YOUTH JUSTICE AND MENTAL HEALTH LAB
Welcome
Adolescent offending has significant costs to youth, their families, and society.
Oftentimes, the legal system has struggled to respond in effective ways.
The goal of the Youth Justice and Mental Health lab is to conduct research to help improve the services that are provided to adolescent offenders and their families.
Specifically, we aim to:
- Develop and test tools to guide risk assessment, reoffense reduction, and treatment planning
- Investigate strengths that help protect adolescents from reoffending and other adverse outcomes (e.g., victimization, self-harm)
- Examine the process of change in adolescents who are involved in justice system (e.g., dynamic factors, developmental pathways)
- Identify the mental health needs of adolescents involved in the youth justice system and gaps in services
- Implement evidence-based practices in assessment, risk management, and treatment
About Dr. Viljoen

Jodi L. Viljoen, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Law-Forensic Psychology at Simon Fraser University, and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Career Scholar.
She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Simon Fraser University in 2004.
She was an Intern at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 2003-2004, and an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 2004-2006.
In 2011, Dr. Viljoen was awarded the Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Contributions to the field of Psychology and Law.
Dr. Viljoen has taught courses on adolescent offending, clinical forensic psychology, clinical assessment, and research design. In her clinical work, Dr. Viljoen has conducted assessments for the courts,
provided treatment to adolescent and adult offenders.
Dr. Viljoen's CV
Research
Ongoing projects focus on violence risk assessment, protective factors, dynamic change, mental health, and risk management and treatment in adolescents.
In our work, we attempt to utilize a developmentally-informed perspective which emphasizes adolescents’ strengths and protective factors in
addition to their vulnerabilities. Most of the work that we do is applied in nature; current projects, for instance, focus on the development and implementation of evidence-based risk assessment and treatments.
Several examples of ongoing projects are listed below.
Development and Validation of Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version
The Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START; Webster, Martin, Brink, Nicholls, & Desmaris, 2009) is a 20-item clinical guide for the assessment of seven risk domains
(violence to others, suicide, self-harm, self-neglect, unauthorized absence, substance use, and victimization). Along with our colleagues, we have recently developed an adolescent
version of the START (START:AV: Nicholls, Viljoen, Cruise, Desmarais, & Webster, 2010; Viljoen, Nicholls, Cruise, Desmarais, & Webster, in progress).
Read more...
Implementation of Evidence-Based Risk Assessment Practices
We have collaborated with the Ministry of Children and Family Development in British Columbia to implement the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth
(SAVRY; Borum, Bartel, & Borth, 2006), an empirically-supported risk assessment tool, throughout the province of British Columbia.
In our upcoming work, we are focusing on strategies to bridge risk assessment to risk management, and to increase the uptake of effective reoffense reduction strategies.
Mental Health, Risks, and Strengths Study
The Mental Health, Risks, and Strengths Study is a longitudinal study of female and male adolescent offenders. It focuses on risk assessment/risk management tools, mental
health needs, and dynamic protective and risk factors for adolescent offending. In this study, we conduct initial interviews with adolescents involved in the justice system,
and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months to monitor outcomes. Thus far, we have completed over 800 interviews with adolescents and their families.
Acting Together Project
Acting Together is a community partnership project that examines youth violence and gangs. It focuses on youths' strengths and assets (particularly character strengths). In the first wave of the study, data was collected on a sample of 400 grade 8 students at two time points.
Currently, we are initiating data collection on an at-risk sample to identify strengths that may protect youth against offending. More information...
Lab Members
Our lab includes Dr. Viljoen and a team of graduate and undergraduate students, research associates and managers.
(See Photos of our Lab.)
Graduate Students
Andrew Spice, M.A., Ph.D. Student
Jennifer Beneteau, M.Sc., Ph.D. Student
Etta Brodersen, B.A. (Hon.), M.A. Student
Carmelina Barone, B.A. (Hon.), M.A. Student
Billie Joe Rogers, M.A., Ph.D. Student (Supervisor: Ron Roesch)
Andrew L. Gray, M.A., B.S.T., Ph.D. Student
Catherine Shaffer, B.A. (Hon.), M.A. Student (Supervisor: Kevin Douglas)
Research Associates
Michelle Collins, B.A., Project Manager
Undergraduate Students and Graduates
Taryn Urquhart, B.A.
Megan Banford, B.A. Honours Student
Sara Harvey, B.A. Student
Courtney Pankratz, B.A. (Hon.)
Ksenija Ciric, B.A.
Michelle Spani, B.A. Student
Lab Alumni and Graduates
Erika Penner, M.A., Ph.D.
Erik Gulbransen, B.A. (Hon.), M.H.S. Student
Richelle Isaak, B.A., M.A.
Natalie Harrison, B.A. (Hon.), M.A. Student
Stephanie Fowler, B.A. Student
Sarah Mordell, M.A., Ph.D. Student (Supervisor: Ron Roesch, Ph.D.)
Sara Wagner, B.A.
Sarah Farstad, B.A. (Hon.), M.A. Student
Alexandra Andrisoi, B.A.
Kiilea Saunders Mason, B.A. (Hon.), M.A. Student
Emily MacDougall, B.A. (Hon.), M.A. Student
Allison Crosby, B.A. (Hon.), M.A. Student
Danicka Overmars, M.A., Ph.D. Student
Kaitlyn McLachlan, M.A., Ph.D.
Adana Mallie, B.A. (Hon.), M.A. Student
Twila Wingrove, Ph.D., J.D., Assistant Professor
Natasha Elkovitch Latzman, Ph.D., Research Scientist
Join Our Lab
Graduate Students
We will be accepting applications for graduate students for the upcoming year - applications are due in December 2012.
Dr. Viljoen generally supervises graduate students in the Clinical Forensic, Clinical Child, and Forensic Law programs.
Our Clinical Forensic and Law Forensic programs are ranked among the top programs in North America (Helms, 2008).
In our lab, we look for students who are committed to improving forensic and mental health services for adolescent offenders through research, clinical work, and/or consultation.
Compared to adult forensic psychology, adolescent research and practice lags significantly behind.
As such, there is a particularly pressing need for assessment tools and clinically-relevant research to help guide and improve practice.
All of our work focuses on adolescent populations. However, within this area, incoming graduate students have opportunities to conduct research in a broad range of topics, including risk assessment and
risk management, violence and aggression, protective and risk factors, mental health of adolescent offenders, psychopathic features, treatment programs, and youths' legal rights and competencies,
as well as other topics pertaining to adolescent offenders.
Undergraduate Volunteers
For students who are considering graduate school or an Honours program, it is often important to gain research experience. At any given time,
there are a number of projects in our lab that undergraduate volunteers may gain experience with, ranging from setting up databases to
conducting interviews with youth involved in the justice system and their parents. Also, senior undergraduate volunteers sometimes have opportunities to help coordinate projects, complete
Honours theses, and co-author conference posters. Undergraduate students in our lab have been very successful in their applications to graduate school, law school, and career positions.
To apply, you need to:
- Have a GPA of 3.4 or higher
- Have interests in pursuing a career in psychology and/or law
- Be able to commit 6 hours a week for at least one semester
To apply please contact Dr. Viljoen at jviljoen@sfu.ca
Contact Us
Lab Phone: 778 782-4362
Email:
Michelle Collins, Study Manager, Mental Health, Risks, and Needs Study - mcollins@sfu.ca
Jodi Viljoen, Director - jviljoen@sfu.ca
Mailing Address:
RCB 5246, 8888 University Drive
Dept. of Psychology
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
December 2012 - Graduate School Applications
Applications to our graduate program are due in December. Please see our website for further information.
May 2012 - Congratulations to Students!
Congratulations to Megan Banford and Taryn Urquhart who were recipients of the VP Undergraduate Awards for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and Erik Gulbransen who received the CD Nelson Entrance Scholarship.
Also, congratulations to
Andrew Spice who has received an internship at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health; Erik Gulbransen who accepted an offer to the Masters of Health Sciences program at Simon Fraser University,
and Natalie Harrison who will be starting graduate school in the Clinical Forensic Psychology program at the University of Alabama.
April 2012 - IAFMHS Conference
Our lab made the following presentations at the annual conference of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services (Miami, Florida):
- Assessing Protective Factors in Adolescent Offenders: A Comparison of the SAVRY, YLS/CMI, and START:AV (Viljoen, Beneteau, Brodersen, Gulbransen, Cruise, Nicholls, Desmarais, & Douglas)
- Strengths in Adolescent Offenders on Probation (Fowler, Banford, Viljoen, Urquhart, Wagner, & Harvey)
- Reducing Risk of Reoffending in Adolescent Offenders with Substance-Related Difficulties: The Role of Resilience Factors (Brodersen, Barone, & Viljoen)
- Homelessness in Adolescent Offenders: The Role of Mental Health Factors (Fowler & Viljoen)
- Psychopathic Features and Gang Involvement in Adolescent Offenders (Banford, Viljoen, & Brodersen)
- Shame, Self-Harm, and Suicidal Behaviour Among Adolescent Offenders (Viljoen & Spice)
March 2012 - AP-LS Conference
Our lab made the following presentations at the annual conference of the American Psychology-Law Society (San Juan, Puerto Rico):
- Correlates of Functions of Aggression in Male and Female Young Offenders (Mordell, Viljoen, & Douglas)
- Assessing the Risk for Suicide and Self-Harm: A Look at the MAYSI-2 and the PAI-A (Gulbransen, Viljoen, Brodersen, & Fowler)
- The Ability of the Antisocial Process Screening Device to Predict Reoffending in Youth Offenders (Brodersen, Gulbransen, Viljoen, Douglas, & Fowler)
- Descriptive and Psychometric Characteristics of START-AV Assessments: Findings from a Pilot Implementation Study (Desmarais, Sellers, Dvoskin, Viljoen, Cruise, & Nicholls)
- Change in Dynamic Items and Risk Estimates over Time: Findings from a Pilot Implementation of the START-AV (Sellers, Desmarais, Dvoskin, Viljoen, Cruise, & NichollS)
March 2012 - SRA Conference
Our lab made the following presentations at the Society for Research on Adolescence (Vancouver, British Columbia):
- Impulse Control and Disinhibition: Examining Age Differences and Forms of Aggression in Justice-Involved Youths (Beneteau, Viljoen, & Fowler)
- The Stability of Psychopathic Traits Over 6-months: Are There Significant Fluctuations During Adolescence? (Isaak, Beneteau, Brodersen, Viljoen, Lee, & Douglas)

Sarah is currently working on her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (forensic specialization). She completed her B.A. in Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Her M.A. thesis examined psychosocial maturity and its relationship to offending. Her current research interests focus on youth justice programming, particularly
the Intensive Support and Supervision Program. She is currently completing a clinical practicum at Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services.
Example Publications and Presentations:
Mallie, A. L., Viljoen, J. L., Mordell, S., Spice, A., & Roesch, R. (in press). Childhood abuse and adolescent sexual re-offending: A meta-analysis. Child and Youth Forum.
Mordell, S., Viljoen, J., Roesch, R., van der Woerd, K., & Khan, K. (2010, May). Best practices from a youth custody program review. Paper presented at the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services conference, Vancouver, B.C.
Previous and Current Funding: SSHRC Doctoral CGS (2009-2012), CIHR Student Health Professional Award (2009), SSHRC Masters (2007-2008)

Erika completed her PhD in Clinical Child Psychology in 2012.
She was a resident at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario from 2011-2012, and defended her doctoral dissertation in June of 2012.
She currently works as a psychologist at BC Children's Hospital.
Example Publications and Presentations:
Penner, E. K., Roesch, R., & Viljoen, J. L. (2011). Young offenders in custody: An international comparison of mental health services. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 10, 215-232.
Viljoen, J. L., Penner, E. K., & Roesch, R. (2011). Competence and criminal responsibility in adolescent defendants: The roles of mental illness and adolescent development. In Feld, B., & Sound, D. (Eds.), Oxford Handbook on Juvenile Crime and Juvenile Justice, (pp. 527-548). UK: Oxford University Press.
Previous and Current Funding:
President’s Research Stipend (2011), SSHRC Doctoral CGS (2009-2012), Waterhouse Graduate Fellowship in Organizational Change and Innovation (2010), Student Led Research Grant in the Social Policy Field (2009), Graduate Fellowship (2009), SSHRC Master's CGS (2007-2008), AP-LS Grant-in-Aid (2008)

Andrew is currently completing his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (Law & Forensic specialization).
He completed his B.A. (Hons.) at the University of Manitoba in 2007 and his M.A. at Simon Fraser University in 2009.
Andrew’s research focuses on remorse, risk and protective factors for adolescent offending, transfer to adult court/adult sentencing practices, and
the extension of sex offender registration laws to youth.
Clinically, Andrew has worked with adolescents and adults experiencing a wide variety of psychological difficulties, including borderline personality disorder,
antisocial personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, mood disorders, and paraphilias.
He has completed clinical practica at Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services and the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Centre of Vancouver.
Andrew is currently completing his pre-doctoral internship at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Ontario.
Example Publications and Presentations:
Spice, A., Viljoen, J. L., Latzman, N. E., Scalora, M. J., & Ullman, D. (in press). Risk and protective factors for recidivism among adolescents who have offended sexually. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment.
Spice, A., Viljoen, J. L., Gretton, H. M., & Roesch, R. (2010). Psychological assessment for adult sentencing of juvenile offenders: An evaluation of the RSTI and the SAVRY. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 9, 124-137.
Spice, A., & Viljoen, J. L. (2011, March). Remorse, psychopathy, aggression, and offending among adolescent offenders. Poster presented at the Annual Conference of the American Psychology-Law Society, Miami, FL.
Spice, A., Penner, E. K., MacDougall, E., & Viljoen, J. L. (2010, March). Clinicians’ views of juvenile sex offender registration laws. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Psychology-Law Society, Vancouver, BC.
Previous and Current Funding:
SSHRC Doctoral Canada Graduate Scholarship (2010-2013), President’s Research Stipend (2012), SFU Graduate Fellowship (2010), American Psychology-Law Society Grant-in-Aid (2009), SSHRC Master’s Canada Graduate Scholarship (2008), SFU Graduate Fellowship (2007),
Pacific Century Graduate Scholarship (2008), C.D. Nelson Memorial Scholarship (2007)
Jenn is a PhD student in Clinical Psychology (Law & Forensic specialization). She completed her Honours BSc (2007) and MSc (2008) at McMaster University in Ontario. Her MSc thesis examined contradictory
self-reports of exposure to violence in a community sample of adolescents. Her research interests focus on impulsivity and risk-taking behaviour as it relates to aggression, violence, addictions and
general mental health. Additionally, she is interested in the examination of change to dynamic risk factors.
Example Publications and Presentations:
Beneteau, J. L., Overmars, D., Viljoen, J., & Douglas, K. (2011). Psychopathology associated with Psychopathy among Justice-involved Adolescents. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychology Law Society, Miami, FL, March (Paper).
Beneteau, J. L. & Viljoen, J. (2010). Impulsivity and psychiatric symptoms in justice-involved youths. International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services Conference. Vancouver, BC, May (Poster).
Beneteau, J. L., Viljoen, J., Elkovitch, N., Scalora, M. J., & Ullman, D. (2010). Mental disorder and comorbidity as predictors of adolescent sexual reoffending. International Association of Forensic Mental Health Society Conference. Vancouver, BC, May (Poster).
Beneteau, J.L., Daly, M. & Viljoen, J. (2009). Inconsistent Self-Reports of Exposure to Violence from Children and Adolescents.. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Psychology-Law Society, San Antonio, Texas.
Previous and Current Funding:
SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2010-2013), Pacific Century Graduate Scholarship (2009-2010), AP-LS Grant-in-Aid (2009), C.D. Nelson Memorial Scholarship (2008-2009),

Etta is currently an M.A. student in Clinical Psychology (Law and Forensic specialization). She completed her BSc Honours at the University of New Brunswick in 2010.
Her research interests center on resilience factors in youth offender populations and ways to integrate their use into treatment interventions aimed at decreasing recidivism rates.
Additionally, she is interested in the response of youth offenders to treatment interventions and the type of interactions youth offenders have with authority figures (ex. police, probation officers).
Example Publications and Presentations:
Brodersen, E., Viljoen, J., Douglas, K., Tweed, R., & Bhatt, G. (2011, July). Comparing resilience factors between gang-involved and non-gang involved youth offenders. Poster presented at the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Society Conference. Barcelona, Spain.
Brodersen, E., & Voyer, D. (June, 2010). Hemispheric asymmetries in the visual perception of emotion. Poster presented at the annual Brain Behaviour and Cognitive Science conference in Halifax, NS.
Previous and Current Funding:
SSHRC PGM Scholarship (2011-2012), NSERC PGM Scholarship (2010 – declined), H. H. (Mike) Mikaelian Memorial Prize (2009 – 2010), Dr. Florence Snodgrass Memorial Prize (2009-2008)

Carmelina is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology (Law & Forensic specialization).
She completed her B.A. Honours in 2007 and her M.A. in 2012 at Simon Fraser University.
Carmelina's research interests span a number of areas including risk and protective factors for adolescent offending, cognitive functioning and severe mental illness in
individuals that come into contact with the criminal justice system, as well as eyewitness memory.
Carmelina has completed a practicum at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in the Schizophrenia Program, and is currently completing practicums at
Royal Columbian Hospital's Early Psychosis Intervention Program and the Surrey Regional Forensic Clinic.
Example Publications and Presentations:
Boydell, C. A., Barone, C. C., & Read, J. D. (in press). “You caught ‘em!”...Or not?: Feedback affects investigators’ recollections of speech cues thought to signal honesty and deception. Legal and Criminological Psychology.
Barone, C. C., Read, J. D., & Boydell, C. A. (2012, March). Individual Differences in eyewitness memory: The role of anxiety, depression, and personality traits. Poster presented at the American Psychology-Law Society Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Barone, C. C., & Viljoen, J. L. (2011, March). Relational aggression in juvenile offenders: Mental health, risk, and protective factors. Poster presented at the American Psychology-Law Society Conference, Miami, Florida.
Barone, C. C., Farstad, S., Viljoen, J. L., Boydell, C. A. (2010, May). Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in adolescent offenders: Risk and protective factors. Poster presented at the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services Conference (IAFMHS), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Previous and Current Funding:
CIHR Health Professional Student Award (2011), SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship (2009-2010), Pacific Century Graduate Scholarship (2009-2010), AP-LS Grant-in-Aid (2009 & 2011), Graduate Fellowship (2010)

Andrew is currently enrolled as a PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program (with a specialization in forensic psychology and law) at SFU.
He completed the Behavioural Science Technology (BST) program at St. Lawrence College in 2007 and has since earned a BAH (2010) and MA (2012) in psychology at Carleton University.
Andrew’s research interests lie primarily within the realm of offender self-report, intimate partner violence, and violence risk assessment with an emphasis on measuring change in dynamic risk. In addition, Andrew has clinical experience as an offender counsellor
with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) working with federally incarcerated adult male offenders.
Example Publications and Presentations:
Connors, A. D., Mills, J. F., & Gray, A. L. (2012). Intimate partner violence intervention for high risk offenders. Psychological Services. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0028979
Gray, A. L., & Mills, J. F. (2011). Measuring socially desirable responding within a forensic context. Response style or criminal proclivity. Crime Scene, 18 (1), 13-15.
Gray, A. L., & Mills, J. F. (2011, June). Comparing the long-term predictive accuracy of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised facet scores. Paper session presented at the Second North American Correctional and Criminal Justice Psychology Conference, Toronto, Ontario.
Gray, A. L., Mills, J. F., & Connors, A. D. (2011, June). Treatment attrition among domestically violent offenders. Paper session presented at the Second North American Correctional and Criminal Justice Psychology Conference, Toronto, Ontario.
Kroner, D. G., Gray, A. L., & Goodrich, B. (2011). Integrating risk context into risk assessments: The Risk Context Scale. Assessment. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/1073191111429613
Kroner, D. G., Mills, J. F., Gray, A., & Talbert, K. O. N. (2011). Clinical assessment in correctional settings. In T. J. Fagan & R. K. Ax (Eds.), Correctional mental health: From theory to best practice (pp. 79-102). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Mills, J. F., & Gray, A. L. (in press). Two-Tiered Violence Risk Estimates: A validation study of an integrated-actuarial risk assessment instrument. Psychological Services.
Previous and Current Funding:
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada Doctoral Fellowships (2012-2016), SFU Prevost’s Prize of Distinction (2012-2016), SFU Graduate Fellowship (2012), SFU Special Graduate Entrance Scholarship (2012), Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2011), Carleton University Dean of Graduate Studies Entrance Scholarship (2010-2012), Carleton University Admission Scholarship (2007-2010)

Catherine is a M.A student in Experimental Psychology (Law and Forensic specialization).
She completed her Honours B.A. in 2010 at the University of Victoria and was awarded a lifetime membership to Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology,
for recognition of outstanding academic and scholastic achievement.
Catherine’s research interests include violence risk assessment and management and the identification of dynamic risk factors that increase the risk of violence and victimization. Additionally, she is interested in gender differences in risk and protective factors for youth gang involvement.
Example Publications and Presentations:
Shaffer, C., & Douglas, K. (2013, July). Does gender moderate the relationship between mental health and violence? Evidence from a civil psychiatric patient sample in Canada. Poster to be presented at the 13th Annual International Conference of Forensic Mental Health Services, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Shaffer, C., Kantner, J., & Lindsay, D.S. (2010, April). The Effects of Feedback on Recognition Memory: Learning the experimenter’s design. Poster presented at the 4th Annual Psychology Students of Vancouver Island Poster Session, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Previous and Current Funding:
SFU Graduate Fellowship (2013)

Billie Joe is currently a PhD student in Law and Forensic Psychology.
She completed her B.A. Honours at the University of Waterloo in 2008.
In 2011 she completed her M.A., which focused on resilience and enculturation among young offenders with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Her research interests include examining adverse experiences in relation to risk and protective factors in Aboriginal young offenders.
Her research interests of protective factors also extend to young offenders diagnosed with FASD.
Example Publications and Presentations:
Rogers, B., Tsuruda, S., van der Woerd, K., & Roesch, R. (in press). Protective Factors and Resilience for Justice-Involved Aboriginal Youth in Canada. In E. Garcia-Lopez (Eds.), Psicopatología Forense. Mexico City, MX; Manual Moderno.
Rogers, B., MacLachlan, K., & Roesch, R. (2011). Identifying resilience and strengths in justice-involved youth with FASD. Paper presented at the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Barcelona, Spain.
Roesch, R., & Rogers, B. (2011). Review of J.M. Brown & E.A. Campbell (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of forensic psychology. Canadian Psychology, 52, 242-243.
Previous and Current Funding:
National Network for Aboriginal Mental Health Research, CIHR Masters Scholarship (2010-2011)
Stephanie is currently completing her B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Criminology at Simon Fraser University.
Stephanie’s research interests include adolescent offending, adolescents' family and peer relationships, and snd the treatmeat of mental disorders in adolescents.
Taryn completed her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Criminology at Simon Fraser University in 2012.
Her degree included a directed studies project which examined the use of risk assessment tools in adolescent court proceedings.
Taryn’s primary research interests include the application of risk assessment tools within mental health and legal contexts, as well as gender differences in risk and protective factors.
She is currently preparing to attend law school and pursue a joint J.D. and MPP.
Previous and Current Funding:
Vice President Research Undergraduate Student Research Award (2012)
Megan is currently completing her B.A. (Hons) in Psychology at Simon Fraser University.
Megan’s honours project focuses on risk assessment and profiles of protective factors in adolescent offenders.
She also completed an independent research project examining adolescent reports of gang involvement, and is particularly interested in the role of female youth in gangs.
Her other research interests include the assessment of callous/unemotional traits related to psychopathy in adolescents as well as the process of desistance of offending in adolescents.
Example Publications and Presentations:
Banford, M., Urquart, T., Viljoen, J., Pankratz, C., Spani, M., Ciric, K., Brown, J., & Harvey, S. (2012). Substance use and protective factors in adolescent offenders. Poster to be presented at the annual conference for the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Maastricht.
Banford, M., Viljoen, J., & Brodersen, E. (2011, June). Psychopathic Features and Gang Involvement in Adolescent Offenders. Poster presentated at the annual conference for the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Miami.
Fowler, S., Banford, M., Viljoen, J., Urquhart, T., Wagner, S., & Harvey., S. (2011, June). Strengths in Adolescent Offenders on Probation. Poster presentation at the annual conference for the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Miami.
Previous and Current Funding:
Vice President Research Undergraduate Student Research Award (2012)
Sara Wagner is currently completing her final term towards a BA in Psychology with plans to continue pursuing her MA in Counseling Psychology. Her research interests include youth and family dynamics,
especially in relation to on-going mental health issues within the larger family unit. She is particularly interested in youth and the part that mental health plays in behavior that leads to contact
with the Youth Justice System. Some recent findings regarding the high rate of substance use in the female youth within Canada’s current justice system indicates a strong need for further studies...an area in which Sara will likely pursue.
Sara is an undergraduate student completing a major in Psychology. Although still determining her specific career path, she is highly interested in and motivated to pursue a profession that focuses on mental health awareness and promotion amongst adolescence.

Michelle Collins is the Study Manager for a project examining mental health, risks, and needs of youth involved in the justice system.
She completed her B.A. in Psychology from Simon Fraser University in 2003 and has worked in the Psychology department for five years as a research assistant and teaching assistant.
In addition to her role in the Viljoen Lab, Michelle is the Lab Manager for Dr. Kevin Douglas, and is employed with BC Mental Health & Addiction Services as Project Coordinator for a study
examining the closure of Riverview Hospital.
Example Publications and Presentations:
Nicholson, E., Yousofi, A., Collins, M. J., Nikolova, N. L., Douglas, K. S. (2011, June). The role of patient perceptions and negative emotionality in treatment engagement for patients with antisocial personalities. Poster presented at the 11th annual conference of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Barcelona, Spain.
Lavoie, J. A. A., Reeves, K. A., Wilson, C. M., Guy, L. S., Collins, M. J., & Douglas, K. S. (2010, March). The impact of gender on the associations between violence perpetration, victimization, and violence toward self. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Psychology-Law Society (Division 41 of the American Psychological Association), Vancouver, BC.
Collins, M. J., Desmarais, S. L., Nicholls, T. L., & Brink, J. (2008, July). The Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START): Evaluating perceived utility and user satisfaction in clinical practice.
Poster presented at the 8th annual conference of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Vienna, Austria.
Douglas, K. S., Desmarais, S. L., Collins, M. J., & Skeem, J.(2007, June). Common and unique risks for violence, victimization, and suicide attempts. In K.S. Douglas (Chair), Risk Reduction in Mental Health. Symposium presented at the 7th annual conference of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Montreal, QU.

Erik completed his BA (Hon.) in Psychology with a minor in Criminology from SFU in 2011. His Honours thesis explored the rates of deliberate self-harm among adolescent offenders
in the community, and tools to identify youth at risk of these behaviours. Erik’s research interests include resiliency and protective factors among adolescents, as well service
use among adolescent offenders. He is also interested in policy implications and promoting positive change.
Example Publications and Presentations:
Gulbransen, E., Viljoen, J.L., & Beneteau, J. (2011, June). Response biases, the PAI-A, and adolescent offenders: Should self-report of mental health be trusted? Poster presented at the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services Conference, Barcelona, Spain.
Gulbransen, E., Viljoen, J.L., & Beneteau, J. (2010, September). Deliberate Self Harm Among Youth on Probation: Can the MAYSI-2 be of Assistance? Poster presented at the 2011 American Psychology-Law Conference, Miami, Florida.
Previous and Current Funding:
Vice President Research Undergraduate Student Research Award (2011)
Richelle completed her B.A in Psychology (2010) at the University of the Fraser Valley and her M.A in Criminology (2012) at Simon Fraser University.
Her M.A thesis focused on how parental attachment and early behavior problems relate to adolescent psychopathy.
Her research interests focus on adolescent offenders, psychopathy, and youth forensic assessment.
She is also interested in the predictive validity of risk assessment tools for adolescents and how these tools influence juvenile sentencing.
Previous and Current Funding:
SSHRC Masters CGS (2010-2011), Graduate Fellowship (2010-2011)
Natalie recently completed her B.A. (Hon.) in Psychology at Simon Fraser University where her thesis examined the experiences of patients with mental health problems in the emergency department.
She is currently working on as an interviewer for the project examining mental health, risks, and needs of youth involved in the justice system. Her research interests include risk assessment of
young offenders and the dynamics of prison environments.
Courtney recently completed her BA (Hon.) in Psychology with a minor in Counselling and Human Development. Her interests include examining the ways in which sociocultural
and historical factors shape how we understand ourselves as well as is interested in the role communities play in determining the well-being of individuals. She hopes to
follow a career path that aims to promote mental health within the community by exploring possible avenues for change and social development.
Ksenija recently completed her BA in Psychology with a minor in Biology at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests include examining the risk and
protective factors which may predispose youth to problems with the justice system. Additionally, she is interested in psychopathy factors, along with their stability and
ability to predict youth violence.
Michelle is currently completely her B.A. in Psychology at Simon Fraser University. Her research interests include risk and protective factors for adolescent substance use
contributing to the victimization of adolescents by their
peers and rates of resultant self-injurious and suicidal behaviours.

Kaitlyn McLachlan graduated with her Ph.D. in Clinical Forensic Psychology from Simon Fraser University in 2012. She is currently a post-doctoral at the University of Alberta and is conducting research
with youth and young adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Danika is currently a Ph.D. student in Counselling Psychology at the University of British Columbia. She completed her M.A. in Counselling Psychology at the University of Toronto where her thesis consisted of a
qualitative investigation of the work-related supports, challenges and barriers faced by Aboriginal young adults living in the Toronto area.

Emily is currently an M.A./Ph.D. student in Child Forensic Psychology at the University of Alabama. Emily completed her B.A. (Hon.) in Psychology at Simon Fraser University in 2010.
Her Honours thesis examined the use of mental health evaluations in court cases involving adolescent offenders.

Allison is currently an M.A. student in Counselling Psychology at the University of Northern British Columbia. She completed her B.A. (Hon.) in Psychology at Simon Fraser University in 2010.
Her Honours thesis examined the relationship between psychopathic features in adolescent offenders and treatment compliance.

Adana is currently an M.A. student in Counselling Psychology at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. She completed her B.A. (Hon.) in Psychology at Simon Fraser University in 2009.
Her Honours thesis examined the relationship between childhood abuse and adolescent sexual offending.
Sarah is currently an M.A. student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Calgary. She completed her B.A. (Hon.) in Psychology at Simon Fraser University in 2011.
Her Honours thesis examined risk and protective factors for substance abuse among adolescent offenders.

Tiara is currently a law student at Queen Mary University in London. She completed her B.A. in psychology at the University of the Fraser Valley in 2010.

Alexandra is currently a law student at the University of Victoria. She completed her B.A. in Psychology at Simon Fraser University in 2011.

Kiilea is currently an M.A. student in Counselling Psychology at Simon Fraser University. She completed her B.A. in Psychology at Simon Fraser University in 2011.
Twila Wingrove graduated with her Ph.D./J.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2009. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Appalachian State University.
Natasha Elkovitch graduated with her Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2010. She is currently employed as a research scientist in the
Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version
The START:AV has several key features:
1) rather than focusing solely on violence risk, it examines broader adverse outcomes which adolescents are vulnerable to (including self-harm,
suicide, victimization, substance abuse, unauthorized leave, self-neglect, general offending);
2) it is designed for both mental health and justice populations;
3) it places a heavy
emphasis on adolescents’ strengths; and
4) it focuses on dynamic factors that are relevant to short-term assessment, risk management, and treatment.
Conference Presentations on START:AV:
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Viljoen, J., Beneteau, J., Brodersen, E., Gulbransen, E., Cruise, K., Nicholls, T., Desmarais, S., & Douglas, K. (2012, April). Assessing Protective Factors in Adolescent Offenders:
A Comparison of the SAVRY, YLS/CMI, and START:AV. Paper presented at the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services Conference, Miami, FL.
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Desmarais, S., Sellers, B. G., Dvoskin, J., Viljoen, J. L., Cruise, K., & Nicholls, R. (2012, March). Descriptive and Psychometric Characteristics of START-AV Assessments: Findings from a Pilot Implementation Study.
Paper presented at the American Psychology-Law Society Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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Sellers, B., Desmarais, S., Dvoskin, J., Viljoen, J. L., Cruise, K., & Nicholls, T. (2012, March). Change in Dynamic Items and Risk Estimates over Time: Findings from a Pilot Implementation of
the START-AV. Poster presented at the American Psychology-Law Society Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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Viljoen, J. L., Nicholls, T. L., Cruise, K., Desmarais, S., & Beneteau, J. (2011, June). The Psychometric Properties of the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability for Adolescents: A Prospective Study with Adolescent Offenders.
Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Barcelona, Spain.
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Sher, M. (2011, June). Implementation of the START:AV in a medium secure adolescent service in the UK. Annual Conference of the International Association of
Forensic Mental Health Services, Barcelona, Spain.
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Cruise, K., Nicholls, T., Viljoen, J. L., Desmarais, S., & Petersen, K. (2010, May). Adapting the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START) for adolescent populations.
Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Vancouver, Canada.