Fall 2022 - PSYC 379 D100
Clinical Forensic Psychology (3)
Class Number: 3381
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 7 – Dec 6, 2022: Fri, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Dec 14, 2022
Wed, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Adam Blanchard
ajb8@sfu.ca
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Prerequisites:
PSYC 201 and 268. PSYC 241 is recommended.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Clinical approaches to the understanding of behaviour in criminal and civil forensic settings. Topics related to the assessment, treatment, and management of people suffering from mental disorder.
COURSE DETAILS:
The course will examine the leading approaches used in clinical forensic psychology and discuss the role that clinical forensic psychologists play in assisting the legal system at various stages. Clinical forensic psychologists conduct psychological assessments and treatment in a number of legal, correctional, and forensic settings. Forensic assessments include criminal responsibility and competency evaluations, risk assessments for different types of violence, identification of treatment needs of offenders, and specialized psycholegal evaluations. Clinical forensic psychologists also conduct research on a variety of psycholegal topics. This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the primary areas within clinical forensic psychology, with an emphasis on the assessment and management of violence risk in criminal and civil forensic settings. The course will also examine some of the key challenges and debates currently facing the field. Specific topics that will be covered include the assessment of various forms of violence (e.g., physical violence, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking), major risk factors for violence (e.g., psychopathy), criminal responsibility and competency evaluations, treatments aimed to reduce violence, and specialized populations. The main goals of the course are to demonstrate the role that clinical psychology plays in various legal and criminal justice matters, as well as the role that scientific research plays in guiding psycholegal practice. The course generally focuses on issues related to psychology and the criminal justice system, although some issues related to civil law will be covered. An underlying theme throughout the course will be the importance of applying psychological principles and scientific reasoning to the intersection of law and clinical psychology. This course operates under the assumption that students have taken introductory courses in law and psychology.
Grading
- Discussion Paper: 10%
- Midterm Exam: 30%
- Term Paper/ Project: 30%
- Final Exam: 30%
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
There is no required textbook for this course. Students will be assigned one to two articles per week.
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html