Swenson's
Forensic Practice
I began my forensic practice in 1975 as Chief Psychologist and
later
Director of Clinical Services at the Human Resource Center of Douglas
County
(Wisconsin). I did not originally plan on developing a forensic
specialty--I
simply was the only doctoral level psychologist in a small community,
and
found myself being called to the jail for emergencies, talking with
attorneys
about disturbed clients, and increasingly testifying in court about the
mental status and treatment of clients. Since leaving the HRC and
entering
teaching of psychology and management, I have continued a small private
practice in the specialty. In 1998 I received my diplomate status from
the American College of Forensic Examiners. The range of activities
over
the years is representative of the richness and challenge which this
field
offers. Highlights include the following:
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Consulting with law enforcement administration on officer selection and
fitness for duty evaluations.
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Designing comprehensive evaluation and performance appraisal systems
for
law enforcement personnel.
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Providing crisis intervention and critical incident debriefing for
police
and other emergency personnel involved in crises.
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Training local and federal officers in communication skills, conflict
management,
defusing anger, team building, enforcement strategies, and supervisory
skills.
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Conducting psychological evaluation and being an expert witness for the
Court regarding competency to stand trial, criminal resposibility,
protective
placement, amenability to treatment, divorce custody, and personal
injury.
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Developing information management and program evaluation systems for
offender
residential treatment and correction facilities.
-
Provide training and consultation on the effects of shiftwork in
emergency
services.
Dr. Jerry Henkel-Johnson and I (see e-mail at bottom) welcome inquiries
from interested students who are entertaining career possibilities in
forensic
psychology, law enforcement, criminology, social work, and related
fields.
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Forensic Web Sites of
Interest
(sorry if there are some dead links; I'll eventually get to them...)
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General Sites
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Assessment of Dangerousness
Malingering
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Competency
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Organizations
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Graduate Programs in
Forensic
Psychology
There area growing number of programs exclusively identified as
"forensic psychology" although there are several that
have a
multidisciplinary emphasis. Many programs in Counseling and/or Clinical
Psychology provide the training necessary to quality as an "expert" and
to specialize in forensic work. It is an added benefit to have
education
and experience in working in criminal justice settings or with related
clients. The following list is suggested as a starting point. If you
find
a program of interest, request a catalog, discuss the program with the
department chair, and talk over the curriculum with students who are
enrolled
in it. At this point, we are not familiar enough with all these
programs
to make recommendations, referrals, or give details of what they
involve--please
don't ask us to do so. You will need to do your homework by contacting
them online (search using their name), or reviewing them using Peterson's
Guides or related reviews (see below).
We also take the position that it is not necessary to enroll in
a forensic
psychology program in order to practice in the area. In many ways, a
broader
degree in clinical or counseling psychology will enable you to practice
widely, as well as develop expertise in some areas that will give you
forensic
entry. Remember, it's not so much the degree, as your having
established
expertise in some area related to the legal issues in question that
makes
you valuable in the forensic community. Perhaps some of the more
valuable
skills include psychological evaluation, treatment of offenders, and
expert
opinion on personality. Don't feel constrained by not finding just the
right forensic program, when a broader program may give you greater
flexibility.
A final caveat: if you are still in high school or just starting
college,
no one can say exactly what this specialty will look like in a few
years.
It may be wise to prepare yourself to practice in several areas.
Master's Level (These are not complete lists-- you should
search
for additional programs not listed here)
The American Psychology Law Society Graduate Training Programs
in Law
and Psychology brochure identifies three programs at the master's
level:
Other programs
Doctoral Level
This list of doctoral psychology programs that offer training in
forensic
psychology is primarily from the text Psychology and the Law by Bartol
& Bartol (1994), and from the American Psychology Law Society
brochure
on Graduate Training Programs in Law and Psychology.
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California
School of Professional
Psychology
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Florida State University
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Florida International University
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Northwestern University
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Queen's University, Kingston Ontario
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Sam
Houston
State University, Huntsville TX
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Simon
Fraser
University
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St. Louis University
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State University of New York at Buffalo
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University of Alabama
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University of British Columbia
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University of Illinois at Chicago
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University of Kansas
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University of Nebraska at Lincoln
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University of Kentucky
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University of Nevada-Reno
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University of Texas at El Paso
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University of Virginia
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John Jay College of Criminal Justice
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City University of New York (Masters level)
The following programs associated with law schools in which you
will receive both a doctoral degree in psychology (PhD) and a law
degree
(JD). These dual-degree programs take longer to complete than ones that
lead only to a single doctoral degree.
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Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahneman University
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Northwestern University Psychology Department
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University of Nebraska -Lincoln
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Stanford University
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University of Arizona
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University of Hawaii
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University of Minnesota
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Widener University
Other information on graduate programs and careers in psychology
can be found at:
Some other considerations in preparing for graduate school:
-
You will probably need to take the GRE or other graduate school
admissions
test. You should at least purchase a test review books, and perhaps
take
a prep course for the exam. Do this long enough ahead of time so you
can
correct deficiencies.
-
Be especially clear on your career goals, what you want to do, and how
you think a particular program can help you attain your goals.
-
If you have a spotty academic history, especially during your early
years
of college, or low grades outside your major, be prepared to explain
what
happened, how you are different, and possibly show additional evidence
of your scholarly ability.
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If you have the opportunity to do research or publish with a professor
at the undergraduate level--do it!
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Take time to complete an internship or volunteer experience in
corrections
or forensics.
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Join the Forensic Psych listserver or related listserver and gain a
better
sense of the people and issues current in this field.
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Attend conferences and workshops (they can be expensive), on topics of
interest to you in the field. Use these to network with new associates
and broaden your underrstanding of the field.
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Give some thought to the full range of forensic practice in which you
want
to work. If your sole interest lies in working with serial
killers--think
again!; this area is too restricted for most programs and
practitioners;
in spite of the media hype, there frankly aren't enough to go around.
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It is currently NOT a requirement that you attend a forensic psychology
program in order to do forensic work. For example, a degree in clinical
or counseling psychology will enable you to work in the field depending
on the expertise you have based on education and experience,
related
to the forensic area (e.g., psychological evaluation regarding
pathology,
amenability to treatment, treatment of juvenile sex offenders, etc.).
Check
Peterson's Guides for a listing of APA approved and other excellent
counseling
and clinical programs. The webpage for the APA
also has a listing of traditional programs programs.
Information on Graduate Programs.
Please Note: I am not always current on the unique
requirements
and offerings of specific programs in forensic psychology around the
country
and will not make recommendations--
please don't ask me for this kind
of information! What you can do to choose a good program is to
conduct
some research asking the following questions"
-
Accreditation: is the program APA approved? While this
should not
be the ultimate criterion, it does ensure sound curriculum and faculty,
and helps with internship and licensure.
-
Faculty: does the program have good faculty? How many
faculty? What
are their backgrounds and areas of specialization? Are they primarily
academics
or do they have clinical forensic experience? How many faculty are
there
and what are their advising loads? Do they have publications and
presentations
in their forensic specialties? Are they members and officers of
relevant
professional associations? When you contact them for more information
do
they seem cordial and helpful?
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Students: how do current and past students perceive the
program?
Obtain from the department the names of current and recent grads. Aks
them
how they viewed the faculty, curriculum, evaluation, mentoring,
professional
opportunities, and aspects of student life at the university. What is
the
placement rate and what types of jobs do grads obtain? What is their
licensure
rate?
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Curriculum: do the courses prepare you for what you
want? Are there
sufficient courses in forensics as well as foundation courses? Is there
an opportunity to practice skills through practicum, field placement,
or
internship? Is there time in the curriculum for you to integrate what
you
learn or is the curriculum time pressured? Is the curriculum based on a
single theory or orientation or does it provide students with a variety?
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Financial aid: what funding assistance is available to
you? Ask
about grants, stipends, teaching and research assistantships,
scholarships,
and part-time work opportunities.
-
Resources: check out Peterson's Guides to Graduate
Studies, the
annual ranking of APA programs in the APA Monitor, and carefully
examine
the Graduate Catalog of the program.
Another Note on Profiling:
Profiling
has become popular as a result of several TV programs and movies, like
The Silence of the Lambs and Profiler. There is an equal interest in
specializing
in serial killers. Frankly, there aren't enough serial killers running
around, or enough profiling jobs to make this much of a primary
marketable
skill. Instead, focus on broader range skills at the master's level,
and
perhaps more narrow specialization at the doctoral level. When I
suggest
broad, I mean, for example, being able to conduct broad psychological
evaluations,
not just regarding dangerousness. Fads will change and you should
consider
a broader range of skills that will give you employment flexibility as
the marketplace changes.
Typical Courses in Forensic Psychology
There is currently no clear uniformity in programs that lead to
specialization
in forensic psychology. The following include courses that are typical
of several programs in the field:
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Forensic Psychology (overview)
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Theories of Criminal Justice
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Personality Theories
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Diagnostics (DSM)
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Psychopathology & Adjustment
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Chemical Dependency
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Criminal Personality
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Sexual offenders
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Child & Adolescent Psychology
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Law & legal procedures
|
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Personality Assessment
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Intellectual Assessment
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Neuropsychology
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Psychological Evaluation Report
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Psychotherapies
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Trauma (PTSD, CISD)
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Employment Psychology
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Medical Psychology (meds & conditions)
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Ethics
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Research Methods & Statistics
|
The
World
of Psychology and how to get there (suggestions for pursuing a
degree--hard to read)
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Professional Accrediting Associations
Who employs forensic
psychologists?
Forensic psychologists may be self employed (if licensed as a
psychologist
in the state) or by an agency. Long term employers and short term
contractors
include:
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Federal, state, and local government and facilities such as prisons,
jails,
police departments, corrections facilities, probation and parole,
military,
etc.
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Treatment facilities such as drug and chemical rehabilitation, and
short
and long term residential facilities, counseling centers, mental
hospitals,
etc..
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Courts, attorneys, and legal advocacy groups
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Self employed or group private practice and consultants
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Colleges and universities that provide courses in psychology or
criminal
justice
Some additional job considerations:
In spite of the obvious excitement that this specialty offers to
people,
there are many facets that you should be aware of before jumping into
it.
Here are some other considerations.
-
You may be working with some potentially dangerous people in this
field--are
you willing to deal with this stress? For example, during my doctoral
internship,
two other interns were killed during a prison internship placement. In
later years my former office mate was shot to death in a college
counseling
center while providing crisis intervention; several colleagues have
been
stalked, physically assaulted, and harassed by disturbed clients. These
incidents are few and far between, but they are a risk. Can you and
your
family handle this possibility?
-
If you plan to become an expert witness, you should be comfortable
being
in the role of a person who might survive the Grand Inquisition in
France.
While most of your instructors have dealt with you in a courteous and
supportive
manner, when you are providing expert testimony, you will face
confrontation,
attempts to discredit your testimony and expertise, and be asked
questions
that make your doctoral comps look like elementary school. You will
need
to prepare long hours, make a confident and logical presentation of
complex
information, and be calm and professional.
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In some cases there are no winners, everybody loses, and you must take
some responsibility for all of it. For example, protective placement of
an elder or child custody cases are often heart wrenching for everybody
concerned, but a decision on the placement of a person must still be
made.
Will you be able to handle the emotional pressure of these cases?
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In some cases involving expert testimony, you may be called on to
testify
in the behalf of a client whose behavior you detest (e.g., child
molester,
spouse abuser, etc.). Will you be able to present objective and
balanced
information to the Court for a sound decision in spite of your feelings?
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Some forensic work is tedious and boring. Unlike the continually
stimulating
and exciting work of television stars in roles of forensic
psychologists
(e.g., "Profiler" and "Silence of the Lambs"), there will be little
opportunity
to work closely with "Hannibal Lector" types. Much of the work involves
updating yourself on the law, critically reviewing new research,
meeting
with scores of people and trying to integrate disparate information
into
a sound clinical picture, reading reams of reports and documents,
role-playing
your testimony and having it picked apart, and sitting for hours
waiting
for your testimony to be called. Forget the glitz of TV--this stuff is
work!
So, if you haven't been discouraged yet, keep exploring this field.
I'm in it because I enjoy the opportunity to work with people who have
a very unusual view of the world and I get a chance to see how they put
that view together. Perhaps I can make a difference in such challenging
cases as child custody (although I admit I couldn't take a full case
load
of such). I enjoy continuous learning, find the formulation of
psychological
evaluations a bit like a mystery novel, and am intrigued with the
strategy
of court testimony.
Some links to potential employers
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Books of Interest
There is a huge list of interesting books on forensic psychology
that
may give you a clearer sense of what the field is about. Although there
are too many to list here (not knowing your interests exactly), you can
use the link below to go to Amazon.com online bookstore. Conduct a
search
on "forensic psychology" and you can browse a list of several
hundred
books with info on contents, price, and publisher. When you find the
one
you're looking for, you can order it from Amazon.com or possibly
through
Interlibrary loan at your college library.
Forensic Associates Press