Program description
The fellowship is designed to train psychiatrists in law and psychiatry who will devote their careers to practice, teaching, and research in forensic psychiatry. Although the program presents a firm theoretical background, its major strength lies in teaching the pragmatic skills of performing evaluations, detecting malingering, and critical thinking about complex reasoning in writing forensic reports. Fellows also receive instruction in teaching methods. Videotapes of mock testimony of fellows are used in teaching courtroom skills.

Since the service requirement is less than four days per week, fellows have the opportunity to participate in research and a wide array of civil cases, such as PTSD, disability, guardianship, workers compensation, and psychiatric malpractice. Our library contains 100 educational forensic videotapes. Extensive supervision by Stephen Noffsinger, M.D., Phillip Resnick, M.D. and Susan Hatters-Friedman, M.D. is a major strength of the program.

The faculty includes six fellowship-trained forensic psychiatrists with Added Qualifications in Forensic Psychiatry. Fellows take courses at CWRU Law School and participate in a seminar on Landmark Mental Health Law Cases. Clinical experience in a criminal court psychiatric clinic, juvenile court psychiatric clinic, county jail and inpatient forensic unit are tailored to the interests of each fellow.

Fringe benefits include fully paid trips to the annual meeting of AAPL, the AAPL Forensic Psychiatry Review Course, and Midwest AAPL; and a $500 book allowance.