Meet the Law & Psychiatry Clinical Team
The Law & Psychiatry Program is an interdisciplinary collaboration of UMass Chan Medical School faculty and staff within the Department of Psychiatry at UMass Chan Medical School devoted to forensic clinical services, research, data-driven policy, training, and implementation support, at the interfaces of the behavioral sciences, psychiatry, psychology, and the law.
The Law & Psychiatry Program is currently co-directed by Natalie Anumba, PhD, ABPP, for the clinical side, and Gina Vincent, PhD, for the research and implementation support side.
Leadership
Natalie Anumba, PhD, DFP, ABPP, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Co-Director of Law & Psychiatry Program
Clinical and Training Expertise: Criminal forensic mental health assessment, forensic psychology education, and supervision, criminal responsibility, violence risk assessment, integration of identity context into forensic mental health assessment, forensic telehealth
Brian Daly, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Vice Chair of Public Sector Psychiatry
Clinical Expertise: Acute mental illness, substance use disorders, psychosis, restoration to competency, de-prescribing, supervision of mid-level providers, delirium, and decisional capacity (especially relating to consent to treatment).
Research Interests: Behavioral Health systems of care, mental health courts, public sector psychiatry, public health, addiction psychiatry, neuromodulation, paraphilias, education of mid-level providers, malingering, stalking, violence in treatment settings.
Margarita Abi Zeid Daou, MD, DFP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Associate Director, Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship
Clinical Expertise: Board Certified in Adult Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry. Associate Medical Director of Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital. Associate Training Director for the UMASS Chan Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship.
Research Interests: Psychosis, malingering, pregnancy denial and neonaticide, expert witness testimony
Andrea Dinsmore, PsyD, DFP, ABPP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Director Mobile Forensic Evaluation Service
Clinical Expertise: Board Certified Forensic Psychologist specializing in both civil and criminal forensic evaluation, including competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, risk assessment, need for psychiatric hospitalization, psychodiagnostic formulation, competency to waive Miranda, juvenile forensic evaluation, and consultation.
Ashley Murray, PhD, DFP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Director, Forensic Psychology Fellowship
Clinical Expertise: Conducting court evaluations for criminal defendants, for violence risk assessment (including specialized violence risk assessments), competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility (insanity defense), and aid-in-sentencing, among others. Provides trainings and workshops on these topics.
Research Interests: Violence risk assessment, psychopathic and borderline personality disorder, evidence-based treatment, stalking, interpersonal violence.
Paul Noroian, MD, DFAPA, DFP, Associate Professor, Director, Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship
Clinical Expertise: Treatment of chronic and persistent mental illness; Management of aggression; Psychiatric treatment of individuals involved in the legal system
Research Interests: Impact of landmark legal decisions on the practice of psychiatry; civil commitment; guardianship and substituted judgment; the history of forensic psychiatry
Danielle Rynczak, JD, PsyD, ABPP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Director, Legal Education & Training
Clinical Experience: Board Certified Forensic Psychologist conducting adult and juvenile civil, criminal, and immigration evaluations, including criminal responsibility, diminished capacity, mitigation and aid-in-sentencing, competency to stand trial, Miranda waiver, violence risk assessments, civil commitment, asylum evaluations, parenting evaluations, termination of parental rights evaluations, special education and disability assessments; and consultation.
Training & Related Research Interests: Assessing and determining the relevance of identity factors, including race, ethnicity and culture in forensic evaluations (e.g., Miranda, competency, criminal responsibility, mitigation, and violence risk); pro/low bono work in forensic psychology; teaching, mentoring, and supervising through a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging lens; inclusive teaching practices; white supremacy impacts on teaching, learning, and representation in the field of forensic psychology; serious and persistent mental illness at the crossroads of forensic psychology; changing laws' impacts on forensic practice.
Christine Rainvile, Administrative Assistant
Christine supports the Law & Psychiatry Department, particularly with the Mobile Forensic Psychology Department and Residency Program as well as the Comprehensive Psychology Training Program at UMass Chan Medical School and Worcester Recovery Center Hospital. She enjoys supporting and assisting the postdocs, interns, and practicum students as they develop their educational and career pathways.
Faculty
Shannon Brown, PsyD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Clinical Expertise: Treatment of adults with serious and persistent mental illness; psychological and forensic assessment of adults; forensic mental health evaluations in Massachusetts’ public sector; providing expert testimony for competence to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and civil commitment cases.
Research Interests: Utilization of language interpreters in adult forensic mental health assessment; identification of barriers and factors that promote the use of language interpreters in forensic psychology.
Jeffrey Burl PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Clinical Expertise: Practice interests center around forensic mental health assessment, and he is the primary supervisor on the Forensic Evaluation rotation for the UMass Chan Psychology Internship. He is the former Director of the UMass Chan Internship, and he continues to be involved in various training settings in the School. Additionally, he maintains a practice where he conducts therapy, assessment, and consultation.
Research Interests: Teaching and training methods in psychology training programs, standards of education in forensic psychology, and mental health assessment.
Maxwell Christensen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Clinical Expertise: I have specialized training in forensic psychology and conduct forensic mental health evaluations for adults, including competence to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and assessment of violence risk; I also have clinical interests in the assessment and treatment of substance use disorders and serious mental illness.
Research Interests: Risk assessment, Substance use disorders, Measurement-based care, and treatment outcome monitoring, Teaching and training of students in psychology.
Vera Klinoff, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Vera Klinoff is a forensic evaluator with the UMMS Mobile Forensic Service and a clinical neuropsychologist for UMass Memorial’s outpatient psychiatry neuropsychology service. She obtained her BS in psychology and PhD. in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University. She completed a predoctoral internship in psychology at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, N.C. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology through the Law and Psychiatry Program at UMMS and completed a two-year fellowship in clinical neuropsychology through UMMS. She is bilingual and bicultural and provides services in both English and Spanish. Her clinical and research interests include cross-cultural evaluation and the integration of forensic and neuropsychology.
Ashley MacLean, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Clinical Expertise: Board-certified in Adult Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine. Inpatient psychiatrist on the court evaluation unit of Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital. Clerkship Director for the UMASS Chan Forensic Psychiatry rotation. Council Member – The American Psychiatric Association’s Council of Law and Psychiatry. Member and Prison Representative Consultant for the UMass IRB (Institutional Review Board). UMass Chan Medical School Faculty Council Member.
Research Interests: Psychosis, acute mania, malingering, violence in treatment settings, addiction medicine, psychopathy, complex psychopharmacology, psychosomatic medicine, court, and expert witness testimony, NGRI evaluations, teaching and training of psychiatry residents and fellows.
Emily Padilla, PsyD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Clinical Expertise: Forensic mental health evaluations, risk assessment, psychological assessment, treatment and evaluation of adults with serious mental illness, working with psychology training programs.
Research Interests: Social justice advocacy within psychology and psychology training programs, cultural humility in professional practice, autism within the criminal justice system.
Heidi Putney, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Clinical Expertise: CBT-trained clinical psychologist with an emphasis on anger management and treating problematic sexual behaviors. Dr. Putney specializes in forensic evaluation (competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility) for individuals with serious mental illness.
Research Interests: Public policy reform, program development and evaluation, professional development in psychologists, training in social justice advocacy, and issues related to forensic psychology.
Amam Saleh, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Clinical expertise: Treatment of persons with severe mental illness, legal history, and other complex issues; Violence Prevention and Aggression Management; Consulting on complex cases involving significant risk issues; systems-level risk management; and Training and development of training programs impacting clinical issues.
Research Interests: Interaction between law enforcement and persons with severe mental illness, and Violence Prevention and Management.
Affiliated Professionals for Training
Andrew Bourke, PhD, Western MA Court Clinics, MA Department of Mental Health
Terrie Burda, PsyD, Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital, MA Department of Mental Health
Dan Comiskey, MD, Bridgewater State Hospital
Maryann Davis, PhD, Professor Emerita of Psychiatry, iSPARC at UMass Chan Medical School
Dara Drawbridge, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, iSPARC at UMass Chan Medical School
James Feldman, MD, Massachusetts Mental Health Center
Nathan Frommer, JD, LLM, Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital, MA Department of Mental Health
Laura Grant, PsyD, US Department of Veterans Affairs
Darina Griffin, JD, Board of Registration in Medicine
Jessica Griffin, PsyD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Lifeline for Kids
Bryan Hughes, PsyD, Boston Juvenile Court Clinic, MA Department of Mental Health
Heather Jackson, PsyD, Boston Municipal Court, Department of Mental Health
Bruce Loding, PhD, MIPSB, MA Department of Mental Health
Carla Lourenco, PsyD, Southeast Court Clinics, MA Department of Mental Health
Lauren Lussier, PsyD, Bridgewater State Hospital
Jennifer McAllister, PsyD, ABPP, Plymouth Court Clinic
Adeliza Olivero, MD, Boston Municipal Court, Roxbury Division, Court Clinic MA Department of Mental Health
Arthur Pearson, PhD, Taunton District Court, MA Department of Mental Health
Eden Prendergast, JD, Executive Office of the Trial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Juliana Reiss, PsyD, Western MA Court Clinics, MA Department of Mental Health
Sean Ryan, PhD, Director of Forensic Services, Bridgewater State Hospital
Renee Sorrentino, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Karin Towers, JD, PhD, ABPP, Southeast Court Clinics, MA Department of Mental Health
Kyle Walker, MD, Bridgewater State Hospital
John Young, PsyD, Bridgewater State Hospital