Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2018 - PSYC 476 D100

Advanced Topics in Law and Forensic Psychology (4)

Treatment & Management of Offending

Class Number: 2920

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2018: Fri, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    PSYC 201, 210, 268, 60 units, and a CGPA of 3.0. Other prerequisites vary by topic offering.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Course can be repeated for credit. Students may not take this course for further credit if similar topics are covered. See Psychology department website for course description.

COURSE DETAILS:

Despite advances in the treatment and management of offending, enormous gaps remain between research and practice. For instance, policymakers often rely heavily on incarceration and punitive sanctions even though these approaches generally do not reduce crime. Also, although researchers and practitioners have developed numerous empirically-supported treatment programs, these programs are not routinely implemented in real-world practice. Instead, many justice agencies rely on approaches are not validated or even harmful.

It is easy to see these flaws. However, do we fix them? Developing solutions is much more difficult. Thus, this course focuses not only on critiquing current policies and practices, but more importantly, finding solutions and means by which to address these gaps. Students will learn about approaches to improve offender treatment and management. More specifically, students will learn how to effectively communicate scientific findings to the public and policymakers, teach professionals research-based skills, and implement and evaluate programs using evidence-based approaches. Also, students will have a chance to think about how they can become changemakers in their own careers. The overarching aim for this class is to learn how to bridge research and practice.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

During this course, students will have an opportunity to:

1. Critically evaluate the extent to which existing policies and interventions for offenders have research support including:
- Public policies such as incarceration and solitary confinement
- Psychological assessment and treatment approaches such as violence risk assessment and cognitive behavioral therapy

2. Develop and apply some basic skills (“a toolkit”) to bridge gaps between research and practice, such as how to:
- Communicate science to the public or policymakers,
- Teach a professional a new skill, and
- Evaluate an empirically-supported assessment tool or intervention

3. Reflect on how you could apply these skills and this knowledge in your class projects and future careers

Grading

  • Making a Change Project (includes report and brief pitch): 40%
  • Group Project - Research Communication: 20%
  • Group Project - Training Professionals: 20%
  • Participation and Homework: 20%

NOTES:

Topics:

Section 1 of the class will focus on public policies, such as incarceration, public policies related to Indigenous people in the justice system, sex offender registration, solitary confinement, and transfer of adolescents to adult court.

Section 2 will focus on assessment and treatment, such as risk assessment, motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral therapy, strength-based approaches, program evaluation, and professional practice.

Section 3 will focus on diversity issues, such as Indigenous populations and culturally-informed approaches, trauma, mental health, and psychopathy.

The topics may change slightly.


General Comments: 
To provide you with a chance to critically evaluate existing policies and interventions, and to develop skills to bridge gaps between research and practice, this course has a several projects and assignments. The main project is a “Making a Change” project, an individual project which will give you a chance to pursue a topic of your choice. As part of this project you will identify an aspect of offender treatment or management that needs to be changed or improved. You will then develop a strategy or approach to help make this change. However, to prepare for this project and gain a broader set of knowledge and skills, you will also complete two team projects, a project on research communication (e.g., creating a fact sheet and short video to educate the public about a justice-related issue), and a project on training justice professionals (e.g., developing materials to teach a probation officers how to use an interviewing technique).

The grade breakdown may change slightly.

This class is a seminar class. As such, although there is some lecture, it focuses on learning by discussing and participating.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

There is no textbook. Each week, students will read approximately 3 articles.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/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

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS