ch 6

  • Advance directives: Legal documents that specify an individual’s preferences for medical treatment if they become unable to make decisions themselves (p. 223).

  • Approximation rule: A principle for determining child custody that considers each parent’s prior involvement in the child’s care (p. 201).

  • Assisted outpatient treatment (AOT): Court-ordered mental health treatment provided to individuals in community settings rather than in hospitals (p. 225).

  • Best interest of the child (BIC) standard: A guideline for making decisions that prioritize the child's welfare and well-being in custody cases (p. 201).

  • Case-blind consultant: An expert who provides general knowledge relevant to a case without specific details about the individuals involved (p. 210).

  • Child custody evaluations (CCEs): Assessments conducted by mental health professionals to assist courts in making child custody decisions (p. 199).

  • Compensatory damages: Financial compensation awarded to a plaintiff for losses suffered due to another's actions (p. 211).

  • Employment compensation claims: Claims for monetary recovery related to employment issues, such as wrongful termination (p. 212).

  • Family courts: Courts that handle cases related to family matters, such as divorce, custody, and child support (p. 196).

  • Forensic neuropsychology: The application of neuropsychological principles to legal cases, often to assess cognitive functioning (p. 214).

  • Friendly-parent rule: A guideline favoring the parent more likely to support the child’s relationship with the other parent in custody cases (p. 201).

  • Gender harassment: Unwelcome conduct related to an individual’s gender, often creating a hostile environment (p. 228).

  • Hastened death evaluations: Assessments determining an individual’s competence to make end-of-life decisions, including the choice to hasten death (p. 223).

  • Injunction: A court order requiring an individual to do or refrain from doing a specific act (p. 211).

  • Least detrimental alternative standard: A principle that seeks to make custody decisions minimizing harm to the child (p. 201).

  • Legal parental authority: The right of a parent to make important decisions on behalf of their child, such as medical or educational choices (p. 208).

  • MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool–Treatment (MacCAT-T): A tool for assessing a patient’s capacity to make informed treatment decisions (p. 221).

  • Outpatient treatment (OT) orders: Court mandates for mental health treatment provided outside of hospital settings (p. 225).

  • Parental relocation: The issue of a parent moving to a new location, often affecting child custody arrangements (p. 205).

  • Parenting evaluation: An assessment that provides recommendations about a parent’s fitness or parenting abilities in custody disputes (p. 199).

  • Physical parental authority: The right of a parent to make daily, practical decisions about a child’s physical care and well-being (p. 208).

  • Plaintiff: The individual who initiates a lawsuit against another party in court (p. 210).

  • Preventive outpatient treatment (or commitment): Treatment ordered to prevent deterioration of mental health, often without hospitalization (p. 225).

  • Probate courts: Courts that deal with matters related to wills, estates, and guardianship (p. 196).

  • Projective instruments: Psychological tests used to assess underlying emotions, attitudes, and personality traits (p. 205).

  • Punitive damages: Financial penalties intended to punish a defendant for particularly harmful or reckless behavior (p. 211).

  • Respondent: The individual against whom a legal action or petition is filed (p. 210).

  • Sexual Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ): A tool designed to measure instances of sexual harassment in the workplace (p. 229).

  • Sexual harassment: Unwanted or inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature that affects an individual’s work environment (p. 227).

  • Tender years doctrine: A presumption favoring maternal custody of young children in legal decisions (p. 201).

  • Termination of parental rights: A legal process that permanently ends the legal relationship between a parent and child (p. 200).

  • Testamentary capacity: The mental ability of an individual to create or alter a valid will (p. 218).

  • Tort: A wrongful act that causes harm to another person, leading to civil legal liability (p. 210).

  • Visitation risk assessments: Evaluations to determine the potential risks associated with allowing a parent visitation rights (p. 205).