Program description
The University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine offers a one-year, full-time fellowship training program in psychiatry and the law. This is a joint program between the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health, which is responsible for all state forensic activities including the administration of the Forensic Institute in Pueblo, CO. In addition the program works closely with the Colorado Department of Corrections and Denver Health Medical Center. Fellowship faculty include academic and clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry, in the Behavioral Health Program at Denver Health Medical Center, forensic experts in the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health, Department of Corrections, private forensic practitioners, and faculty from Denver University. Dr. Martinez specializes in ethics in forensic psychiatry, issues in criminal forensic psychiatry including neonaticide and infanticide and is involved in setting standards for forensic report writing and testimony. Dr Adi, the associate director, specializes in evaluations of refugees and trauma victims seeking asylum. Dr. Jeff Metzner, associate director, is an international expert in correctional psychiatry.

The program is designed to familiarize fellows with all aspects of forensic psychiatry, and to prepare them for forensic practice in forensic and correctional settings, teaching, research and system consultation, and/or academic careers. Topics covered through didactic seminars and supervised practical experience include procedures for forensic evaluations, report writing, relevant research and phenomenological literature, landmark mental health cases, treatment of patients in correctional and forensic settings, system consultation around forensic issues, collaboration with other professionals (law enforcement, correctional, etc.), the evaluation of foreign victims of torture, fitness for duty examinations with the Denver Police Department, IMEs, and ethical issues involved in forensic practice. Didactic seminars are taught in interdisciplinary structure with forensic psychology fellows form Denver University and Colorado Mental Health Institute-Pueblo (CMHI-P).

Fellows are provided the opportunity to observe experienced forensic professionals performing evaluations, preparing reports, and testifying in civil and criminal cases. They then have direct, supervised experience in performing forensic evaluations in those areas, preparing reports, and testifying in court. Mock trial experiences are conducted in coordination with DU Sturm School of Law. Fellows are encouraged to conduct research in forensic areas. The program strives to organize the fellowship experience around each Fellows area of interest. We have trained numerous Fellows with backgrounds in child/adolescent psychiatry. For fellows interested in teaching, there are numerous opportunities to supervise PGYII and PGYIII general psychiatry residents and medical students.

Fellowships are funded at a PGY-5 level. 2022-23 Annual Stipend for PGY-5 $75,474.00 plus benefits.

Fringe benefits include a fully paid trip to the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (including enrollment in the Forensic Psychiatry Review Course) and a second trip to the APA annual meeting or an alternative chosen by the fellow.
We accept application materials as early as June 1 of the year before the start of the forensic fellowship. Interviews begin September 1st the year before the start of the fellowship for applicants outside of the University of Colorado residency. We comply with instructions found on the American Academy of Law and Psychiatry fellowship website at https://www.aapl.org/fellowship.