What is "forensic literacy" training?

In collaboration with DBHDS, the ILPPP developed a more flexible and convenient training program for professionals who are working  with the forensic system, but who will not themselves be conducting clinical forensic evaluations of competence or sanity (a focus of our other trainings). To meet this need, we developed self-paced, online-only programs in various areas of forensic practice that we have termed "forensic literacy" trainings. Forensic literacy trainings include pre-recorded lectures, required readings, and brief quizzes hosted on UVA Collab, the University of Virginia’s online learning platform. The goal is to become familiar with forensic services, systems, and principles. This will include understanding issues around competence to stand trial and legal sanity, but the goal is not learning to conduct competence and sanity evaluations.

This course is specific to forensic literacy regarding adult defendants (a separate course addresses work in the juvenile forensic system). This course review laws, procedures, and services related to work in the forensic system. This course does not provide the additional, more specialized training necessary only for those who will be performing clinical evaluations of competence to stand trial, legal sanity and other forensic evaluations. Those training to perform clinical evaluations should enroll in our hybrid/in-person training entitled " Forensic Evaluation: Principles & Practice," offered approximately twice per year. All trainings are available here.

Content Overview

This online training program consists of pre-recorded training videos, each approximately 30 to 70 minutes in duration. You can watch these at your own pace. Video topics include:

• A primer on the criminal legal system

• Overview of the forensic mental health system

• Forensic work as distinct from general clinical work

• Competence restoration services

In addition to video lectures, there are several required readings. These are general, overview readings of forensic topics. These are ideal for literacy, but do not include the level of detail necessary for those training to perform forensic evaluations.  Required readings address:

• Competence to Stand Trial

• Legal Sanity

• Trauma in the criminal legal system

• The “criminalization of mental illness”

• Violence risk assessment in clinical practice

• The Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) as a map of the criminal legal process

There are also quizzes to assess your learning. 

The Speakers

Pre-recorded lectures are provided by a diverse team of forensic clinicians and attorneys. Lead faculty and point of contact for this training is Daniel Murrie, PhD, training coordinator at the ILPPP. See "Faculty Bios" in the Resources tab for more details about your instructors. 

Timeline

You may complete these online learning activities at your own pace and to your own desired level of mastery. The ILPPP will not be assessing your completion of the videos or your quiz performance. You will have access to all learning materials on UVA Collab until December 2025, so we recommend saving any materials as desired on your own device before then.

Continuing Education

Unfortunately, we cannot offer continuing education for this course because the American Psychological Association only allows credit for live (synchronous) online learning. 

Training Fees

• $300: Standard registration

• $250: Employees of Virginia DBHDS or a Community Services Board (CSB)

Please note that the reduced rate is available only for DBHDS and CSB employees, rather than all state employees, because DBHDS partially sponsors this training program.

Occasionally large facilities or state agencies outside Virginia want to send a team of trainees, for whom we can arrange a discounted group rate. Please contact us to discuss such arrangements.

Confidentiality/Copyright

Lectures and manuals are copyrighted to the University of Virginia’s ILPPP. As such they can not be used or reused without the explicit permission of UVA ILPPP.    

Contact Information

If you have technical difficulties or have any questions about this training, please contact training coordinator Dr. Daniel Murrie at dcm3w@uvahealth.org or 434-924-8308. You are also welcome to consider us a resource for questions about forensic evaluation throughout your career -- we are always happy to answer questions or connect you with appropriate resources, so do not hesitate to contact us at any point going forward!

Refund Policy

There are no refunds once you have been given Collab access. This is because the materials are self-paced and always available. Once you have access to these materials, no refunds will be given.

How to Register

Please use the embedded checkout function through Eventbrite. Please allow up to three business days (usually less) to receive access to the resources on UVA Collab learning platform because the system is not automated and requires our staff to provide access manually. Please contact lead faculty, Dr. Daniel Murrie, with questions.