New Jersey DOH - Best Practices in the Evaluation & Restoration of Adjudicative Competence

Custom curriculum developed for the New Jersey Department of Health
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15 Hours | 15 CEs

One of the primary foundations of criminal law is that all defendants have a right to a fair trial. Towards this end, upwards of 60,000 evaluations of competency to stand trial are conducted annually in the USA. Research has shown that the opinion of the evaluator in these evaluations is accepted by the courts upwards of 95% of the time. Thus, it is imperative that these evaluations be conducted using best practices. This training program provides a strong foundation for New Jersey evaluators who conduct adjudicative competency evaluation and/or restoration of adults. This custom curriculum was developed for the New Jersey Department of Health.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

  • Describe important legal cases that deal with issues relevant to the interpretation adjudicative competence standards and statutes

  • Describe the developments in the conceptualization of the Dusky Standard

  • Describe the research on evaluations of adjudicative competence and theoretical issues in competency evaluation

  • Describe the most recent clinical guidance on competency evaluation

  • Describe the administration procedures for various competency assessment instruments and the psychometric properties of CAIs

  • Describe the process for case and opinion formulation and the process of communicating opinions regarding criminal competence

  • Describe required, appropriate, and inappropriate report contents

  • Describe opinions about competence in the written report and through expert testimony

  • Describe the treatment planning process as it relates to the initial evaluation

  • • Describe the re-evaluation process as it relates to the initial evaluation and the research on the restoration of competence

  • Intended Audience

    This self-paced course is intended for mental health and other allied professionals.

  • Experience Level

    This self-paced course is appropriate for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level clinicians.

  • CE / CPD Credit

    APA, ASWB, CPA, NBCC Click here for state and other regional board approvals.

Presented By

Patricia A. Zapf, PhD

Patricia A. Zapf, Ph.D. is Vice President for Continuing & Professional Studies at Palo Alto University (PAU). Prior to coming to PAU she was a professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York (CUNY) for 16 years, during which time she was instrumental in the development of a new doctoral program in clinical psychology with an emphasis in forensic psychology and served as the program’s first Director of Clinical Training. Prior to her time at CUNY, she was on the psychology and law faculty at the University of Alabama. In 2009, Dr. Zapf founded CONCEPT Professional Training with the mission of elevating the level of practice in psychology and related professions.

Curriculum

    1. Review Before Proceeding

    1. Lesson 1 Video

    2. Heilburn & LaDuke 2015

    1. Lesson 2 Video

    2. Lesson 2 Quiz

    1. Lesson 3 Video

    1. Lesson 4 Video

    2. The Legal Context

    3. AAPL-CST Guidelines

    4. Lesson 4 Quiz

    1. Lesson 5 Video

    2. Forensic Mental Health Concepts

    3. Attorney CST Questionnaire

    4. Philipsborn (2004)

    5. Lesson 5 Quiz

About this course

  • Free
  • 54 lessons
  • 10.5 hours of video content

Develop a Specialty Area of Practice

Transforming mental health professionals into experts

  • Expert Instructors

    Professional training developed and delivered by the field's leading experts

  • CE Credit

    Earn CE credit for meaningful professional training that will elevate your practice

  • Convenience & Flexibility

    Learn at your own pace, from wherever you might be!

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. PaloAlto 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 Boardfor 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 HealthPractitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental healthcounselors. #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 ProfessionalTraining, #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.