1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Working with Individuals with Developmental or Cognitive Impairment is presented by Margaret Nixon, PhD.

This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts toward a certificate. Enroll in this program to earn credit towards the Correctional Mental Health Certificate and share your new digital credentials.

This program identifies and understands the social, cognitive, and environmental risk factors that increase the likelihood of criminal offending in individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and how these conditions impact behavior, decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation.

Participants gain an understanding of evidence-based intervention strategies aimed at rehabilitation and reducing recidivism while also reflecting on the ethical considerations of working with this population in criminal justice contexts, with a focus on person-centered approaches.

This program is intended for early career workers with a minimum of a bachelor's level qualification in a discipline such as psychology, nursing, social work, or counseling, as well as those working in settings with forensic clients, including the community, hospitals, residential services, and custodial settings. The target is broad, as the prevalence of developmental or cognitive impairments across all settings is high, meaning the topic is relevant to all working with forensic populations. 

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe the factors contributing to criminal offending behavior in individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities
  • 2 Describe effective interventions and ethical considerations for supporting individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities involved in criminal behavior

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for professionals with at least a bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, counseling, nursing, or a related field who work with forensic populations, particularly individuals with neurodevelopmental or cognitive disabilities. It is especially relevant for those who support justice-involved individuals with developmental or cognitive impairments.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Social Workers
    • Forensic Case Managers
    • Correctional Counselors
    • Behavioral Health Specialists
    • Rehabilitation Counselors
    • Clinical Psychologists
    • Psychiatric Nurses

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience working with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities in forensic settings.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to working with forensic populations or individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and seek foundational knowledge of risk factors, behavioral impacts, and basic intervention strategies.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience with forensic or neurodevelopmental disability populations and are looking to deepen their understanding of evidence-based interventions, ethical considerations, and person-centered approaches in criminal justice contexts.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals practice in interdisciplinary forensic and behavioral health environments across community, clinical, and custodial justice settings, supporting justice-involved individuals with neurodevelopmental or cognitive disabilities. Their work emphasizes risk assessment and management, evidence-based, person-centered interventions, and ethical care aimed at rehabilitation and reducing recidivism.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Community mental health and outpatient behavioral health clinics
    • Forensic psychiatric units within hospitals
    • Residential treatment and supported living programs
    • Jails, prisons, and juvenile detention facilities
    • Probation, parole, and reentry services
    • Problem-solving and mental health courts
Presented By

Margaret Nixon, PhD

Dr. Nixon has worked across many large research projects in both health and forensic research areas. She has extensive experience in conducting interviews with vulnerable populations (i.e. individuals with dementia, mental illness and histories of trauma). She is a lecturer in forensic behavioural science at the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology, and has particular expertise in the management of sensitive information, data linkage methodologies, qualitative research and service evaluations. Her research interests include cognitive impairments in offending populations, intellectual disability, dual disability, prison-based interventions and the intersection between offending and victimisation.

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • What do we mean by developmental or cognitive impairment?

  • Why might having a developmental or cognitive impairment make someone more vulnerable to being involved in the justice system?

  • What must we consider when working with people with a developmental or cognitive impairment?

Earning a Certificate

This is a badge-earning program, which means it will help you earn a certificate that can be showcased on digital platforms like LinkedIn.
View Certificates

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.