2019 - Pre Convention Workshop #10 - Professional, Ethical, and Procedural Considerations for Clinical/Counselling Psychologists Working with Court-related Issues

May 30, 2019 09:00AM to May 30, 2019 04:30PM
Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel (1919 Upper Water St., Halifax, NS, B3J 3J5)

Presented by:

Ann Marie Dewhurst, Andrew McWhinnie

Sponsored by:

 

Continuing Education Credits:

6

Notes:

 

Cost:

CPA Member: Early Registration ($250+tax) - Regular Registartion ($300+tax)

CPA Student Affiliate: Early Registration ($190+tax) - Regular Registartion ($225+tax)

Non-Member: Early Registration ($325+tax) - Regular Registartion ($400+tax)

Student Non Affiliate: Early Registration ($230+tax) - Regular Registartion ($250+tax)

Please note: early registration (until end-of-day April 30th, 2019) and regular registration (after April 30th, 2019)

Duration:

Full Day (9:00 – 16:30)

Target Audience:

Clinicians and graduate students.

Skill/Difficulty Level:

Intermediate

Workshop Description:

 

Whether we are engaged in counselling or assessment, there is always the potential that we may become involved in court related work. Preparation begins with having deliberate and effective practice processes, sound clinical and legal knowledge, appropriate record keeping, awareness of relevant procedural, cultural, and community issues, and effective communication skills for both report writing and sharing results verbally. Different court venues require different psychological processes and products. Psychologists providing reports or testimony in legal venues need to consider and apply the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists to their forensic-oriented work; and, they can benefit from an awareness of the ethical and situational demands of the venues they may become involved with. Participants in this workshop will reflect on a variety of the ethical issues that are important to consider from a private-practice orientation when working in forensic situations.

 

This workshop relies upon best practice research regarding clinical involvement in community-based, court-related issues particularly focused on family, criminal and child protection cases. We will draw from the forensic assessment, professional code of ethics and practice guidelines literature as the foundation of our discussions. We assert that deliberate and effective practice processes, sound clinical and legal knowledge, appropriate record keeping, awareness of relevant procedural, cultural and community issues and effective communication skills for both report writing and sharing results verbally contribute to best outcomes in court testimony and recommendations. By focusing on specific issues related to clinical work in forensic settings, psychologists can be better experts in court, can avoid practice and ethical errors that derail good clinical efforts and have more confidence in what can often be adversarial or stressful legal settings. This workshop will be an opportunity for participants to engage in interactive dialogue with the facilitators and peer participants. We will provide case examples to illustrate the relevant issues and to support discussions. Our primary goal is for participants to come away from this workshop with practical ideas and increased confidence when encountering court-related situations in their practices.

Learning Outcomes:

 

  1. To develop knowledge and skills to identify and address procedural demands of forensic oriented practice
  2. To develop knowledge and skills to recognize and respond to a variety of ethical issues
  3. To develop knowledge and skills to explore options for practice that build confidence in planning intervention strategies and assessments, creating progress reports, and communicating assessment results from evidence-based perspectives
LocationHalifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel (1919 Upper Water St., Halifax, NS, B3J 3J5)