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Description: For mental health professionals, accepting forensic work can feel akin to stepping through the looking glass. The therapeutic work that has been the core of clinical training emphasizes the best interests of the client and encourages the consideration of all data in developing a thorough understanding of the psychodynamics driving any egodystonic behavior. In contrast, a mental health professional serving as a forensic evaluator generally works for the court, not the subject of the evaluation, and must retain a professional distance and objectivity from the subject of the evaluation. Whether a criminal defendant facing homicide charges or a father seeking custody of a child, the subject of the evaluation desires a very specific outcome and is motivated to further that outcome, so that malingering is a significant risk in contrast to therapeutic work (Melton, 1997, at 53-58). The task of the forensic evaluator is defined by a legal standard, which may make parts of a complete case study of the subject irrelevant. The court, in fact, will seek very specific assistance in resolving the legal issue at the heart of the court proceeding.
Suggested Citation:
Frost, L. E. (2006). A Forensic Evaluator's Guide to the Texas Legal System [Electronic Version]. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice,
2(3), 5-28.
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Date: Sep 29, 2006 | File Size: 88.19 Kb | Downloads: 2386