Applied Forensic Clinical Experience
This fellowship provides forensic training across inpatient, court, and community settings. We believe that it is consistent with good preparation for a forensic psychology career for fellows to obtain experience in multiple settings.
Inpatient Sites: Fellows will complete the first 6-months of the fellowship year at Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital (WRCH), a state hospital, where they will conduct inpatient evaluations. The second half of the year, two of the three fellows (based on level of interest) will complete a rotation at Bridgewater State Hospital, a maximum-security forensic hospital for males, run by the Department of Corrections in conjunction with Wellpath. The third fellow will continue at WRCH for the second half of the year.
Court Clinics: Each fellow will also complete a six-month, one-day-per-week, rotation at an adult court clinic. Court clinics consist of forensic psychologists and social workers who provide on-site rapid forensic evaluations and consultation to the courts. As described above, fellows will participate in a court-clinic rotation for six months of the year.
In addition to court-ordered evaluations, there are opportunities to provide violence risk assessment consultations to hospitals and community providers. Additional rotations, dependent on the interest of fellows, may also be available.
Forensic Experience Training Sites
We collaborate with several public sector forensic evaluation services and teams throughout Massachusetts to provide the above training experiences. The following are brief descriptions of those sites.
Worcester Recovery Center Hospital (WRCH)
Adjacent to the UMass Chan campus, is a Department of Mental Health facility that provides both treatment and evaluation services to both men and women. Forensic evaluation services are provided by a team of Forensic Psychologists through a contract with the UMass Chan Law and Psychiatry Program. This team provides the courts pre- and post-trial evaluations (e.g. competence to stand trial, criminal responsibility, aid in sentencing, as well as need for commitment) of defendants, as well as prisoners in need of treatment. Violence risk assessments are also provided to the treatment teams regarding patients with violence histories who are being considered for increased privileges or discharges. Consultations may also be provided to outpatient providers regarding clients with significant histories of violence. In addition, similar services may be provided at other Department of Mental Health facilities.
Bridgewater State Hospital (BSH)
Individuals housed at BSH undergo pre- and post-trial evaluations for the courts, including those for competence to stand trial, criminal responsibility, aid in sentencing, and need for civil commitment. Given its designation as a strict-security facility, BSH is often selected by the courts to manage the risk and treatment needs of individuals with extensive psychiatric and violent histories. The Massachusetts Department of Correction contracts with Wellpath to provide operations to the hospital.
Court Clinics: Each fellow will also complete a six-month, one-day-per-week, rotation at an adult or juvenile court clinic (based on interest). Court clinics consist of forensic psychologists and social workers who provide on-site rapid forensic evaluations, expert testimony, and consultation to the courts.
In addition to court-ordered evaluations, there are opportunities to provide violence risk assessment consultations to hospitals and community providers. Additional minor rotations, dependent on the interest of fellows, may also be available (e.g., neuropsychology).
Supervision of all forensic evaluations is provided by licensed clinical forensic psychologists who have been certified by the Department of Mental Health as Designated Forensic Psychologists (DFPs). Primary supervisors at all sites prepare written evaluations of Fellows each quarter. These evaluations are then reviewed with the fellow by the primary supervisor, and are signed by both parties. Both parties receive a copy. In the event of an issue or problem, the program’s Due Process and Grievance Policies are utilized. The signed evaluation forms are sent to Dr. Murray, the Program Director. The Director reviews these evaluations with the Fellows and sets goals and expectations for satisfactory completion of the rotations and program. At the end of the fellowship year, the Training Director also completes and reviews the Core Competencies Evaluation Form with each fellow and the two discuss the fellow’s overall performance over the training year; both parties sign this form and receive a copy. In addition, fellows will have weekly individual supervision sessions with Dr. Murray to integrate their clinical and didactic experiences as well as regular weekly supervision sessions with their research supervisor focusing on research topics.
Fellows are asked to provide evaluations of their supervision (and all other aspects of the training program), each quarter as well.