READING LIST FOR CANDIDATES IN MASSACHUSETTS PROGRAM FOR DESIGNATED FORENSIC PROFESSIONALS
Revised: August, 2017
This document is intended to be of assistance to psychologists and psychiatrists who are in the process of fulfilling requirements for appointment as Designated Forensic Professionals in Massachusetts. The reading list consists of two parts: 1) Massachusetts statutes, 2) legal cases and clinical texts/articles.
The first list notes chapters and sections of the Massachusetts General Laws that are especially relevant for the work of forensic mental health examiners. Annotations indicate the general content of each chapter and/or section.
The second list includes: 1) legal cases that are relevant for the content of the DFP written exam (although we have included a few additional ones with which forensic mental health professionals should be familiar), and 2) basic articles, chapters, or books for each of several clinical and forensic content areas that are important for the work of Designated Forensic Professionals in service to Massachusetts’ district and superior courts. In all cases we have chosen references that speak directly to the applied assessment process of the forensic mental health examiner. Thus none of the references focus primarily on theory or on reports of research studies.
The DFP Committee
Forensic Mental Health Services
Massachusetts Department of Mental Health