Forensic Psychology Chapter 6 (Bartol)

advance directives

documents that allow persons to make advance decisions about life sustaining procedures in the event of a terminal condition or persistent vegetative state, or any other later health care decision

assisted outpatient treatment

court ordered mental health treatment in the community, on the condition that a person will be hospitalized or re-hospitalized if not cooperative with treatment providers

best interest of the child standard

the legal doctrine that the parents legal rights should be secondary to what is best for the child

case blind consultant

professionals who consults with lawyers or judges on issues relating to a case without direct contact with the litigants

child custody evaluations

also called parenting evaluations or assessments, these are assessments prepared for courts by mental health professionals to help judges make decisions in disputed custody situations

compensatory damages

money awards given in civil suits to make up for the harm that the plaintiff has suffered

employment compensation claims

claims involving physical injuries, psychological damages, or emotional distress sustained as a result of one's employment

family courts

specialized courts dealing with issues relating to families such as divorce, child custody, order of protection, delinquency proceedings and guardianship

family forensic psychology

a specialty whose practitioners have extensive knowledge about human development, family dynamics and court system

forensic neuropsychology

the application of knowledge from the neuropsychological profession to legal matters. the study of the psychological effects of brain and neurological damage and dysfunction on human behavior

friendly parent rule

in child custody determinations, the rule that preference will be given to the parent who is most likely to nurture the child's relationship with the other parent, provided the other parent is not abusive

gender harassment

a form of discrimination, and sometimes recognized in sexual harassment law, it refers to persistent, unwanted comments or behavior directed at an individual because of his/her gender

hastened death evaluations

in states allowing individuals to hasten their death with the help of physician prescribed medication, these assessments may be conducted if there are any questions about the patients capacity to make such a decision

injunction

a court order to stop or refrain from doing something, usually based on a request from a party who is allegedly harmed by the activity

least detrimental alternative standard

in custody decisions, the standard that chooses the arrangement that would cause the child the least amount of harm

legal parental authority

having the authority to make legal decisions for the child, such as medical needs and choice of educational system

macarthur competence assessment tool treatment

used be clinicians to evaluate ability to benefit from treatment

outpatient treatment orders

court orders that allow an individual to live in his or her own home or alternative group/foster home on condition that the individual receive mental health treatment and usually comply with a medication regime

parental relocation

an increasingly frequent topic for family courts, in which they are asked to make a decision as to whether the custodial parent should be allowed to relocate the child to a geographical area away from the non-custodial parent

parenting evaluation

a term preferred to custody evaluations in some jurisdictions, assessment of parenting plans is also used

physical parental authority

in custody decision making, the right to make day to day decisions affecting the child, such as curfew hours or whether the child can go out with friends.

plaintiff

person or party who initially brings a civil suit

preventative outpatient treatment

court ordered community treatment to prevent a person from becoming dangerous.

probate courts

courts that have jurisdiction over a range of civil matters, such as wills and estates, property transfers and in some states, divorce and child custody matters

projective instruments

psychological tests that require the individual to interpret ambiguous stimuli (photos or inkblots)

punitive damages

awards in civil cases that are assessed to punish the defendant or respondent for the harm caused to the plaintiff

respondent

another term for defendant in a civil suit

sexual experiences questionnaire

instrument available for assessing incidence and prevalence of sexual harassment

sexual harassment

a form of discrimination evidenced by unwelcome sexual comments or behavior directed toward a person based on sex; creates a hostile working environment

tender years doctrine

a legal assumption, derived from the traditional belief that the mother is the parent ideally and inherently best suited to care for children of a "tender age". the doctrine is no loner officially used though in many states the mother is presumptively given custody of the child

termination of parental rights

the rare judicial determination that a parent is not fit to care for children. legal authority for the children is removed. abandonment and severe child abuse may be reasons

testamentary capacity

the mental ability to make a will

tort

legal term for a civil wrong in which a plaintiff alleges some negligence on the part of the defendant or respondent

trial consultants

also called litigation consultants. professionals, but not necessarily psychologists, who assist lawyers in such tasks as selecting jurors, preparing the witness, cross examining etc

visitation risk assessment

evaluations provided to family courts for help in deciding whether and how often children should be allowed to visit non-custodial parents or others