Psychological Evaluations for the Courts, Fifth Edition: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals and Lawyers

This definitive text and practitioner resource--now in a revised and updated fifth edition reflecting significant developments in the field--comprehensively reviews the legal issues that mental health professionals are most frequently asked to address.The volume demystifies the forensic psychological assessment process and provides guidelines for participating effectively and ethically in legal proceedings.It describes and analyzes legal and clinical concepts and evidence-based assessment procedures pertaining to evaluations of criminal and civil competencies; mental state defenses; sentencing; civil commitment; workers compensation and mental injury claims; federal education, social security, immigration and antidiscrimination laws; child welfare and custody decisions; juvenile justice; and other contexts.Case examples, exercises, and a glossary of legal and clinical terms facilitate learning; 19 sample reports with commentary illustrate how to write up thorough, legally admissible ev