An Introduction to Forensic Mental Health Evaluation: WMHCA

Presented By

2 CEs Recorded: Fall, 2023

In an ever-evolving healthcare landscape, many clinical mental health counselors are looking for ways to diversify their practice. Forensic mental health evaluation is an interesting, impactful, and lucrative option for counselors who wish to branch out into new areas of expertise. For many counselors, forensic work triggers a series of questions:

● What can I do and not do as an expert witness? ● Am I qualified to administer and interpret psychological tests? ● What are judges and attorneys looking for in an evaluation? ● What are some of the unique ethical considerations for forensic evaluation? ● Can I do forensic work without having a doctorate? ● Is it true that forensic evaluation is for psychologists and not counselors? ● How would I get business? ● How much should I charge for my services? ● What training or experience would I need?

Whether you want to practice exclusively in the specialty area of forensic mental health, want to do a little bit of it on the side, or are just curious and want to learn more, this training could be a helpful introduction into the field. We will cover various types of forensic specialties, ethical and legal guidelines for practice, options for training and certification, and how to build a forensic practice. We will also dispel common myths about the scope of practice of clinical mental health counseling as it relates to administering and interpreting psychological tests and conducting forensic evaluations. Finally, we will review various resources and options for training and certification.

Objectives:

1. Define forensic mental health evaluation as a specialization.
2. List and describe the various types of forensic mental health evaluations counselors can specialize in.
3. Learn about ethical and legal considerations for forensic mental health.
4. Identify several resources for training in forensic evaluation

Outline:

0:00 pm-0:30pm: Definition, characteristics, reasons to specialize in forensic evaluation; fact vs. expert witness 0:30-1:00pm: Types and components of forensic evaluation; counselors and psychological testing 1:00pm-1:30pm: Ethical and professional issues related to forensic evaluation 1:30pm-2:00pm: Strategies for developing expertise in forensic evaluation (training and certification); referral-finding; questions and answers

EPDC CE Hours: 2

Presenter: Dr. Aaron Norton

Dr. Aaron Norton is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with certifications in addictions, alcohol and drug counseling, rehabilitation counseling, clinical mental health counseling, trauma treatment, forensic mental health evaluation, forensic behavioral analysis, and forensic psychometry. He serves as Executive Director of the National Board of Forensic Evaluators, a national not-for-profit board officially endorsed by the American Mental Health Counselors Association that provides training, certification, and professional advocacy for licensed mental health professionals specializing in forensic mental health evaluation. He is an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Dept. of Mental Health Law & Policy. He serves as Southern Regional Director, Ethics Committee Liaison, and International Counseling Task Force Chair for the American Mental Health Counselors Association and Chair of the Government Relations Committee for the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association. He is the Consulting Editor for AMHCA’s The Advocate Magazine. He co-authored the Forensic Evaluation section of the “AMHCA Standards for the Practice of Clinical Mental Health Counseling,” authored the proposal for AMHCA’s Clinical Mental Health Specialist in Forensic Evaluation (CMHS-FE) credential, and served on the expert panel that created the standards and written exam for the Florida Certification Board’s Certified Telehealth Practitioner (CTP) credential. He has 20 years of experience as a psychotherapist and clinical supervisor specializing in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues, cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depressive disorders, and substance use treatment. He was awarded Mental Health Counselor of the Year by the American Mental Health Counselors Association in 2016, Counselor Educator of the Year by the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association in 2016, Researcher of the Year by the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association in 2019, and he was awarded AMHCA’s Public and Community Service Award in 2020. An experienced writer, presenter, and trainer, he has been published in several academic journals and professional magazines in the counseling profession.