Program description
A strong academic orientation, an emphasis on public policy, and exposure to a large breadth of clinical experiences allow the fellowship to be tailored to the interests of each fellow. Developing the skills of critical analysis and writing for the courts is emphasized. An elective month and considerable protected time for expert witness work and academic projects makes this program unique.

The over 250 hours of didactics, include frequent collaboration with forensic psychology and occasionally with other nearby forensic psychiatry fellowships. An academic project is chosen early in the year with over two weeks of research time protected for it\'s initial development. Presentation at AAPL is strongly encouraged. Given that the clinical responsibilities are less than 4 days per week, the fellows have ample opportunity to choose from a number of scholarly activities to pursue. Additionally, those interested in advocacy and public policy will be afforded opportunities to participate on national, state and local levels including projects with the Georgia Division of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

The program has multiple clinical sites including two forensic psychiatric hospitals in Georgia, Augusta State Medical Prison, MCG Consult-Liaison and Forensic Private Practices which emphasize expert witness work. This allows a breadth of clinical experience ranging from maximum security forensic patients to minimal security patients in a step down program involved in work study programs. A wide range of civil and criminal forensic evaluations are performed. The fellow is afforded the opportunity of a one month elective in the latter half of the year, to further develop their skills in an area of particular interest.

Faculty members include psychiatrists with subspecialty certification in forensic psychiatry, forensic psychologists, lawyers (from the medical school and hospital), judges, law enforcement officers, and other professionals with special interests and expertise in branches of forensic mental health.

Fringe benefits include fully paid trips to the annual AAPL meeting and the forensic review course.