First Friday Forum: Subpoena Doesn't Have to be a Dirty Word: Clinical Documentation for Intended and Unintended Audiences

This program will be held virtually via Zoom. Details with instruction on how to view the webinar will be sent to all registrants the day before the program (8/1).  This session will be recorded for future use in our online MPA CE21 Catalog.

This session is at the intermediate level and is designed for psychologists and other mental health professionals.

Friday Forums are cosponsored with the Metropolitan State University Psychology Department.

This program qualifies for 3.0 continuing education credits. Attendees must attend entire session to gain credit. Registration fee includes access to live webinar, program agenda, program PowerPoint, and continuing education certificate.

About the Program:
A crucial aspect of providing effective behavioral mental health services involves the accurate description of clients and our interactions with them. While direct interaction with clients is essential, there is often a less emphasized but equally vital aspect of effective service provision – the concise, clear, and objective documentation of such interactions. When clinicians anticipate their intended audience will mainly comprise the client and fellow clinicians, documentation tends to be brief and less detailed, often including observations and inferences without clear differentiation. Occasionally, clinical reports and records may be subpoenaed for a variety of legal purposes, despite many clinicians not being primarily involved in forensic practice. Several forensic psychologists with expertise in forensic report writing will offer guidelines for improving clinical documentation and report writing skills. Workshop discussion will cover various topics at length to include recognizing key distinctions between clinical and forensic evaluations, emphasizing the significance of effective report writing for intended and unintended audiences, highlighting the importance of hypothesis testing and careful language choice, considering appropriate uses of jargon and avoiding the tendency to make inferences and draw conclusions without adequate supporting data. Relevant case examples will be further discussed to emphasize the critical role of efficacious documentation and the potential pitfalls of incomplete or unclear note-taking. Following these recommended guidelines can lead to improved work quality and increased confidence in the event documentation is used in a legal proceeding in the future.

This program qualifies for 3.0 continuing education credits. Attendees must attend the entire session to gain credit. Registration fee includes access to live webinar, program agenda, program PowerPoint, and continuing education certificate.

Participants will be able to:

1. Describe the key differences between clinical and forensic evaluations.
2. Identify the importance of word choice and costs/benefits of using jargon.
3. Explain what is a subpoena and what can be expected when one is received.
4. List and describe at least five principles that can help guide effective documentation.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance and application of these guiding principles through the use of real-world examples and discussion.

About the Presenters:
Jacob X. Chavez, Psy.D., LP, ABPP earned his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Forensic Psychology from Forest Institute of Psychology. He is a licensed clinical forensic psychologist for Direct Care and Treatment – Forensic Services (DCT-FS) in St. Peter, Minnesota. Dr. Chavez is board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). His work includes competency and criminal responsibility assessments with juvenile and adult populations; as well as adult civil commitment, violence risk assessment, and repeat sex offender evaluations. He is the Training Director for the Forensic Services Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology. Additionally, Dr. Chavez is an Associate Professor at Drury2 University in Missouri and he completes criminal evaluations in his private practice, Chavez Forensic Psychology, PLLC.

Colt J. Blunt, Psy.D., LP earned his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology (MSPP) at Argosy University. He is a licensed clinical forensic psychologist at Direct Care and Treatment – Forensic Services (DCT-FS) in St. Peter, Minnesota and serves as the Director of Forensic Evaluation. As a forensic examiner, he specializes in court-ordered and policy-required forensic evaluations to include competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, civil commitment assessments, risk assessments, and repeat sex offender evaluations. He provides clinical supervision to a department of approximately 20 doctoral-level forensic examiners and two postdoctoral fellows. Throughout his career in public service, he has intensively trained and supervised dozens of postdoctoral fellows in forensic evaluation over the past 15 years.

Jennifer L. Harrison, Ph.D., LP earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Forensics from the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University. She is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist for Direct Care and Treatment – Forensic Services (DCT-FS) in St. Peter, Minnesota. As a forensic examiner, she specializes in forensic evaluations to include competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, civil commitment, and general and sexual violence risk assessment. She serves as a consultant with specialty in the delivery and implementation of a cognitive therapy known as Michael’s Game, a card game for the treatment of delusional ideas. She is also adjunct faculty for CSPP and a primary reviewer with expertise in mental health and forensic psychology for Solutions IRB. She also completes forensic evaluations in her private practice, Semper Accuratus Psychology Consulting, PLLC.

Ellen R. Castillo, Ph.D., LP earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Sam Houston State University. She completed her internship at Western State Hospital in Lakewood, WA, where she was trained in competency to proceed evaluations in adult and juvenile offenders, mental state evaluations in adult offenders, and competency restoration treatment. She also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Direct Care and Treatment – Forensic Services (DCT-FS) in St. Peter. Minnesota, where she completed forensic evaluations pertaining to competency to proceed, not guilty by reason of mental illness, and civil commitment, as well as various evaluations pertinent to juvenile adjudication. She is currently working as a Senior Clinical Forensic Psychologist with the Fourth Judicial District Court. Her work includes completing forensic evaluations in the areas of competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and civil commitment, as well as juvenile assessments.

Joseph Korevec, Psy.D., LP earned his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Indiana State University. He completed his predoctoral internship at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, TX providing individual and group therapy services, diagnostic evaluations, and pretrial forensic evaluations pertaining to competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility for the federal court system. He then completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Direct Care and Treatment - Forensic Services (DCTFS) in St. Peter, Minnesota, where he completed forensic evaluations pertaining to competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, civil commitment, and general and sexual violence risk assessment. He is currently a Senior Clinical Forensic Psychologist with the Fourth Judicial District and Regional Psychological Services division of the Minnesota Fourth Judicial Court. There, he completes competency, sanity, and civil commitment evaluations for the Minnesota court system.

The speakers have indicated no conflicts of interest to report.

The Minnesota Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Minnesota Psychological Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

ACCESSIBILITY ACCOMMODATIONS:  If you need disability related accommodations to make this event accessible, please contact the Metropolitan State University Center for Accessibility Resources, 651-793-1549, or [email protected].