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Forensic Clinical Psychology

Forensic Clinical Psychology. Dr. Shirley Radford . Forensic Psychology. ‘The collection, examination and presentation of psychological evidence for judicial purposes’ ( Gudjonnson and Haward, 1998) ‘The provision of psychological methods to a task faced by the legal system’

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Forensic Clinical Psychology

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  1. Forensic Clinical Psychology Dr. Shirley Radford

  2. Forensic Psychology • ‘The collection, examination and presentation of psychological evidence for judicial purposes’ (Gudjonnson and Haward, 1998) • ‘The provision of psychological methods to a task faced by the legal system’ (Wrightsman, 2001)

  3. Forensic Clinical Psychology • The application of clinical psychology to assist clients involved in legal processes: • Criminal and civil proceedings • Usually a mental health element less concerned with systems and processes than forensic psychology • More concerned with the individuals involved

  4. Knowledge Base • Psychology • Criminology • Penology • Law • Sociology • Psychiatry

  5. Theories • Criminological • Sociological • Biogenetic • Physiological • Psychodynamic • Behavioural • Cognitive-behavioural • Social learning

  6. Legal framework • Mental Health Act 1983 • Crime and Disorder Act 1998 • Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1994 • Woolf Reforms 1999 • Mental Health Act Reforms (2001-)

  7. Psychological Context of Offending • Gender issues • ‘Neurotic’ problems • Psychotic episodes • Social dysfunction • Stress-related offending

  8. Substance (mis) use • Organic problems • Psychopathic or other personality disorders • Opportunistic behaviour

  9. Social Context of Offending • Income/poverty • Family dynamics • Employment status • Educational level • Social milieu and networks • Abuse/trauma • Attachments

  10. Assessment Issues • Genetic factors • Medical history • Psychiatric history • Acquired disabilities • Socio-economic status • Intellectual development • Emotional attachments

  11. Socialisation • Family dynamics • Abuse/trauma • Personality • Attitudes/beliefs • Moral development • Life events

  12. Where do forensic referrals come from? • At risk behaviour • Offence(s) • Arrest/remand • Trial • Disposal: • Prison • Special hospital • RSU • Open Hospital • Community

  13. Range of forensic cases • Murder/manslaughter • Serious/persistent violence • Intra-familial abuse • Arson • Sexual violence • Paraphilic behaviour

  14. Addiction-related crime • Stalking/harassment • Hoaxes/malicious complaints • ‘out of character ‘offending • Post trauma/compensation

  15. Assessment Roles • Cognitive: (inc.mental capacity, witness competence) • Neuropsychological ( e.g. compensation claims) • Individual differences (Personality, attitudes, treatability) • Change (response to therapy) • Impact of events (PTSD, post accident) • Risk Assessment • Management advice

  16. Treatment Roles • Individual: • Supportive counselling • Motivational interviewing • CBT, CAT, Psychotherapy, behavioural etc. • Ward based programmes

  17. Group Therapy: • Stress and Anger management • Social skills/assertiveness • Offending/relapse prevention • Cognitive skills/problem/solving • Substance misuse

  18. Service Roles • Developing therapeutic regimes and programmes • Staff education and training • Supervision • Service and Research Governance • Inter-agency liaison • Research • Consultancy

  19. Outpatient Clinics • Sexual offenders/abusers • Anger management • Repetitive/compulsive offences e.g. shoplifting, twoc. • Delinquency secondary to gambling/drinking

  20. Risk assessments re: familial violence, sexual deviance • Other psycho-legal issues • Supportive management of PD clients and fragile MH cases etc • Difficult role with high drop out and non-attendance rates

  21. Inter-agency work • Prisons: remand cases, discretionary life sentence reviews • Probation: condition of treatment cases, risk management meetings • Social Services: risk assessments • Voluntary agencies: victim support groups, hostels • Police: rare: e.g. independent inquiries

  22. What’s distinctive about Forensic Clinical Psychology • Criminal behaviour? • Involvement in legal processes? • Theoretical orientation? • Therapeutic values and goals? • Relationship to client/patient? • Relationship to other disciplines? • Serving the public interest? • Roles? • Ethics? • Confidentiality?

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