Services
The Law & Psychiatry Program provides evidence-based services to agencies serving youth and adults, including emerging adults, involved in justice, forensic, and behavioral health systems. We help agencies address complex needs and risk and protective factors associated with continued justice involvement through best practices in implementation science, screening and assessment, forensic evaluation, and risk-need-responsivity.
We work with legal and behavioral health professionals and individuals with lived experience to strengthen:
- Policies and procedures
- Decision-making
- Screening and assessment
- Case management and treatment practices
Our work supports agencies and communities across juvenile and adult systems, including:
- Forensic mental health
- Mental and public health agencies
- Law enforcement
- Courts and attorneys
- Diversion
- Pretrial services
- Probation
- Reentry
- Parole
Our services are informed by implementation science, research, forensic clinical expertise, and positive youth development. Our goal is to strengthen systems, promote positive development, improve responsiveness to interventions, and enhance public safety.
Service Areas
Training for Justice Personnel:
We provide everything from trainings for stakeholders (e.g., court personnel and judges; diversion, probation, and corrections staff; service providers) on the effective implementation of risk-need-responsivity; staff training on risk-needs screening and assessment tools (e.g., SAVRY, YLS/CMI, detention and diversion screening); interviewing procedures for youth; need-to-service matching; and assessment of protective factors.
Correctional Classification & Risk Tool Validation
We work with agencies to develop and validate new or existing risk screening instruments (e.g., juvenile detention screening, classification, PREA screening, police diversion tools) in an equitable way to decrease health disparities
Implementation of Risk-Need-Responsivity and Evidence-Based Approaches
Involves multiple activities, including but not limited to evaluation and needs assessment, development of effective policies and procedures, implementation of appropriate risk tools, development of service matrices, development of pre-disposition/pre-sentence recommendations, training and implementation in case planning/management, implementation of suitability-for-release protocols, and court and parole decision-making
Justice System Analytics
We provide consultation on electronic case management system improvements; state-of-the-art service data tracking; and analysis of administrative and operational datasets to identify implementation challenges and drivers of outcomes
Forensic Case Consultation and Evaluations
Our expert forensic clinical faculty consult on cases nationwide, assist the criminal and juvenile justice systems in improving evaluation practices, and testify to state and U.S. legislatures. Specialized expertise includes risk for violence assessment, evaluations of sexually problematic behavior, magical thinking, and substance abuse disorder
Forensic Clinician Trainings
Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), HCR-20 Version 3, Considerations in Miranda Waivers, asylum evaluations, parenting evaluations, evaluations with emerging adults, providing expert testimony, and many others
Visit our MAYSI-2 Headquarters page for our training and technical assistance services on the MAYSI-2 (adolescent mental health screening tool).