge of ethical principles, roles, and responsibilities in adversarial proceedings.

    Intermediate:
    Some experience in forensic or multidisciplinary settings; familiar with basic ethical standards and seeking to deepen understanding of multiple roles, relationships, and context-specific responsibilities.

    Advanced:
    Extensive experience in forensic mental health or related fields; seeking advanced discussion of complex ethical dilemmas, nuanced application of principles, and leadership in addressing problematic professional conduct.

  • Practice Setting

    Participants in this training typically work in environments where mental health and legal systems intersect. These settings often involve high-stakes decision-making, multidisciplinary collaboration, and the need to provide objective, evidence-based opinions in adversarial or evaluative contexts. Professionals may operate in public or private sectors, including hospitals, forensic units, correctional facilities, court clinics, law enforcement agencies, social service organizations, community mental health centers, or human resources departments. Their work frequently involves conducting assessments, providing expert testimony, consulting on legal cases, or evaluating the work of peers in legal proceedings.

    • Forensic psychiatric hospitals or secure inpatient units
    • Outpatient forensic assessment clinics
    • Court-based mental health evaluation services
    • Correctional facilities or juvenile detention centers
    • Law enforcement agencies or police departments
    • Human resources offices conducting workplace investigations
    • Social service agencies serving justice-involved individuals
    • Community mental health centers with forensic programs
    • Private practices specializing in forensic or legal consultation

Presented By

Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor in the NSU Department of Clinical and School Psychology

Randy Otto, Ph.D., ABPP is an Associate Professor in the NSU Department of Clinical and School Psychology. Previously, he was a faculty member in the Department of Mental Health Law & Policy at the University of South Florida, where he served for 33 years. Dr. Otto was awarded doctoral and master’s degrees in clinical psychology from Florida State University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Rochester. Dr. Otto’s research and writing focus on forensic psychological assessment. He has developed two psychological tests that are used in forensic assessment settings, and he has authored and edited books on forensic psychological evaluation, expert testimony and report writing, ethics in forensic psychology practice, assessment of trial competence, violence risk assessment and Florida mental health law. Dr. Otto has served as president of the American Psychology-Law Society, the American Board of Forensic Psychology, and the Board of Trustees of the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 41) and has received awards for his professional contributions from the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, the American Psychology-Law Society, the Society for Personality Assessment, the New York State Psychological Association, the University of Nebraska, and the University of California, San Francisco. He currently serves as Executive Director of the American Board of Forensic Psychology. Dr. Otto shares that his daughter is continually amazed that some are actually willing to pay to hear him speak, when she regularly volunteers to pay to have him shut up. When not at work or with his wife and daughter, Dr. Otto is likely to be found at a poker table or on a motorcycle.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • 4 domains of forensic context

  • 4 general principles in forensic settings

  • Problematic multiple roles/relationships

  • Ethical obligations

  • General principles

  • Roles

  • Activities and responsibilities

  • Questions and discussion

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.