Our instructors are internationally recognized experts, prolific authors, and engaging presenters. They are passionate about providing evidence-based understanding, knowledge, and skills that professionals can apply in practice.
Stanley Brodksy, PhD
Dr. Stanley Brodsky is Professor Emeritus at The University of Alabama, where he coordinated the psychology-law PhD concentration for the last 2+ decades. His work specializes in the application of psychological knowledge to offenders, law, and legal issues. In 2006 he was the recipient of the Distinguished Contributions to Psychology & Law Award of the American Psychology-Law Society.
Dr. Jaime Brower is a licensed clinical psychologist working out of Denver, Colorado. She is American Board Certified as a specialist in the area of Police & Public Safety Psychology. Dr. Brower has devoted her career to working with those in law enforcement, corrections, detentions, fire, military, and other high stress occupations, as well as ensuring the health and wellbeing of their family members. She further specializes in risk and threat assessment, school violence and hostile workplace investigations. Dr. Brower is particularly passionate about training and consulting with agencies regarding best practices for enhancing resiliency and wellness.
Pathways Counseling Center, Inc.
Jerrod Brown, PhD
Jerrod Brown, Ph.D., M.A., M.S., M.S., M.S., is a professor, trainer, researcher, and consultant with multiple years of experience teaching collegiate courses. Jerrod is also the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS). Jerrod has also provided consultation services to a number of caregivers, professionals, and organizations pertaining to topics related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), confabulation, suggestibility, trauma, and other life adversities, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and youth firesetting. Jerrod has completed four separate master’s degree programs and holds graduate certificates in Neuropsychology, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Other Health Disabilities (OHD), and Traumatic-Brain Injuries (TBI). Jerrod has also conducted over 200 workshops, webinars, and on-demand training for various organizations and professional and student audiences. In 2021, Jerrod completed a post-doctoral certificate in Leadership and Organizational Strategy from Walden University and a Professional Certificate in Forensic Psychology from San Diego State University Global Campus. Currently, Jerrod is pursuing a graduate certificate in Neuroscience and Law from Michigan State University. Jerrod has published several articles and book chapters and recently co-edited the book Forensic Mental Health: A Source Guide for Professionals (Brown & Weinkauf, 2018) with Erv Weinkauf. Jerrod is also regularly featured on several national and international podcast programs.
Professor at Palo Alto University
Joyce Chu, PhD
Dr. Joyce Chu is an Associate Professor at Palo Alto University. She earned her B.A. and M.A. in psychology at Stanford University, her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan, and did a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Chu co-leads the Multicultural Suicide and Ethnic Minority Mental Health Research Groups at PAU, and is also Director of the Diversity and Community Mental Health (DCMH) emphasis which trains future psychologists to work with underserved populations in the public mental health sector.
David Cooke, PhD
Dr. David Cooke is accredited by the Risk Management Authority (RMA) to undertake risk assessment reports under section 210C and 210D of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. He holds BSc, MSc, PhD and DUniv (Honoris Causa) degrees in psychology. He is a Chartered Forensic and Chartered Clinical Psychologist, a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
David Cooke, PhD
Dr. David Cooke is accredited by the Risk Management Authority (RMA) to undertake risk assessment reports under section 210C and 210D of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. He holds BSc, MSc, PhD and DUniv (Honoris Causa) degrees in psychology. He is a Chartered Forensic and Chartered Clinical Psychologist, a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Belk Endowed Professor in Health Research within the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte
Robert J. Cramer, PhD
Robert J. Cramer, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences and Belk Distinguished Scholar in Health Research at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Holding a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, his expertise includes suicide prevention, mental health, hate crimes, violence prevention, sexual and gender minority health, and theories of health and personality. Drawing on his forensic training, Cramer served as a trial consultant for almost a decade, focusing on jury consultation, witness preparation, and case theory in civil and criminal trials. With expertise in quantitative methods, he is active in community-engaged research, having partnered with agencies such as the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center, North Carolina Department of Public Safety, and many others. The founder of the Core Competency Model of Suicide Prevention Training, he has provided suicide prevention training and consultation for the United Kingdom National Health Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, various university counseling centers and academic training programs, and other professional audiences. Recognized as an international expert in suicide and violence prevention research and training, Cramer has served as honorary visiting faculty at the University of Strathclyde School of Psychological Sciences and Health, the University of Central Lancashire School of Psychology, and the Griffith University Criminology Institute. He currently serves as on the editorial boards of Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and Aggressive Behavior.
Professor, Department of Psychology - Fordham University; Co-Director Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice
Keith Cruise, PhD
Keith Cruise is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University. Dr. Cruise conducts research on the clinical-forensic assessment of youth within the juvenile justice system. Various research projects have focused on developing and validating specialized risk assessment protocols, investigating the utility of mental health screening instruments with justice-involved youth, and understanding the connection between trauma exposure, trauma reactions, and delinquent behavior. Dr. Cruise also conducts forensic evaluations of justice-involved youth including post-disposition assessments of risk and treatment amenability, providing expert testimony to juvenile courts, and providing technical assistance and consultation to local and state juvenile justice systems. Dr. Cruise is a Co-Principal Investigator on a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention investigating the impact of trauma screening on service delivery and legal outcomes for justice-involved youth, and is a Co-Director of the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice (CTRJJ), a technical assistance center that is part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN).
Prof. Distinguished Adj., NYLS; Owner, MDLPA; Prof. Adj., Emory University School of Law; Bd. Dir. Collier School
Heather Ellis Cucolo, JD
Heather Ellis Cucolo is Distinguished Adjunct professor of law and the facilitator of the joint JD/MA program with John Jay College of Criminal Justice, at New York Law School (NYLS). She is also an adjunct professor in the JM Program at Emory University School of Law, and a Fellowship faculty member at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In addition to those roles, Professor Cucolo is co-owner of Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates, a legal education and professional training company, and was elected to the board of trustees for the International Society of Therapeutic Jurisprudence, a non-profit organization.
Formerly, in her full-time legal practice, Professor Cucolo dedicated her career to representing individuals at trial facing civil commitment under both the New Jersey Mental Hygiene Law and New Jersey’s Sexually Violent Predators Act. She authored and argued appeals before the New Jersey Appellate Division with over 27 reported decisions. She has published four textbooks and over 21 law review articles with mentions in an Eastern District of New York court decision and an Iowa appellate decision. She was honored to receive the Otto L. Walter Distinguished Writing Award for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019.
Professor Cucolo’s international work has included: expert testimony on extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States for persons convicted of a sex offense; pro bono advocacy for LawAid International; speaking at the United Nations on the rights of persons with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region; and the creation of an instructional course on disability legislation for attorneys in Japan.
Consultant
Brian Cutler, PhD
Dr. Brian Cutler began serving as a consultant and expert witness in cases involving risk factors for mistaken eyewitness identifications and mistaken eyewitness memories in 1989. To date, he has consulted in more than 200 cases. In 2013, Dr. Cutler began serving as a consultant and expert witness in cases involving the risk factors for false accusations and false confessions, and to date has consulted in more than 40 cases. Dr. Cutler has consulted and testified in criminal (juvenile and adult) and civil cases (human rights and accident cases), depositions, hearings regarding admissibility of expert testimony, motions to suppress eyewitness identifications and confessions, ineffectiveness of counsel hearings, post-convinction appeals, bench trials, and jury trials.
Since 1987 Dr. Cutler has held faculty and academic administrative positions at Florida International University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, where he is presently Professor. Since 1983, Dr. Cutler has conducted research on various forensic and social psychology topics. He has active research programs on eyewitness memory, interrogations, and police psychology, from social and cognitive psychological perspectives. Dr. Cutler has held research grants from the National Science Foundation of the United States and Social Science & Humanities Research Council of Canada. Dr. Cutler’s publications include Editor or Author of The APA Handbook of Forensic Psychology, the Encyclopedia of Psychology and Law, Reform of Eyewitness Identification Procedures, Conviction of the Innocent: Lessons from Psychological Research, and five other books. He is also an author of more than 25 book chapters and 65 peer-reviewed articles, 25 articles in professional newsletters.
Dr. Cutler has also been fortunate to have had the following professional experiences:
- Consultant/Expert Witness in more than 240 criminal and civil cases in the U.S. and Canada since 1988
- 19 years university leadership experience as Department Chair, Associate Dean, and Interim Dean at three universities
- Editor-in-Chief of Law and Human Behavior, the journal of the American Psychology-Law Society
- Past President of the American Psychology-Law Society, Division 41 of APA
- Editor of the American Psychological Association’s Handbook of Forensic Psychology
- Editor of Reform of Eyewitness Identification Procedures (APA Press)
- Editor of Conviction of the Innocent: Lessons from Psychological Research (APA Press)
- Editor of Expert Testimony on the Psychology of Eyewitness Identification (Oxford University Press)
- Author of Evaluating Eyewitness Identification (Oxford University Press)
- Author of Mistaken Eyewitness Identification (Cambridge University Press).
- Author of more than 25 chapters in edited volumes and more than 70 peer-reviewed articles
Dr. Cutler has authored and edited books on forensic psychology topics, often in partnership with distinguished colleagues. He has also authored and co-authored articles for peer-reviewed journals, law reviews, and trial advocacy publications. His objectives have included contributing to the scholarly knowledge about forensic psychology and facilitating translation of this knowledge into legal practice and policy.
rofessor of Psychology and Professor of Law at Drexel University, and Director of Drexel’s JD/PhD Program in Law & Psychology.
David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic)
David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic), is a Professor of Psychology and Professor of Law at Drexel University, and Director of Drexel’s JD/PhD Program in Law & Psychology. He has published 14 books, more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, and more than 50 book chapters in his areas of interest, which include mental health law, psychopathic personality, forensic mental health assessment, and diversion of justice-involved individuals. He is a former President of the American Psychology-Law Society (APA Division 41) and the American Board of Forensic Psychology. He is also a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Divisions 1, 12, and 41) and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. He routinely consults with city agencies, state agencies, policymakers, correctional facilities, and law enforcement. He conducts forensic mental health assessments of adults and adolescents on a variety of legal issues, and he has testified as an expert witness in state and federal courts. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Law and Human Behavior.
President at Policy Research Associates, Inc. (PRA)
Sarah L. Desmarais, PhD
Sarah L. Desmarais, Ph.D., is the President at Policy Research Associates, Inc. (PRA) since 2022. She is responsible for the strategic priorities of PRA and oversight of PRA operations. Dr. Desmarais received her PhD in Forensic Psychology and Law from Simon Fraser University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. Prior to joining PRA, Dr. Desmarais was a tenured Professor of Psychology and University Faculty Scholar at North Carolina State University. She also was an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida with joint appointments in the Department of Community and Family Health and the Department of Mental Health Law & Policy. Dr. Desmarais works on issues at the intersection of public health, community safety, and social justice. Her current research is focused on evidence-based practices for reducing detention rates, especially among people with behavioral health needs. Dr. Desmarais has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications in journals including the American Journal of Public Health, Criminal Justice and Behavior, and Law and Human Behavior. She has held grants and contracts from foundations, state, and federal agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Justice, the National Science Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation.
Professor of Forensic Psychology, Simon Fraser University
Kevin S. Douglas, PhD, LLB
Dr. Kevin S. Douglas received his law degree (LL.B.) in 2000 from the University of British Columbia, and his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in clinical (forensic) psychology from Simon Fraser University. He spent three years on faculty at the University of South Florida in Tampa, and has been on faculty at Simon Fraser University since 2004. He currently is Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University. He is also a Guest Professor of Applied Criminology at Mid-Sweden University, and a Senior Research Advisor at the University of Oslo.
Cognitive Neuroscientist
Itiel E. Dror, PhD
Dr. Itiel Dror is a cognitive neuroscientist who received his Ph.D. at Harvard (1994) in the area of cognitive factors in human expert performance. Since his Ph.D. over twenty years ago, Dr. Dror has been researching this area, and has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles specifically looking at cognitive factors that mediate human expert performance. His insights and understanding of the human brain and cognitive system underpin the workshop. Without such deep knowledge, it is not possible to properly deliver a workshop on the ‘cognitive factors’. Dr. Dror has been working in the forensic domain for over a decade. In fact, he is the person who introduced the human and cognitive factors to the forensic community and has made this issue central in forensic science.
Over the last decade Dr. Dror has worked with a variety of forensic laboratories across the US, in which he has visited and shadowed examiners doing casework, reviewed SOPs and practices. Dr. Dror was the Chair of the OSAC Human Factor group (the new ‘SWGs’ organized under NIST/NIJ), which is responsible for the cognitive factor issues across all the OSAC forensic domains. The National Commission on Forensic Science has recognized Dr. Dror as the leader in this area and has asked him to present to the commission (as well as appointed him to their Human Factors subcommittee), as well as many other forensic bodies who have solicited Dr. Dror. The recommendations on cognitive and human factors of the NCFS and the NAS report, and other bodies is mainly based on the research of Dr. Dror. He is also a member of the AAAS (The American Association for the Advancement of Science) Advisory Committee on Forensic Science Assessment (a project in which the AAAS will conduct an analysis of the underlying scientific bases for the forensic tools and methods currently used).
Dr. Itiel Dror has a proven track record in successfully delivering workshops, specifically on ‘Cognitive Factors in Making Forensic Comparisons’, to dozens of forensic laboratories. He is the only person who has the combined cognitive and forensic expertise to deliver this training. His workshops on this specific issue have been delivered with great success to the FBI, LAPD, NYPD, SFPD, Boston PD, Kansas, and many other forensic laboratories across the US.
As the world leader in this area, Dr. Dror has also been commissioned to deliver this workshop in a variety of countries across the world (Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada, as well as other countries –not to mention numerous police forces the UK). The success of his workshops and his training in this area has been recognized by the professional bodies: Dr. Dror has received the ABP Annual Award for 'Excellence in Training' for his workshops on cognitive factors in making forensic comparisons. The purpose of the award is to recognize excellence in demonstrating how applying an understanding of the science of human behaviour can impact and deliver practical value to organizations. The judges commented that Dr. Dror's workshops are: "Truly outstanding and inspiring", "A highly rigorous application of relevant theoretical frameworks", "Truly innovative, breaking entirely new ground in a most challenging context", "Internationally ground-breaking impact already being used around the world", "Entirely focused on application of conceptual models – underpinned by deep research", and "Impact is highly impressive".
Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences
John F. Edens, PhD
Dr. John F. Edens, is a Professor of Psychology and formerly the Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at Texas A&M University (TAMU). He is the lead author of the Personality Assessment Inventory Interpretive Report for Correctional Settings (PAI-CS; Edens & Ruiz, 2005). Dr. Edens received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from TAMU in 1996 and completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at the University of South Florida in 1998.
Dr. Edens’ research and clinical interests focus on forensic mental health assessment and the role of such evidence in legal decision-making. He has published over 150 journal articles and book chapters on these and related topics and is in the top 1% of cited researchers in the fields of psychology and psychiatry. Dr. Edens is a recent recipient of the Theodore Millon Award in Personality Psychology (2015), jointly awarded by the Society of Clinical Psychology and the American Psychological Foundation, and also a former recipient of the Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Contributions to Law and Psychology (2001), jointly awarded by the American Psychology-Law Society and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. He is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 41).
Dr. Edens currently serves as an Associate Editor for Psychological Assessment and is a former Associate Editor for both the Journal of Personality Assessment and Assessment. He is a Consulting Editor for numerous other psychology-law journals, including Law and Human Behavior and Behavioral Sciences and the Law. He is also a licensed psychologist (Texas) and consults extensively on legal cases, primarily focusing on state and federal capital punishment trials. Over the years he has collaborated with several state agencies on the utility of various offender intervention and assessment programs and procedures.
Private Practice
William E. Foote, PhD
Dr. William E. Foote received his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in 1978. He has been in private practice as a forensic psychologist since 1979 and has conducted over 3000 forensic evaluations. Dr. Foote has been a consultant to the Indian Health Service concerning forensic issues. He has consulted with the Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico State Police in criminal investigations.
Associate Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Michele Galietta, PhD
Dr. Michele Galietta is Associate Professor of Psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York where she served as Director of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program from 2005-2013. Dr. Galietta is a researcher and clinician specializing in the training, adaptation and dissemination of empirically-supported treatments to community and forensic/correctional settings.
Professor of Psychology at Palo Alto University
Peter Goldblum, PhD, MPH
Dr. Peter Goldblum, Ph.D., MPH, Co-Director of CLEAR, is professor of psychology at Palo Alto University. He received his Ph.D. from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology (now PAU), his MPH from UC, Berkeley School of Public Health, his MA in Psychology an Teaching from Teachers College-Coumbia, and his BA from the University of Texas, Austin.
Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University
Laura S. Guy, PhD
Laura S. Guy obtained her BA in psychology at McGill University in Quebec, MA in clinical (forensic) psychology at Sam Houston State University in Texas, and PhD in clinical (forensic) psychology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. She completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS). She has Board Certification in Forensic Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology and is registered to practice psychology in Canada and the United States. As part of a team at Protect International, she conducts workplace violence risk assessments and is a psychologist with the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission of British Columbia. She was on faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at UMMS from 2009 to 2015 and currently is Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University. She is active in research, having received research grants from federal agencies in the United States and Canada and is the (co)author of over 150 articles, chapters, reports, manuals, and presentations. She is active in professional organizations, serving as Senior Editor of Journal of Threat Assessment and Management; ad hoc reviewer for more than 17 journals, as well as several granting agencies; and a board or executive committee member of several professional organizations, including Business Secretary of the Canadian Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. She has consulted with and provided training workshops for mental health, law enforcement, probation, corrections, and legal professionals in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region.
Faculty in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University
Stephen D. Hart, PhD
Dr. Stephen D. Hart obtained BA, MA, and PhD degrees in psychology at the University of British Columbia. He has been on faculty in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University since 1990, and has held the rank of Professor since 2001. He also served as a Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Bergen in Norway between 2000 and 2021. His expertise is in the field of clinical-forensic psychology, with a special focus on the assessment of violence risk and psychopathic personality disorder. He has co-authored more than 250 books, chapters, and articles. He has served as editor of two scientific journals; a member of the editorial board of eight journals; and ad hoc reviewer for more than 40 journals. He has served as an executive committee member of several professional organizations, including President of the American Psychology-Law Society and the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services. He has received various distinctions for his professional work, including the Career Achievement Award from the Society of Clinical Psychology, the Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Research Excellence in Psychology and Law from the American Psychology-Law Society and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. He maintains an active practice in violence risk assessment. He has consulted with government agencies from more than 25 countries; led more than 500 training workshops around the world; and given expert evidence before courts, tribunals, inquests, review boards, and parliamentary committees in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Researcher at University of Glasgow
Charlie Heriot-Maitland, PhD
Dr. Charlie Heriot-Maitland is a clinical psychologist, researcher and trainer (University of Glasgow; Balanced Minds). He is currently researching the social context of anomalous experiences and the application of CFT for people experiencing distress in relation to psychosis. He provides psychological therapies in NHS psychosis services, and in private practice. He also runs various compassion training workshops for practitioners and the general public.
Dr. Lorraine Johnstone, BA(Hons)., DClin.Psychol, AFBPS, is a Consultant Clinical Forensic Psychologist, Visiting Professor, and Head of Child and Family Clinical Psychology. Alongside her extensive clinical experience working with individuals with violent behavior problems, Lorraine has worked with residents and staff teams based in a range residential settings (secure and unlocked hospital settings, prisons, care homes, secure children’s homes, etc). Building on her clinical knowledge base, over the last decade or so, Lorraine has also worked in roles charged with service delivery. She is experienced in working with complex systems where many and diverse factors impacting and influence the organizational functioning. Across her career to-date, Lorraine has worked with many institutions using PRISM to inform risk management, service delivery, service development as well as benchmarking areas of good practice. Lorraine has led several PRISM evaluations across the UK and Europe and has been successful in achieving change in even the most entrenched and challenging settings. She has also consulted to and supported colleagues from other countries including New Zealand and the US who have implemented PRISM in their own settings.
Responder Strong project
Rhonda Kelly
Rhonda Kelly draws on personal experience in her focus on mental health support for people in team-based work in extreme environments. She was a firefighter/paramedic for 17 years in Aurora, CO. She served for five years as the department’s Health and Safety Officer, working to implement culture change that would prioritize overall wellness and destigmatize mental health support. It was in that role that she co-founded the state-wide Responder Strong project and eventually joined NMHIC.
Partner, National Youth Screening and Assessment Partners
Ivan Kruh, PhD
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.
Threat Assessment specialist for Protect International Inc.
P. Randall Kropp, PhD
Dr. Randall Kropp is a clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in the assessment and management of violent offenders. He works as a threat assessment specialist for Protect International Inc., is a psychologist with the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission of British Columbia, Canada, and is Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University.
Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International Risk and Safety Services Inc.
Brianne Layden, PhD
Dr. Brianne Layden obtained BA, MA, and PhD degrees in psychology at Simon Fraser University.
She is a clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in the assessment and management of risk for violence toward the self and others. She works as a Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International Risk and Safety Services Inc., is a contract psychologist with Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission of British Columbia, is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University, and is the associate editor of Intelligence, an e-newsletter that keeps professionals up to date about recent advances in threat assessment around the globe. She also serves as a Member-at-Large for the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services.
Her expertise involves the assessment and management of self-directed violence and personality disorders, particularly borderline personality disorder, and intersecting risks (e.g., general and self-directed violence). She has provided training workshops and invited presentations for forensic mental health, law enforcement, corrections, security, victim services and higher education, and has co-authored over 50 articles and conference presentations. She is currently in the process of developing structured professional judgment tools for the assessment and management of self-directed violence.
Consultant
David Martindale, PhD, ABPP
David Martindale, Ph.D., ABPP (forensic) limits his practice to consulting with psychologists, attorneys, and state regulatory boards. He lectures regularly on issues pertaining to evaluations of comparative custodial suitability, served on the AFCC Child Custody Consulting Task Force, and was the Reporter for the AFCC Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluation.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Tonia L. Nicholls, PhD
Dr. Nicholls is Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UBC and Distinguished Scientist and Lead, Forensic Research BC Mental Health and Substance User Services and President-Elect, International Association of Forensic Mental Health. She holds cross-appointments at UBC including the SPPH and an Adjunct appointment in the Department of Psychology, SFU.
Her research examines the intersections of law and mental health related to the provision of services to persons in conflict with the law and diverse marginalized populations focusing on assessment and treatment of violence, criminality, and the development and implementation of EBP. She has published manuals to support the translation of research into practice and has engaged in large-scale implementations and evaluations; these include violence risk assessments and mental health screening in correctional settings, mental health assessments, and treatment planning (see manuals).
Her scholarly work has earned her and her teams multiple grants and awards totaling over $15 million. Recently she received a CIHR Foundation award (> $2 million; 2015-2022) to fund her research.
Associate Professor in the NSU Department of Clinical and School Psychology
Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP
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.
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School
Ira K. Packer, PhD, ABPP
Dr. Ira K. Packer, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, directs the highly respected UMMS Postdoctoral Residency Program in Forensic Psychology, and directs the Forensic Evaluation Service at Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital. He also is the Director of the Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts. Dr. Packer previously served (1993-1996) as the Assistant Commissioner for Forensic Mental Health in Massachusetts. He has been a practicing forensic psychologist for over 35 years, with a particular focus on evaluations of criminal responsibility, competence to stand trial, and violence risk assessment.
Dr. Packer has served in a number of leadership capacities affecting Forensic Psychology nationally. He was a member of the examination faculty for the American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABFP) and has previously served as National Chair of Examinations, Vice-President, and President of ABFP. He has also served as Vice-President and President of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP). Dr. Packer chaired the Forensic Specialty Council that developed the Education and Training Guidelines for Forensic Psychology (which enables, for the first time, accreditation by APA of Postdoctoral Residencies in Forensic Psychology). He has also served as Vice President (2007) and President (2008-2009) of the Council of Specialties in Professional Psychology. In 2007, Dr. Packer was presented with the Distinguished Contributions to Forensic Psychology Award by the American Academy of Forensic Psychology.
Dr. Packer received his B.A from Columbia University in 1974 and his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1979. He has provided numerous workshops and presentations nationally, including topics such as Criminal Responsibility, Violence Risk Assessment, and Expert Witness testimony. He has numerous publications including two books: Packer, I.K. (2009). Evaluation of Criminal Responsibility. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; Packer, I.K. and Grisso, T. (2011). Specialty Competencies in Forensic Psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Professor of Law Emeritus at New York Law School (NYLS)
Michael L. Perlin, JD
Michael L. Perlin is Professor of Law Emeritus at New York Law School (NYLS), founding director of NYLS’s Online Mental Disability Law Program, and founding director of NYLS’s International Mental Disability Law Reform Project in its Justice Action Center. He is also the co-founder of Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates. He has written 31 books and nearly 300 articles on all aspects of mental disability law, many of which deal with the overlap between mental disability law and criminal law and procedure.
Private Practice
Lisa Drago, PhD, ABPP
Lisa Drago, Ph.D., ABPP, a board-certified forensic psychologist (ABPP), has been in practice for more than twenty years. Specializing in civil forensic matters, Dr. Piechowski has a particular interest in employment-related cases including disability, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, ADA, fitness for duty, and workplace violence.
Certified in Forensic Psychology, and a Licensed Psychologist
Gianni Pirelli, PhD, ABPP
Dr. Pirelli is Board Certified in Forensic Psychology, and a licensed psychologist in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. He is a leading expert in the firearms and mental health arena, as well as in forensic psychology practice ethics and procedures. He leads the group practice, Pirelli Clinical and Forensic Psychology, LLC, a team of licensed doctors conducting evaluations in a range of administrative, civil, and criminal matters. Dr. Pirelli has conducted over 1,000 evaluations and testified over 100 times in private practice.
In addition to maintaining a full-time private practice, Dr. Pirelli has remained active in research, training, and professional service. His primary areas of research pertain to forensic mental health assessment (FMHA), ethics and standards of practice in forensic psychology, and guns and mental health. He has given many professional conference presentations and invited talks, and he has numerous publications, including being the lead on three (3) books published by Oxford University Press: The Ethical Practice of Forensic Psychology: A Casebook (2017); The Behavioral Science of Firearms: A Mental Health Perspective on Guns, Suicide, and Violence (2019); and Firearms and Clinical Practice: A Handbook for Medical and Mental Health Professionals (2023).
Dr. Pirelli has also published chapters in seminal texts such as the Handbook of Forensic Psychology (4th Edition), and his articles have been published in leading practice-oriented journals such as the Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology; the Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice; Professional Psychology: Research and Practice; and Psychology, Public Policy and Law.
Of additional note is Dr. Pirelli’s research has been cited in amicus briefs to the United States Supreme Court and the New York State Court of Appeals, and in the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice final report (2020).
Executive Officer to the Chief of Police, Aurora Police Department
Sgt. Mike Pitrusu
Mike Pitrusu is a sergeant with a major city agency of 746 sworn officers that provides comprehensive police services to a diverse city of 374,000 residents. He currently serves as the Executive Officer to the Chief of Police where he supervises the department’s Employee Support and Wellness Unit (ESWU).
Professor of Psychology and Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University
Barry Rosenfeld, PhD, ABPP
Barry Rosenfeld is a Professor of Psychology and Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University. He is currently the President of the American Psychology-Law Society and past president of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services. Dr. Rosenfeld has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters addressing a wide range of topics in psychology and law, including malingering, violence risk assessment, and cross-cultural issues in forensic assessment. He is also board certified in forensic psychology and conducts evaluations in both civil and criminal forensic settings, including individuals in diverse cultural settings both within and outside of the U.S.
Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Alabama
Randall T. Salekin, PhD
Dr. Randall T. Salekin is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Alabama where he also serves as Director of the Disruptive Behavior Clinic. He received his PhD from the University of North Texas and completed his clinical internship at Yale University. Dr. Salekin has published on child and adolescent psychopathy, personality, and also has research interests in child and adolescent developmental maturity and amenability to treatment.
Professor in the School of Psychological Sciences at Monash University
Martin Sellbom, PhD
Martin Sellbom is a Professor in the School of Psychological Sciences at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2007 from Kent State University (USA). His research focuses on personality disorders, contemporary psychopathology models, and personality assessment with the MMPI instruments. Professor Sellbom's work has been featured in over 300 publications that includes four books, including the forthcoming (co-authored with Dustin Wygant) Forensic Mental Health Assessments using the MMPI-3. He has won several awards, including the American Psychological Foundation’s Theodore Millon mid-career award for advancing personality science, American Psychology-Law Society’s Saleem Shah Award and Society for Personality Assessment’s Samuel and Anne Beck Award for early career achievement. Professor Sellbom serves as the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Personality Assessment. For his clinical practice, he specializes in forensic psychological evaluations.
Full Professor at Palo Alto University and Director of the eClinic
Donna Sheperis, PhD
Donna Sheperis, PhD. joined PAU in 2016 and currently serves as a Full Professor, Associate Chair, Chair of the PAU Faculty Senate, Co-Chair of the PAU Institutional Review Board, and Director of the PAU eClinic. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Mississippi and her Masters in Counseling from Delta State University. Donna has taught land-based and online programs since 2000. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Mississippi and Texas; a Board Certified Counselor; a Board Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor; an Approved Clinical Supervisor; and a Board Certified TeleMental Health Provider with 30 years of experience in clinical mental health counseling settings.
Dr. Donna Sheperis is active in the counseling profession. She is past president of the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling and on the Ethics Appeals Committee for the American Counseling Association. She serves on the ACA Ethical Appeals Committee. Previously, Donna served as chair of the ACA Ethics Committee. She also serves on the Ethics and Bylaws committees for the Association for Humanistic Counseling and the Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. She is active in scholarship and research as well with multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, she has authored multiple book chapters and textbooks including Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Fundamentals of Applied Practice for Pearson Publishing; Ethical Decision Making for the 21st Century Counselor for SAGE Publishing; and Foundations of Substance Use and Addiction Counseling: Principles and Applied Practice for Cognella Publishing (in press).
Research Professor at Palo Alto University
C. Barr Taylor, MD
Dr. C. Barr Taylor was a Research Professor at Palo Alto University and Director of the Center for m2Health, which focuses on developing, evaluating, and disseminating digital health interventions for preventing and treating common mental health problems. He was also a Professor of Psychiatry (emeritus) at Stanford University. Dr. Taylor did his undergraduate training at Columbia University, his medical training at the University of Utah Medical Center, and his residency in psychiatry at Stanford Medical Center. He has published nearly 400 papers and written or co-written 11 books. He was one of the Principal Investigators on a large, long-term NIMH-funded study designed to evaluate the effects of digital interventions to prevent and treat anxiety, depression, and eating disorders in college students. He had extensive experience as a teacher and clinical supervisor, having, for instance, served as the Adult Residency Training Director in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry for many years and helping to train many psychologists as part of the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system program for disseminating and implementing cognitive behavior therapy for depression.
Private Practice
Philip Trompetter, PhD, ABPP
Philip Trompetter earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (1970) from the University of Tennessee. Dr. Trompetter is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Modesto, CA who has specialized in police and forensic psychology since 1978. He is a board-certified specialist in Police and Public Safety Psychology through ABPP.
Until he sold his police psychology practice, Dr. Trompetter specialized in providing intervention, assessment, and operational consultation to multiple northern California public safety agencies for more than 35 years. He provided pre-employment screenings for nearly 60 public safety agencies, and fitness for duty evaluations for more than 50 private industry and public safety agencies. He has published more than a dozen articles related to police psychology and authored the history of police psychology chapter in a recently edited book about the specialty. He has chaired the Officer-Involved Shooting Guideline Revision Committees twice for the Police Psychological Services Section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and has testified as an expert in deadly force confrontations throughout the country. He was the guest editor of a special issue of the Police Chief which contained six articles devoted to police psychological operations, assessment, intervention, peer support, consultation, and board certification.
Dr. Trompetter is a past General Chair of the IACP Police Psychological Services Section. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Police and Public Safety Psychology (AAPPSP), was the American Board of Police and Public Safety (ABPPSP) National Chair of Examinations (NCE) for the between 2010 and 2014, and was the ABPPSP Board President in 2016-2017. He continues to provide forensic psychological evaluations and testimony, but confines his police psychology practice to mentoring early career police psychologists of color and organizing webinars and workshops for the American Academy of Police and Public Safety Psychology.
Jodi Viljoen, PhD
Dr. Jodi Viljoen, R. Psyc. is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Simon Fraser University, an Associate Director of the Institute for the Reduction of Youth Violence. She is an author of a the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START:AV) and a risk reduction guide called the Adolescent Risk Reduction and Resilient Outcomes Work-Plan (ARROW).
Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International
Kelly A. Watt, PhD
Dr. Kelly A. Watt obtained her BA in psychology at Simon Fraser and her MA and PhD in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She worked as a Psychology Fellow at Vancouver Coastal Health between 2008 and 2010. She currently works as Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International and a Workplace Consultant at Competence Center Bergen. She is a member of the Mental Health, Law, and Policy Institute at Simon Fraser University. Her expertise is in the field of clinical- community-forensic psychology, with a special focus on violence risk assessment and management, victim safety planning, coordinated community responses, and threat assessment teams. She has co-authored more than 75 articles, chapters, reports, and presentations and is the co-author of manuals for risk assessment and safety planning, including the Risk for Sexual Violence Protocol (RSVP), and the Aid to Safety Assessment and Planning (ASAP). She is currently the editor of Intelligence, the newsletter of the Canadian, American, European, and Asia Pacific associations of threat assessment professionals. She also currently serves the chair of special interest group for the Canadian Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. She has provided over 120 invited presentations and workshops for mental health, law enforcement corrections, security, victim services, social services, human resources, occupational health and safety, and legal professionals in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Vice President, Division of Innovation, Palo Alto University
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.
Professor Emeritus at Palo Alto University
Lynn C. Waelde, PhD
Dr. Lynn C. Waelde is a Professor Emeritus at Palo Alto University. Her clinical and research interests focus on manifestations and treatment of stress disorders such as PTSD and on the therapeutic applications of meditation and mindfulness. She is the founder and Director of the Inner Resources Center, whose staff conduct psychoeducational programs, clinical interventions, professional training, and research concerning the applications of mindfulness and meditation for mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. She developed the Inner Resources meditation programs and has trained clinicians nationally and internationally to use the protocol for research and clinical practice. She has published more than 45 articles and book chapters on topics concerning trauma and mindfulness and is co-editor of a forthcoming volume about disaster mental health in Southeast Asia. She is also preparing a book about the use of mindfulness and meditation for stress and trauma.
Dr. Waelde has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in anthropology from Louisiana State University. She received her doctorate in Psychology with an emphasis in Developmental Child Clinical Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She completed her predoctoral internship at the VA Medical Center in New Orleans, where she completed training as a PTSD specialist. She is a lifelong practitioner of yoga, mindfulness, and meditation.
Director of the Forensic Psychology Emphasis at Palo Alto University
Christopher M. Weaver, PhD
Dr. Christopher Weaver is an Associate Professor at Palo Alto University, and Director of PAU’s Forensic Psychology Program. Dr. Weaver received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Louisville, and has held research and clinical positions (pre- and postdoctoral) at the University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University. He has published in the areas of psychopathy and violence risk assessment, and more recently in the areas of substance abuse and psychological trauma. His publications also include co-authored books in law & mental health and psychopathology. Dr. Weaver’s current research focuses on the role that trauma and substance use play in criminal offending, the assessment of dissimulation in PTSD assessment. He is also conducting a funded training and research program designed to increase police officer effectiveness in working with people with mental illness.
Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International
Kelly A. Watt, PhD
Dr. Kelly A. Watt obtained her BA in psychology at Simon Fraser and her MA and PhD in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She worked as a Psychology Fellow at Vancouver Coastal Health between 2008 and 2010. She currently works as Threat Assessment Specialist at Protect International and a Workplace Consultant at Competence Center Bergen. She is a member of the Mental Health, Law, and Policy Institute at Simon Fraser University. Her expertise is in the field of clinical- community-forensic psychology, with a special focus on violence risk assessment and management, victim safety planning, coordinated community responses, and threat assessment teams. She has co-authored more than 75 articles, chapters, reports, and presentations and is the co-author of manuals for risk assessment and safety planning, including the Risk for Sexual Violence Protocol (RSVP), and the Aid to Safety Assessment and Planning (ASAP). She is currently the editor of Intelligence, the newsletter of the Canadian, American, European, and Asia Pacific associations of threat assessment professionals. She also currently serves the chair of special interest group for the Canadian Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. She has provided over 120 invited presentations and workshops for mental health, law enforcement corrections, security, victim services, social services, human resources, occupational health and safety, and legal professionals in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
