AP-LS Annual Conference
March 19-21, 2015
Westin Gaslamp Quarter
San Diego
Register today for the 2015 AP-LS Annual Conference to take place March 19-21, at Westin Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego, California. If you have any questions about the registration process, please contact Kathy Gaskey. Visit the 2015 AP-LS website for the most up-to-date information regarding the conference. If you have any questions or comments regarding conference, please contact the conference co-chairs Christina Finello and Nancy Panza. We look forward to seeing everyone in sunny San Diego in March.
Thank you to all who have contacted us wishing to be a student volunteer. We have filled all volunteer spots for this year's conference.
A draft schedule (PDF, 188KB) for the conference is available.
Explore San Diego with colleagues on a 5k Fun Run, sponsored by the AP-LS Student Committee! Submit this registration form via email, phone, or fax to :
Kathy Gaskey
Administrative Officer
American Psychology-Law Society
PO Box 1148 Southport, NC 28461
910-933-4018
Preconference Continuing Education Workshops
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Full-Day Workshops
(Choose Workshop A , Workshop B, Workshop C or Workshop D)
Workshop A Quality Considerations in conducting Juvenile Forensic Evaluations
Kirk Heilbrun, PhD
This workshop draws upon the strongest and best-accepted evidence and practices in the area of juvenile forensic assessment. For example, it incorporates the second edition of the “MacArthur Foundation's Models for Change” curriculum on the developmental aspects adolescence. It includes applicable principles of forensic mental health assessment, which themselves integrate sources of authority that include legal, scientific, ethical and professional. It integrates work from the “Oxford Best Practices in Forensic Mental Health Assessment” series applicable to forensic juvenile evaluations. One of the major goals of the workshop is to use material that is strongly evidence-based. It is designed to recommend the broad and specific approaches that are both relevant and reliable/valid. The workshop incorporates relevant law, ethics and professional standards.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify general resources on empirically supported and best practice.
- Identify similarities and differences when evaluating different forensic referral questions.
- Address the importance of multicultural and diversity considerations in conducting juvenile forensic evaluations.
- Translate quality considerations into report-writing and testimony.
- Identify components of good practice in juvenile forensic evaluations in the following domains.
- Forensic
- Developmental
- Juvenile
- Clinical
This workshop is at the intermediate/advanced level.
| Time/Credits: 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m./
1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m./ 7 CE Credits |
Before Jan. 15, 2014 | On or after Jan. 16, 2014 |
| Member | $170 | $195 |
| Nonmember | $225 | $250 |
| Student member | $80 | $90 |
| Student nonmember | $105 | $115 |
Workshop B Expert Testimony
Randy Otto, PhD
This continuing education program is devoted to expert testimony that psychologists offer in depositions trials and administrative hearings. As such, this workshop should be of interest to all psychologists who testify in legal proceedings regardless of their specialty area). The focus is an oral communication of the psychologist's work, and opinions preparation of interrogatories, affidavits and reports are not addressed. Reviewed are general principles of effective communication in legal proceedings, research examining effective communication in legal proceedings, research examining effective communication by expert witnesses and specific strategies and skills to employ. Considerable use is made of case examples-using excerpts from trial and deposition transcripts, as well as video recording of experts testifying.
Learning Objectives:
- List the components/qualities of effective testimony.
- Describe differences between testifying at depositions and at trial.
- List how rules of evidence impact their sworn testimony during direct examination and cross examination.
- Describe an approach for communicating one's work and opinions to the legal decision-maker during direct examination.
- Identify effective responses to commonly-used cross-examination ploys.
This workshop is at the intermediate level.
| Time/Credits: 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m./
1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m./ 7 CE Credits |
Before Jan. 15, 2014 | On or after Jan. 16, 2014 |
| Member | $170 | $195 |
| Nonmember | $225 | $250 |
| Student member | $80 | $90 |
| Student nonmember | $105 | $115 |
Workshop C Evidence-Based Trauma-Specific Services for Youth in the Juvenile
Justice System: Bringing the TARGET Model to Youth, Staff, and Key Stakeholders
Julian Ford, PhD, ABPP
Judith Ford, MA
Clinical epidemiological research demonstrates that 80+percent of youth in the juvenile justice system have trauma histories, 40+percent are poly-victims, and they are 10+times more likely than other youths to have PTSD and related/comorbid disorders. Although several psychotherapy models have established an evidence-base for children and adolescents only one has demonstrated effectiveness with juvenile justice or delinquency-involved youth: TARGET has been disseminated to more than 50 juvenile justice programs and facilities in several states and in projects developed through the Center for Juvenile Justice and Trauma Recovery in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. This interactive workshop will address the challenges of delivering trauma-specific screening, assessment, psycho-education, therapy, and workforce training, while developing key stakeholder buy-in in the juvenile justice system. It will also provide an overview of the TARGET curriculum and the 7 FREEDOM Steps, designed to enable youth and families to understand and gain control of trauma-related reactions triggered by current daily life stressors. This overview will include slides, film clips and participant involvement in related TARGET skills and activities.
Learning Objectives:
-
Participants will be able to describe on potential benefit and one potential pitfall of making juvenile justice systems trauma-informed.
-
Participants will be able to describe one major effect of trauma on adolescents' brains and their body's stress response system.
-
Describe two components of the TARGET approach to preventing and treating PTSD in juvenile justice populations.
Workshop D Advanced Issues in Violence Risk Assessment and Management
Stephen Hart, PhD
The overarching goal is to enhance the knowledge and skills of participants with respect to violence risk assessment and management.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss fundamental concepts and principles in violence risk assessment and management,
- Outline formulation of violence risk, focusing on the use of Action Theory,
- Outline management of violence risk, focusing on the use of scenario planning,
- Apply formulation and management skills in routine practice, and
- Critically evaluate psycholegal validity and relevance of formulation and management.
This workshop is at the intermediate/advanced level.
| Time/Credits: 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m./
1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m./ 7 CE Credits |
Before Jan. 15, 2014 | On or after Jan. 16, 2014 |
| Member | $170 | $195 |
| Nonmember | $225 | $250 |
| Student member | $80 | $90 |
| Student nonmember | $105 | $115 |
Preconference Continuing Education Workshops
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Half-Day Workshops
(Choose either E or F or Both)
Workshop E Ethics in Forensic Practice
Gerald P. Koocher, PhD, ABPP
Intended for experienced clinicians, this workshop will employ lecture material drawn from up-to-date sources and case discussion (including content submitted by registrants) to bring participants up-to-date on current ethical challenges faced in forensic practice. Content will include case contracting and analyses, regulatory compliance, ethical navigation of multiple role situations, interprofessional relationships managing confidentiality, record keeping, billing practices and functioning as a consultant while invisible to discovery. Registrants will be invited to submit disguised case materials or specific issues for coverage up to two weeks before the session.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will describe and apply the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct in the Context of the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology.
- Using interactive discussion of actual case material will enable participants to anticipate and avoid ethical pitfalls.
- Participants will describe the most frequently encountered bases for ethical and liability complaints against psychologists along with strategies for avoiding risky situations and clients.
- Describe key ethical challenges in forensic psychology that arise from differences in professional training and orientation for psychologists and attorneys.
- Describe the role of evidentiary standards as a function of psychological ethics and recognize ways to conform their work to align with those standards.
- Follow specific review forensic notification standards, fee practices and role conflicts participants will formulate strategies to assure full ethical compliance in their own practices.
- A review of practice methods for managing confidentiality, assessment, record keeping and public comments will enable attendees to align their work with optimal ethical practices.
This workshop is at the advanced level.
| Time/Credits: 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m./ 3.5 CE Credits | Before Jan. 15, 2014 | On or after Jan. 16, 2014 |
| Member | $90 | $100 |
| Nonmember | $120 | $130 |
| Student member | $40 | $50 |
| Student nonmember | $55 | $65 |
Workshop F Core Competencies in Suicide Risk Assessment and Management:
A Workshop for Psychological Professionals
Robert J. Cramer, PhD
Suicidal clients pose one of the most urgent and professionally challenging scenarios for mental health professionals. Among the many concerns expressed by clinicians are how to appropriately define and document risk, manage the variety of risk and protective factors involved in an individual case, and manage personal, ethical and legal issues involved. Drawing on the competency-based skill development movement in mental health training, the present workshop focuses on ten core competencies necessary for effective suicide risk assessment and management. The workshop includes case scenarios, recommended readings and other additional practical resources for psychological professionals working with suicidal clients.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the major tenets of contemporary suicide theory.
- Identify risk and protective factors in suicide risk assessment and management practice and law,
- Link risk assessment decisions to intervention decisions.
- Outline guidelines for appropriate documentation of suicide risk assessment and management.
- Describe the nature of attitudes toward suicide and self-care needs for the clinician.
This is a beginner/intermediate/advanced level.
| Time/Credits: 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m./ 3.5 CE Credits | Before Jan. 15, 2014 | On or after Jan. 16, 2014 |
| Member | $90 | $100 |
| Nonmember | $120 | $130 |
| Student member | $40 | $50 |
| Student nonmember | $55 | $65 |
The 2015 Conference will be held at:
The Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter
910 Broadway Circle
San Diego, CA 92101
American Psychology-Law Society 2015 Annual Conference hotel registration is now open.
We invite you to participate in the book exhibit, advertising in the program or conference bags, or sponsoring an event at the AP-LS 2015 Annual Conference in San Diego, California. We anticipate approximately 900 participants, both domestic and international.
Exhibitor hours are:
Thursday, March 19 - 12-5pm
Friday, March 20 - 9am - 5pm
Saturday, March 21 - 9am - 5pm
To apply for exhibit space or conference advertising, please contact Kathy Gaskey.