Forensic Mental Health 101
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Date & Time
September 23, 2024 9:00am - 4:30pm Location Hilton Orange County Costa Mesa 3050 Bristol St Costa Mesa, Ca 92626 |
Date & Time
January 27, 2025 9:00am - 4:30pm Location Hilton Garden Inn 20 Advantage Ct Sacramento, Ca 95834 |
Summary
Each day, new clinicians and evaluators are hired by agencies providing services to individuals involved in the criminal justice system suffering from mental illness and/or tasked with keeping patients and the community safe. These new hires are well-qualified and have a solid understanding of psychosocial assessment and clinical treatment. Forensic evaluation and treatment, however, differs in important ways from purely clinical treatment, and there are numerous factors to consider in addition to the patient’s well-being and risk of imminent harm to himself or others.
This training, Forensic Mental Health 101, seeks to address these differences with the goal of preparing those with clinical and/or community mental health backgrounds to evaluate, treat, and supervise individuals involved in the criminal justice system suffering from mental illness in locked and unlocked settings. It is intended for those who are new to forensic mental health or are early in their forensic mental health careers, as well as those who are seeking to re-focus their efforts and ensure they are performing their duties in accordance with the law and the best interests of the treated individual and the community.
This training, Forensic Mental Health 101, seeks to address these differences with the goal of preparing those with clinical and/or community mental health backgrounds to evaluate, treat, and supervise individuals involved in the criminal justice system suffering from mental illness in locked and unlocked settings. It is intended for those who are new to forensic mental health or are early in their forensic mental health careers, as well as those who are seeking to re-focus their efforts and ensure they are performing their duties in accordance with the law and the best interests of the treated individual and the community.
Topics
- Relevant mental health laws and terminology
- Key players in the California forensic mental health system
- Differences between forensic evaluation and clinical evaluation
- Basics of forensic report writing
- Basics of violence and sex offender risk assessment
- Differences between forensic treatment and community mental health treatment
- Communicating with attorneys and courts, including responding to subpoenas and the basics of testimony
Presented By
Anna Kafka, PsyD
Anna Kafka, is a licensed forensic psychologist in California with nearly 15 years of experience conducting forensic evaluations. From 2009 to 2015, she worked for the Gateways Hospital Conditional Release Program (CONREP), serving both Los Angeles and San Diego counties. She began her work with Gateways CONREP as a forensic clinician and was promoted to Evaluation Manager in 2010. In 2014, she assumed the role of Director of Evaluations, with job duties including conducting and overseeing the forensic evaluations of nearly 900 individuals committed to state hospitals throughout California and contributing to decisions regarding patients’ readiness for placement in community outpatient treatment. After leaving Gateways CONREP, she conducted evaluations of competency to stand trial for the Liberty Healthcare Jail-Based Competency Treatment Program. In 2017, Dr. Kafka joined the Los Angeles County Superior Court Panel of Psychiatrists and Psychologists and continues to serve on the Panel, conducting evaluations pertaining to legal insanity, violence risk, sexual violence risk, sentence mitigation, Franklin proceedings, suitability for probation, and other issues. In addition to these roles, Dr. Kafka taught courses within the San Diego State University Global Campus Certificate in Forensic Psychology program from 2019 to 2022. Since 2020, Dr. Kafka has worked for the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH), first conducting evaluations of Offender with Mental Health Disorder (OMD) and Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) criteria and now as a Senior Psychologist Supervisor at DSH-Metropolitan. Dr. Kafka is passionate about elevating the quality of forensic evaluations performed in the field and enjoys training others in forensic evaluation and report writing, as well as in providing expert witness testimony.
Anna Kafka, is a licensed forensic psychologist in California with nearly 15 years of experience conducting forensic evaluations. From 2009 to 2015, she worked for the Gateways Hospital Conditional Release Program (CONREP), serving both Los Angeles and San Diego counties. She began her work with Gateways CONREP as a forensic clinician and was promoted to Evaluation Manager in 2010. In 2014, she assumed the role of Director of Evaluations, with job duties including conducting and overseeing the forensic evaluations of nearly 900 individuals committed to state hospitals throughout California and contributing to decisions regarding patients’ readiness for placement in community outpatient treatment. After leaving Gateways CONREP, she conducted evaluations of competency to stand trial for the Liberty Healthcare Jail-Based Competency Treatment Program. In 2017, Dr. Kafka joined the Los Angeles County Superior Court Panel of Psychiatrists and Psychologists and continues to serve on the Panel, conducting evaluations pertaining to legal insanity, violence risk, sexual violence risk, sentence mitigation, Franklin proceedings, suitability for probation, and other issues. In addition to these roles, Dr. Kafka taught courses within the San Diego State University Global Campus Certificate in Forensic Psychology program from 2019 to 2022. Since 2020, Dr. Kafka has worked for the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH), first conducting evaluations of Offender with Mental Health Disorder (OMD) and Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) criteria and now as a Senior Psychologist Supervisor at DSH-Metropolitan. Dr. Kafka is passionate about elevating the quality of forensic evaluations performed in the field and enjoys training others in forensic evaluation and report writing, as well as in providing expert witness testimony.
Nicole Paglione, PsyD
Nicole L. Paglione is a licensed psychologist (California) and clinical director of Gateways CONREP, Los Angeles and San Diego Counties’ conditional release program for individuals committed under PC 1026, Guilty, but Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity; PC 2962, Offenders with a Mental Health Disorder, Parolee; and PC 2972, Offenders with a Mental Health Disorder, Former Parolee. She began her training within the state hospital system but left the state to work for CONREP in 2011, where she began as Los Angeles County’s only full-time forensic evaluator for the aforementioned commitments. In 2015, Dr. Paglione became the Director of Evaluations, overseeing the evaluations of approximately 900 individuals treated within the state hospital system, as well as conducting various risk assessments with a focus on suitability for release to a lower level of care and readiness for unconditional release from forensic treatment and supervision. As Clinical Director, Dr. Paglione now oversees the treatment and supervision of these offenders with mentally illness in the community, as well as the work of CONREP’s Evaluation Unit. She is frequently called to provide expert testimony with regard to the assessment of violence risk, and she is responsible for training Gateways CONREP’s clinical staff in the administration of risk assessment tools, court report writing, and the provision of forensic treatment. Outside of Gateways CONREP, Dr. Paglione is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (LA Chapter). She contracts with agencies/institutions to conduct threat assessments and provide threat assessment training to school districts throughout the country, and she conducts violence risk assessments in private practice for the purpose of sentence mitigation in criminal courts.
Nicole L. Paglione is a licensed psychologist (California) and clinical director of Gateways CONREP, Los Angeles and San Diego Counties’ conditional release program for individuals committed under PC 1026, Guilty, but Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity; PC 2962, Offenders with a Mental Health Disorder, Parolee; and PC 2972, Offenders with a Mental Health Disorder, Former Parolee. She began her training within the state hospital system but left the state to work for CONREP in 2011, where she began as Los Angeles County’s only full-time forensic evaluator for the aforementioned commitments. In 2015, Dr. Paglione became the Director of Evaluations, overseeing the evaluations of approximately 900 individuals treated within the state hospital system, as well as conducting various risk assessments with a focus on suitability for release to a lower level of care and readiness for unconditional release from forensic treatment and supervision. As Clinical Director, Dr. Paglione now oversees the treatment and supervision of these offenders with mentally illness in the community, as well as the work of CONREP’s Evaluation Unit. She is frequently called to provide expert testimony with regard to the assessment of violence risk, and she is responsible for training Gateways CONREP’s clinical staff in the administration of risk assessment tools, court report writing, and the provision of forensic treatment. Outside of Gateways CONREP, Dr. Paglione is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (LA Chapter). She contracts with agencies/institutions to conduct threat assessments and provide threat assessment training to school districts throughout the country, and she conducts violence risk assessments in private practice for the purpose of sentence mitigation in criminal courts.
Learning Objectives
- Describe two laws governing the evaluation, treatment, and supervision of individuals involved in the criminal justice system suffering from mental illness in California
- Describe three inpatient and outpatient treatment settings for individuals involved in the criminal justice system suffering from mental illness in California
- Describe two key differences between forensic evaluation and clinical evaluation
- Describe three components of a forensic report
- Describe two key differences between forensic treatment and community mental health treatment
- Describe three issues unique to certain special populations
- Describe how to communicate with attorneys and courts regarding reports, subpoenas, etc.
- Describe three steps in preparing for testimony and the basics of testifying in court
CE Credit |
Intended Audience |
Experience Level |
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6 CE Available for CPA, BBS, CJER
Additional Continuing Education Information |
This training is intended for mental health clinicians.
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This training is appropriate for all level clinicians.
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