Section: Research

Ira Packer, Ph.D.

Academic Role: Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Psychiatry

Ira K. Packer, Ph.D. is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry. He is Board Certified in Forensic Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology, and served as President of both the American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABFP) and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP). He has chaired the Forensic Specialty Council, in which position he had lead responsibility for crafting the Education and Training Guidelines for Forensic Psychology. He has also served as President of the Council of Specialties in Professional Psychology. In 2007, he received the AAFP Award for Distinguished Contributions to Forensic Psychology.

Dr. Packer served as Assistant Commissioner for Forensic Services for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health from 1993-1996. He currently is the Director of the Forensic Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Research Interests:

1. Service use patterns of mentally ill clients involved in the criminal justice system
2. Prevalence of mental disorders in correctional populations
3. Psychopathy and  treatment outcomes in forensic psychiatric patients
4. Violence recidivism rates for forensic patients

Ongoing Projects:

1. Psychopathy and Treatment Outcomes in Forensic Psychiatric Patients: A Pilot Study
2. Characteristics of mentally ill clients who become incarcerated in prison.

Office: WSH 8B-16
Phone: 508-856-8747
Fax: 508-856-6805
E-mail: Ira.Packer@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Mental Health and Criminal Justice, Forensic Mental Health Issues, Mental Health Courts, Mental Health Policy

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