University of South Florida

The University of South Florida Psychiatry Fellowship provides a wide-gamut of training in multiple areas of forensic psychiatry, including both the civil and criminal arenas. The program is designed for fellows to excel in various components of being an expert, including evaluation, consultation, report preparation, and testimony. A major strength of the program is direct supervision regularly with the program director and teaching faculty.

Fellows in this program rotate at a variety of sites, including expert consultation at the Veteran’s Court through the James A. Haley VA, inpatient clinical care on a competency restoration unit at Gracepoint hospital, and outpatient clinical care of individual’s in the correctional system through a public defender’s office. Time is also specifically allotted for fellows to participate in their own independent criminal evaluations and prepare parallel cases for civil evaluations with the program director.

Both the landmark case series and didactic seminars are specifically tailored not only to meet the ACGME requirements for training in forensic psychiatry, but also to provide the building blocks for a fellow to succeed as a forensic psychiatrist. The faculty associated with this fellowship include multiple board-certified forensic psychiatrists, psychologists, and attorneys. Many of the faculty that teach in the fellowship have national reputations in various areas, including competence to stand trial, addictions and the law, and child forensic psychiatry.

One burgeoning area of forensic psychiatry is the practice of using standardized instruments in evaluations. Fellows in this program are trained in the use and interpretation of a multitude of instruments, including those used in risk assessment, competence to stand trial, and detection of malingering. The fellows benefit from the presence of multiple psychologists who teach these instruments throughout the year and fellows practice their use during evaluations and under supervision.

Applicants are encouraged to apply once applications are available in May. Interviews will take place from July through October of the recruitment year.

Columbia/New York State Psychiatric Institute Research Fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry

The Columbia/New York State Psychiatric Institute Research Fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry was established by the New York State Office of Mental Health to encourage the development of forensic psychiatrists with research skills. The fellowship program is individualized to the skills and interests of each fellow. In general, fellows will be expected to undertake coursework in statistics, research design, grantsmanship, and mental health law, including courses at Columbia Law School. They will have access to the didactic program of the Division of Law, Ethics and Psychiatry, and the Public Sector Psychiatry Fellowship. A primary activity of the fellowship year will involved the design and conduct of a research project under the supervision of Dr. Appelbaum, and depending on the focus, other faculty at Columbia/NYSPI and personnel at the NYS Office of Mental Health.
Appropriate applicants may have completed a forensic fellowship or be intending to pursue one after the fellowship; candidates further along in their careers will also be considered.

Tulane University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Program description

The Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship at Tulane University School of Medicine offers a comprehensive and diverse range of experiences in Forensic Neuropsychiatry. Our fellows spend time at East Louisiana State Mental Health System (ELMHS) in Jackson, Louisiana, the Orleans Justice Center (OJC), New Orleans Criminal Court, the Forensic Aftercare Clinic, a private custody clinic based in New Orleans, and with various members of our faculty doing private cases which can include civil, criminal, and juvenile issues. We have one of the largest forensic psychiatry faculties in the country with more than 18 members including four faculty members who are fellowship-trained with added qualifications in both forensic and child and adolescent psychiatry.

Fellows gain further criminal forensic experience (e.g., criminal responsibility and aid-in-sentencing evaluations) at the Orleans Criminal Court, where they gain much experience in courtroom testimony. Fellows also perform a full range of civil forensic evaluations (e.g., malpractice, disability, and child custody evaluations) and receive training in report-writing, testifying for court and depositions, and interacting with the legal system.

In addition to the above clinical rotations, we have a comprehensive didactic series which covers all topics to successfully pass forensics boards. A Landmark case seminar is also conducted weekly with faculty members and psychology fellows. Fellows participate in a Journal Club and write a case review for Legal Digest with faculty supervision.

Expenses for the AAPL Review Course and Annual Meeting are provided for the fellows. Three textbooks are provided at the beginning of the academic year.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM) Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship is a one year training program in Law and Psychiatry offered by the AECOM Division of Law and Psychiatry. The program combines a comprehensive didactic curriculum with an extensive and varied array of forensic experiences.
The didactic work includes a year-long lecture series which covers all aspects of forensic psychiatry. In addition, fellows will participate in seminars on legal philosophy, landmark cases, psychiatric and forensic ethics, and case reviews. A civil forensic preceptorship is also provided by senior faculty.
The experiential component of the fellowship includes supervised site placements at Bronx Psychiatric Center, Bronx Criminal Court Clinic and Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Westchester Jewish Community Services, the EAC-Bronx Mental Health Court Diversion, Bellevue Hospital Center Division of Forensic Services and the New York City Health and Hospital Corporation Correctional Health Services (Riker’s Island) where the fellow gains experience in the following areas: 1) court-ordered forensic evaluations of adult and child cases; 2) examination and treatment of criminal offenders in prison and jail settings (including insanity acquitees and sex offenders); 3) dangerousness assessments; 4) civil assessments for involuntary hospitalization, treatment over objection, outpatient commitment and guardianship; 5) child custody; 6) mental health court-based diversion, 7) immigration, 8) veterans affairs and 9) correctional health administration. All of the above provide ample opportunity for consultation with attorneys and courts, as well as courtroom testimony.
Fellows are active participants in the division’s medical student and resident teaching program. Research activity is expected, either through participation in ongoing division work or through the development of an independent project, with the anticipated goal of a year-end presentation.
The Albert Einstein College of Medicine is located in a quiet, residential section of Bronx, just minutes from both Manhattan and Westchester County. Fellows can, therefore, choose between an exciting big city or a more gentle suburban setting for living and recreating. All fellowship sites are easily accessible by public transportation, though a car is helpful.
Full program brochure, application instructions and application materials are available under “Program Requirements” on the Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship website at the URL address noted above. Residents with additional training in child and adolescent psychiatry are encouraged to apply.