Thomas Grisso - Faculty - Psychiatry

Thomas Grisso, Ph.D.

Academic Role: Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
Psychiatry

Dr. Grisso is Professor of Psychiatry, Director of Psychology, and Director of the Law-Psychiatry Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. His research interests include clinical forensic assessment in criminal and juvenile cases, developmental issues in juvenile law, mental health needs of youths in the juvenile justice system, and risk of violence in adults and youths with mental disorders.

Associations providing special acknowledgement of Dr. Grisso’s research contributions have included the American Psychological Association’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy (1995), the American Psychiatric Association’s Isaac Ray Award (2005), an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (1998), and an Honorary Fellow Award by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (U.K.).

Research Interests:

Dr. Grisso’s current research focuses on forensic mental health issues in juvenile justice. His research objectives are:

To improve the identification and provision of mental health services to youths as they enter the juvenile justice system.

To improve juvenile court clinicians’ evaluations of youths pertaining to protection of constitutional rights (competence to stand trial, capacity to waive Miranda rights), and

To create models and standards for criminal and juvenile court clinical evaluation services.

In addition, he is a part of the MacArthur Foundation’s “Models for Change” initiative in juvenile justice, which includes assistance to several states in creating models for juvenile justice programs that are consistent with youths’ developmental characteristics. Finally, as Executive Director of the American Board of Forensic Psychology, Dr. Grisso is actively involved in the development and refinement of standards for forensic mental health assessments.

Ongoing Projects:

National Youth Screening Assistance Project (MacArthur Foundation, $1,597,000, 9 years, PI). This project developed a social action and technical assistance service to promote and study the use of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument nationwide. The instrument was subsequently adopted statewide in 35 states for mental health screening of youths entering juvenile justice facilities. Current research on this project examines the degree to which mental health screening has led to improved mental health services and other outcomes in six juvenile detention centers in three states.

The Consequences of Mental Health Screening in Pretrial Juvenile Detention Centers. (MacArthur Foundation, $449,000, 2 years, PI). This study examines effects of the implementation of mental health screening (with the MAYSI) on staff attitudes about mental health problems of youth, social conditions and safety for youth in detention, and referrals for mental health services of youth in detention. It is being conducted in nine detention centers in three states.

Office: S7-864
Phone: 508-856-3625
Fax: 508-856-6426
E-mail: Thomas.Grisso@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Public Sector Psychiatry, Mental Health and Criminal Justice, Forensic Mental Health Issues, Mental Health Courts, Mental Health Policy