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Working in the clinical field for more than 15 years, I often see how mental health intersects with the legal system in ways that demand not just compassion, but also specialized expertise. At critical legal junctures, obtaining a forensic evaluation can be the difference between undesirable outcomes and justice. When I launched The Forensic Program at the Center of Inner Transformations, I aimed to offer services designed to support individuals and families at some of their most psychologically challenging moments. Dealing with the criminal justice system can be a dark time in someone’s life, and unfortunately, many professionals aren’t equipped with advanced skills that could help.
When I began providing my first comprehensive evaluations over a dozen years ago, I was obtaining a dual degree in Social Work and Addiction Counseling at Rutgers University on a scholarship granted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. From that period, I began working in collaboration with parole, probation and drug court officers, attorneys, judges and other criminal justice professionals to evaluate substance abuse cases, criminal matters, child custody disputes and trauma-related assessments. I’ve continued to use my expertise to contribute to the greater good — ensuring that mental health is understood, respected and properly addressed in our legal system. For other mental health professionals, working with individuals in the criminal justice system can provide a rewarding experience that positively contributes to better outcomes.
Developing Specialized Expertise: My Forensic Journey
Success in conducting forensic evaluation demands a wide range of specialized skills, which can be cultivated through years of focused training and experience. Working on the frontlines of law and mental health, confidence and competency are necessary. My own forensic career began with an interest in helping my clients better cope with their mental health and addictive behaviors, and address the needs of a complex legal system that often overlooks the vulnerable individuals it aims to serve.
Although I trained for various specialties at various institutions, my training with the National Organization of Forensic Social Work drew from established principles for application, familiarity with the law, thorough evaluation and objective criteria associated with treatment outcomes. Forensic services should be useful and couched in language that the court can understand and must withstand critical review and rebuttal from opposing parties.
There are also opportunities to earn additional certifications. For example, I earned a certification as a neurocriminologist, an emerging field that explores the neurological and psychological factors contributing to criminal behavior. This advanced training enables me to offer deeper insights into the minds of individuals involved in legal cases, particularly those where substance abuse, trauma or mental illness plays a significant role.
Common Forensic Needs and Services: What We Do and Why It Matters
At The Forensic Program at COIT, I offer evaluations and forensic services that meet the specific needs of our justice system, while also addressing the broader social issues that contribute to the cases we see. Experienced mental health professionals could build expertise in evaluating a variety of legal scenarios, including:
Substance Abuse Evaluations: Understanding how addiction impacts criminal behavior, child custody or treatment needs is crucial to many of evaluations. These provide clear, informed assessments that speak to the legal and clinical dimensions of addiction.
Mitigation Assessments: These are comprehensive reports detailing defendants’ mental health, trauma history and other life circumstances that could mitigate sentencing. These evaluations humanize the defendant while maintaining forensic objectivity.
Child Custody Evaluations: In high-conflict custody disputes, these evaluations determine the mental health and parenting capacities of all involved parties, always centering the best interests of the child.
Criminal Competency Evaluations: These assess whether individuals are mentally capable of standing trial, helping ensure that defendants receive a fair process.
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Civil Competency Evaluations: In civil cases, such as financial or medical decision-making, these evaluate whether individuals have the mental capacity to participate meaningfully in legal decisions.
Trauma-Informed Assessments: Trauma has a profound impact on behavior and decision-making, and these ensure that it is fully understood and considered in each evaluation, whether the case involves past abuse, domestic violence or war-related trauma.
Anger Management Assessments: This helps identify and address the roots of aggressive or violent behavior, providing treatment recommendations that courts or rehabilitation programs can implement.
Neuropsychological Evaluations: This evaluates insights into how brain disorders or injuries impact behavior, offering a unique perspective in criminal cases where neuropsychological factors may be at play.
Mental Health and Diversion Evaluations: For individuals with mental health issues, these assess whether diversion programs or treatment plans would be more appropriate than traditional sentencing.
Serving the Greater Good: Impact on the Community
The work shouldn’t stop at the courtroom. For our program, and for others, a core value should be giving back to the community. Every clinical leader who offers forensic services should offer trauma-informed evaluations that help inform fair legal outcomes that better reflect the mental health needs of individuals, particularly those most marginalized by the justice system.
When we conduct a substance abuse evaluation, for instance, we’re not just answering legal questions — we’re advocating for access to rehabilitation and treatment programs, rather than funneling people into prisons where their needs won’t be met. Similarly, in child custody cases, we don’t simply identify the more “fit” parent — we provide a detailed, unbiased understanding of family dynamics that prioritizes the child’s well-being above all else.
The work in criminal competency and mitigation can go even further. By providing detailed assessments of an individual’s mental health and life circumstances, mental health professionals help courts deliver justice that considers not just the crime, but the person behind it. These evaluations often lead to sentences that include mental health care, trauma counseling or substance abuse treatment — measures that can reduce recidivism and create healthier communities.
Building a More Just Tomorrow
By providing accurate, compassionate and scientifically grounded evaluations, you can help improve legal outcomes, reduce incarceration rates and offer solutions that make our communities safer and more equitable. Forensic clinicians transform the justice system’s understanding of mental health, addiction and trauma. By combining forensic expertise with a holistic, trauma-informed approach, you can create a pathway to justice that sees the whole person.
