COMPETENCY EVALUATION (INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY)

Competency Evaluation

Competency to stand trial evaluations are one of the most frequently practiced forensic evaluations, annually influencing a large number of defendants and a great deal of hours of judicature and forensic evaluation effort in the United States.

1. Controversies in Competency Evaluation

The controversies involved with competency testing tools occupy reliability and validity issues, deficiency in practical research support and grading /measurement including evaluator elucidation. For instance, MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication entails a descriptive approach which can detract from evaluating the individual's identification of their own particular case and circumstances. The test also demands a large amount of verbal replies which can outcome in meager marks from people with mental retardation or low IQ, regardless of their competence.

The ECST-R that is Evaluation of Competence to Stand Trial-Revised testing tool has been picked apart for only spotlighting on the probable occurrence of psychotic disorders, neglecting mood or anxiety disorders, along with others. Though this test is the earliest to deal with potential pretending, the scoring standards cause concern because a defendant might exhibit scores of no impairment throughout every test item but then outcome in ultimate sum score demonstrating competence impairment.

The Interdisciplinary Fitness Interview IFI and Interdisciplinary Fitness Interview IFI- R are considered to portray a more absolute competence picture by occupying related dimensions as compared to other testing tools but they are also controversial for having little reliability and validity data. (Maggio Sasha, 2010)

2. Role of Forensic Psychology Professionals Who Perform Competency Evaluations

The role of the forensic mental health professional often varies considerably from that of the typical clinician. The ethical delivery of services is bore directly by these distinctions. (Canter et. al, 1994; Heilbrun, 2003) Forensic psychology professionals practice in a distinctive position and are required to conform to a high ethical ...