This is a recording of a 2-hour webinar presented by Aaron Norton, the Executive Director of the National Board of Forensic Evaluators, to members of the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association on 1/5/18 on an introduction to the specialization of forensic mental health evaluation for clinical mental health counselors.
In an ever-evolving healthcare landscape, many clinical mental health counselors are looking for ways to diversity their practice. Forensic mental health evaluation is an interesting, impactful, and lucrative option for counselors who wish to branch out into new areas of expertise. For many counselors, forensic work triggers a series of questions: What can I do and not do as an expert witness? Am I allowed to administer and interpret psychological tests? What are judges and attorneys looking for in an evaluation? What are some of the unique ethical considerations for forensic evaluation? Can I do forensic work without having a doctorate? Is it true that forensic evaluation is for psychologists and not counselors? How would I get business? How much should I charge for my services? What training or experience would I need? Whether you want to practice exclusively in the specialty area of forensic mental health, want to do a little bit of it on the side, or are just curious and want to learn more, this webinar could be a helpful introduction into the field. We will cover various types of forensic specialties, ethical and legal guidelines for practice, options for training and certification, and how to build a forensic practice. We will also dispel common myths about the scope of practice of clinical mental health counseling as it relates to administering and interpreting psychological tests and conducting forensic evaluations. Finally, we will review various resources and options for training and certification.
Learning Objectives:
1. Define forensic mental health evaluation as a specialization.
2. List and describe the various types of forensic mental health evaluations counselors can specialize in.
3. Learn about ethical and legal considerations for forensic mental health.
4. Identify several resources for training in forensic evaluation.
About the Presenter:
Aaron Norton is a Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator and Certified Forensic Behavioral Analyst who serves as Executive Director of the National Board of Forensic Evaluators, a national not-for-profit board officially endorsed by the American Mental Health Counselors Association that provides training, certification, and professional advocacy for licensed mental health professionals specializing in forensic mental health evaluation. Mr. Norton is and Adjunct Instructor at the University of South Florida's College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, serves as Chair of Education, Training Standards, and Continuing Education for the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Counselor and Education from the University of South Florida. He also works in a private practice specializing in both therapy and forensic and clinical evaluation, as well as providing clinical supervision as a Qualified Supervisor. He has more than 15 years of experience in the counseling profession. He was awarded Mental Health Counselor of the Year by the American Mental Health Counselors Association and Counselor Educator of the Year by the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association in 2016.