Episode 18: Competency to Stand Trial Evaluations with Dr. Roxanne Rassti is LIVE!

Competency evaluations are a large part of forensic psychology as they are a major crossroad between psychology and the law. Evaluating competency is assessing if a defendant is unable to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings or to assist counsel in the conduct of a defense in a rational manner as a result of a mental health disorder or developmental disability.

Today I spoke with Dr. Roxanne Rassti about:

-What are competency evaluations?

-What are the differences between juvenile and adult competency evaluations?

-Relevant statues/case law

-Approaches to competency evaluations

-Reporting on competency evaluations

-Experience working in state/forensic hospitals

-Ethical considerations as it pertains to competency evaluations