The Portable Guide to Testifying in Court for Mental Health Professionals

The Portable Guide to Testifying in Court for Mental Health Professionals
Author: Barton E. Bernstein
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 287
Release: 2005-08-08
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0471735361

A one-stop guide to testifying in court for mental health professionals Even the most seasoned mental health professionals can find themselves unnerved by the prospect of appearing in court, especially when presented with it for the first time. Those in the mental health field usually have no formal preparation for testifying in court, even though they often play an important part in many types of cases. The Portable Guide to Testifying in Court for Mental Health Professionals provides a concise yet comprehensive guide for practitioners preparing to appear in court. The authors employ their combined decades of legal work in the mental health field to provide a clear, no-nonsense handbook of what to expect, how to prepare, and what to look out for when testifying in court. Along with a general introduction to courts and the legal system, the text details topics such as: * Testifying both as an expert and involuntary witness * Protecting clients when bringing therapy into testimony * Preparing for testimony * Tips to use and lawyers' tricks to look out for when testifying in court Throughout the book, Bernstein and Hartsell use detailed case studies to provide specific examples. In addition, "legal light bulbs" offer important tips and facts, and appendices list relevant Web resources and provide common legal forms. A one-of-a-kind resource, The Portable Guide to Testifying in Court for Mental Health Professionals gives a complete view of your role in courtroom proceedings, offering a vital tool for both legal and mental health practices.

The Portable Ethicist for Mental Health Professionals

The Portable Ethicist for Mental Health Professionals
Author: Thomas L. Hartsell, Jr.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 577
Release: 2008-08-22
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0470288299

Now fully revised and in a second edition, The Portable Ethicist for Mental Health Professionals suggests solutions to the simple and complex ethical questions mental health professionals must deal with on a daily basis. This indispensable guide arms you with the expert knowledge you need to avoid an ethical violation?or to handle the situation if a complaint is filed. Web copy, 5/14/08, RH

The Portable Lawyer for Mental Health Professionals

The Portable Lawyer for Mental Health Professionals
Author: Thomas L. Hartsell, Jr.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 560
Release: 2013-05-13
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1118341082

Everything you need to legally safeguard your mental health practice Fully revised, The Portable Lawyer for Mental Health Professionals, Third Edition identifies, explores, and presents solutions to both the simple and complex legal questions that mental health practices must deal with daily. Written by Thomas Hartsell Jr. and Barton Bernstein—attorneys and therapists specializing in legal issues concerning mental health—this essential guide arms professionals with the expert knowledge needed to avoid a legal violation, or to know how to handle a situation if a complaint is filed. With downloadable sample forms and contracts—including the new Informed Consent for Psychological Testing and Professional Limited Liability Member Agreement forms—this complete resource features step-by-step guidance, helpful case studies, and "legal light bulbs" to alert clinicians to warning signs and help them steer clear of legally questionable situations. New to the Third Edition: Coverage of how to conduct business in a digital world, including how to handle confidentiality issues surrounding electronic health records and cloud computing, distance therapy, and maintaining a professional client-therapist relationship in a Facebook world Vital information on a variety of associations' ethics guidelines A look at the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act Considerations for using or not using evidence-based treatments New information on working with minors and dealing with homicidal clients Convenient and comprehensive, The Portable Lawyer for Mental Health Professionals, Third Edition is the quick-reference resource that mental health professionals, graduate students, attorneys, and clients alike can rely on to make informed legal decisions.

The Mental Health Professional in Court

The Mental Health Professional in Court
Author: Thomas G. Gutheil
Publisher: American Psychiatric Pub
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2012-10-17
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1585629898

A successor to the popular The Psychiatrist in Court: A Survival Guide, The Mental Health Professional in Court has expanded the scope of the earlier book to include other professionals in the field. The authors have thoroughly updated the text, and provided a comprehensive coverage of legal processes. This book equips the mental health professional with a hands-on, practical working knowledge of what to expect -- and how to survive -- in the courtroom and the legal system. The book includes many helpful features: An informal, user-friendly writing style that is accessible, reassuring, and empowering, and a succinct presentation that helps the reader achieve mastery of the material quickly and efficiently -- a boon when prepping for a court appearance A practical, rather than theoretical, approach to issues, with examples from literally hundreds of actual cases and countless consultations with peers and colleagues on how to deal with the legal system A thorough understanding of the book's audience. Because the authors understand that most mental health professionals' knowledge about going to court comes from television and movies, the book addresses the many deeply embedded misperceptions and distortions perpetuated by the media, taking the reader from rudimentary information about the legal system to more sophisticated topics, such as the different approaches to testifying. An indispensable legal glossary keyed to the text, which enhances understanding of courtroom terminology Other beneficial features, such as key points at the end of each chapter, which provide easy-to-locate summaries, and additional appendices, which outline the legal system and provide suggested readings. No one wants to appear in court, but in some cases it may be unavoidable. Brief enough to assimilate quickly, yet comprehensive in scope, The Mental Health Professional in Court: A Survival Guide is a reassuring and eminently useful guide designed to help the witness navigate the legal system.

Social Workers' Desk Reference

Social Workers' Desk Reference
Author: Kevin J. Corcoran
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 1513
Release: 2015
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0199329648

In the first and second editions of the Social Workers' Desk Reference, the changes that were occurring in social work practice, education, and research were highlighted and focused upon. This third edition continues in the same tradition and continues to respond to the changes occurring in society and how they are impacting the education, research, and practice of social work as a whole.

Handbook of Forensic Mental Health with Victims and Offenders

Handbook of Forensic Mental Health with Victims and Offenders
Author: David W. Springer, PhD, LCSW
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
Total Pages: 640
Release: 2007-01-16
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0826101135

Designated a Doody's Core Title! Together for the first time; all your forensic social work best practice needs in one volume! "...a vitally important addition to this emerging and essential body of knowledge. This compelling publication places between two covers a broad collection of informative, original essays on core issues in forensic social work. This engaging volume offers readers keen insights into forensic practice related to child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, suicide, psychiatric care and mental illness, juvenile justice, adult corrections, addictions, trauma, and restorative justice." --from the foreword by Frederic G. Reamer, School of Social Work, Rhode Island College From expert testimony advice to treating HIV-positive incarcerated women, this handbook contains the most current research and tested field practices for child welfare through adulthood in the civil and criminal system. Encompassing a wide range of treatments, roles, specialized practices, research, and diagnoses, the Handbook of Forensic Mental Health With Victims and Offenders will guide practicing professionals through the forensic social work issues they encounter on a daily basis, such as: Prevention of prisoners' sudden deaths Expert witness testimony in child welfare and women battering Treatment of dually diagnosed adolescents The overrepresentation of African-Americans incarcerated for juvenile delinquency Jail mental health services for adults Drug courts and PTSD in inmates with substance abuse histories Recidivism prevention Basic tasks in post-trauma intervention with victims and offenders Culture and gender considerations in restorative justice Edited by Dr. Albert R. Roberts and Dr. David W. Springer, with contributions by leaders in the field, this handbook should top the list of must-have publications for all forensic social workers.

Clinicians in Court

Clinicians in Court
Author: Allan E. Barsky
Publisher: Guilford Press
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2004-01-13
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 9781593850166

Mental health and human service professionals are often called on to give evidence or expert testimony in a range of circumstances, including family law and child welfare trials, mental health hearings, malpractice lawsuits, criminal trials, government hearings, and private arbitration. Interacting with the legal system poses many potential challenges, but adequate preparation and a basic understanding of legal processes and terminology can make the experience a more positive one. This volume provides practical information and proven guidelines to help clinicians from any background understand their role in legal proceedings-and participate effectively, ethically, and with minimal stress. Special features include helpful checklists and samples of affidavits, retainer agreements, and other materials that can be adapted for use in the reader's own practice.

Forensic Reports and Testimony

Forensic Reports and Testimony
Author: Randy K. Otto
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2014-08-21
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1118420942

Forensic Reports & Testimony: A Guide to Effective Communication for Psychologists and Psychiatrists provides a roadmap for the mental health professional who wants to provide consistently accurate, defensible, and useful reports and testimony to the legal system. Authors Randy K. Otto, Richart L. DeMier, and Marcus Boccaccini, recognized experts in the field, cover all aspects of the process, including preparing affidavits and reports, preparing for depositions, and testifying. Every written or spoken communication for the courts must be clear and precise, and distinguish between facts, inferences, and opinions. This book uniquely: •Shows the critical differences between forensic psychological reports and the clinical reports psychologists and psychiatrists are accustomed to writing •Includes and explains important maxims of forensic report writing, including separating facts from inferences, focusing on offering expert opinions, explaining why you think what you think, and connecting the dots between facts and conclusions •Provides numerous examples of experts’ testimony, affidavits, reports-with commentary and critiques Expert forensic work deserves to be presented in a clear, precise, and understandable way so that it is useful to attorneys, judges, and juries. Forensic Reports & Testimony provides the guidelines and models forensic psychologists and forensic psychiatrists need to make that happen.