To complete this activity, read the following scenario:

Ina is a Russian immigrant living in the U.S. with her husband of 5 years and two children, ages 2 and 4. Ina only lived in America a short time before meeting her husband, who began abusing her while they were dating. She recalls being hopeful that, with every stage of their relationship (marriage, children, etc.), he would change and the abuse would decrease. However, the opposite occurred. In the most recent incident a few weeks ago, Ina’s husband hit her in the head so hard (in front of their children) that she lost consciousness for about 20 minutes. Ina does not work outside the home due to her limited fluency in English, and she has no money of her own since her husband is in charge of all their finances. Thus, she has chosen not to leave her husband, because doing so would result in her and her children becoming homeless. One homeless shelter in her area is for both men and women and is geared towards offenders who have been recently released from prison. It is located in a high crime area. The other homeless shelter in her area caters to women who have suffered domestic abuse, but it has only a few beds and a wait list of 14 months.

Should Ina be evaluated and given recommendations about what she should do next? If she refuses an evaluation, what are the ethics involved in attempting to mandate a non-criminal adult to be evaluated? What is the appropriate response for a forensic mental health professional in this case?

Assignment 2: RA: Ethical Issues during Forensic Assessments

When conducting forensic assessments, it is important for forensic mental health professionals to have a thorough understanding of the following:

• Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct Including 2010 Amendments
• Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology: Adopted by APA Council of Representatives

Ethical issues are commonly present when completing forensic assessments. Read the scenario below and discuss the ethical issues therein.

Dr. Smith was contacted by the District County Attorney’s office to evaluate Mr. Doe as part of a sexually violent predator civil commitment hearing. Dr. Smith agreed to complete the evaluation and contacted the prison facility, where Mr. Doe was being held, to schedule an appointment.

Upon arrival at the prison, Mr. Doe’s attorney indicated that he wanted to be present for the interview and psychological testing. Dr. Smith agreed, and they proceeded with the interview. During the interview, while discussing his sex offense history, Mr. Doe admitted to offending against two adult females (one of which was the one for whom he was convicted). He also reported offending against his three-year-old daughter. He indicated that his relationship with his wife, although rocky at times, is generally supportive. Upon inquiry, he reported a history of domestic abuse, which was never reported. He explained that due to his arrest and incarceration, his wife has had to find a job to be able to continue to afford their housing. He reported that he previously worked as a general maintenance worker at a local trucking company. He explained that he cheated on his wife with a coworker, who has since stopped all communication. He indicated that this coworker used to visit and send him letters and money when he was first “locked up.” He reported that he was angry that she ceased all communication, without explanation, and spoke of her with rage and hostility. He said, “If I ever see her again, I’ll kill her.”

During the administration of the psychological tests, Mr. Doe asked to use the restroom once and was provided another five-minute break. There was a great deal of background noise throughout the interview and administration. On two occasions, Mr. Doe asked his attorney how he should answer the question. He was advised, and he answered as such. Upon the completion of testing, Dr. Smith thanked Mr. Doe and his attorney for their time and indicated that he would see them in court.

If released, Mr. Doe will return to his home with his wife and two daughters. He has reported to the prison staff that he will also return to his previous job and may enroll in vocational classes at an area community college.

Tasks:

As a forensic mental health professional, discuss the ethical issues in the scenario. Refer to the following resources:

• American Psychological Association. (2010). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct including 2010 amendments. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
• American Psychology-Law Society. (2011). Specialty guidelines for forensic psychology: Adopted by APA Council of Representatives [Unofficial version]. Retrieved from http://www.ap-ls.org/aboutpsychlaw/SGFP_Final_Approved_2011.pdf

Write a 5- to 6-page report in a Microsoft Word document addressing the following:

• Identify the appropriate APA ethical code(s) and the specialty guidelines that may apply to this scenario.
• Examine the limits of confidentiality. How might those limits be affected by some of the information contained in the scenario?
• Discuss specific circumstances in the case study in which there might be a duty to report or duty to warn.
• Explain the limitations of what the evaluator can and cannot say.
• Discuss the implications of the third-party observer to the overall evaluation.

Your report should rely upon at least four scholarly resources from the professional literature that are cited in APA format. The literature may include the Argosy University online library resources; relevant textbooks; peer-reviewed journal articles; and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, and .gov).

Submission Details:

The RA is worth 200 points.

Assignment 1: Standards and Tests for Criminal Responsibility

Criminal responsibility (insanity) assessments play a significant role in forensic psychological assessment, and information about them is directly relevant to the psycholegal assessment questions on the comprehensive exam.

Tasks:

Using resources from the professional literature, research legal standards and assessment tools used with the criminally insane population. The literature may include the Argosy University online library resources, relevant textbooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu and .gov).

In a minimum of 300 words, address the following:

• Identify and discuss at least two legal standards for insanity in a criminal defendant.
• Explain why such legal standards are important for our judicial system. What information may assist in understanding the defendant’s capacity to control his or her behavior at the time of the offense?
• Describe at least one type of assessment instrument for criminal responsibility. What is the research support for utilization of these instruments?
• What is the difference between a legal standard for insanity and a psychological assessment instrument?

Assignment 2: Competency Restoration

If criminal defendants are deemed incompetent to face a trial, they have the right to have their competency restored since they cannot be released without having a trial and they cannot be held indefinitely without being given the opportunity to become competent. Accordingly, it is important to state how they will be restored to competency.

Create a 3- to 4-page paper in a Microsoft Word document answering the two parts of this assignment.

Part 1:

CST has long been a sought-out legal procedure. Identify a landmark case decision that has played a factor in this process and address the following issues:

• Explain the process of competency restoration.
• Describe why the process of competency restoration is important.
• Discuss one landmark case decision that has played a role in the process of restoration.

Part 2:

Elaborate on your discussion by including the process of restoration in the forensic arena.

In your report, address the following:

• Identify the appropriate APA ethical codes and the specialty guidelines for forensic psychologists that may apply to the process of restoration.
• Examine the limits to confidentiality.
• Identify the factors that might impede competency restoration.

Your responses should rely upon at least three scholarly resources from the professional literature that are cited in APA format. The literature may include the Argosy University online library resources; relevant textbooks; peer-reviewed journal articles; and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu and .gov).

Submission Details:

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria  Maximum Points    Explained the process of competency restoration.  16    Described why the process of competency restoration is important.  14    Discussed one landmark case on competency restoration.  14    Identified the appropriate APA ethical codes and the specialty guidelines on the process of competency restoration.  12    Examined the limits to confidentiality.  12    Identified the factors that might impede competency restoration.  12    Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.  20    Total:  100

FIRST ASSIGNMENT

In Chapter 4 we discussed cultural factors in perception.

Think of a demographic based on race, sexual orientation, or disability.

1. Choose a demographic and list some of the prejudices, biases, stereotypes, and discrimination that group may face either at work, community, or in social settings.

2. Are these perceptions based in fact. If so, please state the reasons to support this. And if not, how are these perceptions unfounded?

3. What are some things needed to socially change the perceptions of this demographic group?

SECOND ASSIGNMENT

Imagine that you have a client, Tiffany Harris coming to see you for help. The client tells you she has a family history of mental illness specifically mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. The client witnessed her mother who suffered from depression all of her life. She is seeking medication and or therapy to manage her behaviors which mirror anxiety.

Answer the following 3 questions:

1) As a student “intern” based on your understanding of the material, how would you explain how both genetics and her environment play a factor in her behaviors.

2) If the client continues to push for medication, what neurotransmitter drug would be helpful to assist her?

3) What other behavior intervention strategies or coping skills could she implement in ADDITION to medication management?