Learning Forensic Assessment: Research and Practice (International Perspectives on Forensic Mental Health) - Tapa dura

I have often recommended the first edition of Becky Jackson’s Learning Forensic Assessment to students and trainees ranging from undergraduates to postdoctoral fellows and practicing psychologists. Therefore, I was delighted to see this second edition, co-edited with Ron Roesch, featuring many of the same topics and expert authors. Like the first edition, the tone of the text remains clear and accessible for those new to our discipline, but the content is substantive and detailed, providing meaningful and specific guidance. Learning Forensic Assessment remains a superb resource for clinicians at any stage who are transitioning into the challenging field of forensic mental health assessment.―Daniel Murrie, PhD, is the Director of Psychology at the Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy as well as Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

Jackson and Roesch’s revision of Learning Forensic Assessment represents a tremendous advance for the field. Building on what was already an outstanding volume (and one that I use for my graduate course in Forensic Assessment), the second edition provides greater breadth and depth, while still retaining the “hands on” feel of the first edition. It is a must-have volume for every burgeoning forensic clinical psychologist and a helpful resource for even the most experienced expert.―Barry Rosenfeld, PhD, ABPP, is Professor and Chair in the Department of Psychology as well as Adjunct Professor in the School of Law at Fordham University.

Learning Forensic Assessment provides an introduction to a broad range of forensic psychological assessment issues. Many of the forensic experts from the first edition provide updated material in their areas of expertise and research. This updated material gives the reader a great primer to the forensic experts that have spent their careers researching and writing about forensic assessment as well as an introduction to the current state of the field in forensic psychological assessment.―Holly A. Miller, PhD, is Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Programs at the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University.

Major developments in the field since the publication of Learning Forensic Assessment are integrated in this revised edition, including revised editions of the DSM-5, HCR-20 scale, and child custody guidelines.

This textbook is designed for graduate students learning forensic assessment and psychologists coming to forensic practice later in their careers. It is organized around five broad areas: Professional and Practice Issues, Adult Forensic Assessment, Juvenile Forensic Assessment, Civil Forensic Assessment, and Communicating Your Findings.

Each chapter begins with a strong teaching and learning foundation. The latter part of each chapter is assessment specific, covering available assessment measures and approaches to assessment. The authors go well beyond simple descriptions of assessment measures and provide a conceptual discussion of the evaluation process that helps the reader understand how assessment measures fit into the overall evaluation process. The evaluation component is geared toward assessing the important aspects of the construct as laid out in the early part of each chapter. Each chapter then concludes with a case example to illustrate the measures and techniques described.