Forensic psychological assessment tools developed by Dr. Faltin and Associates
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Unpublished letters of Sigmund Freud
BASIC FITNESS FOR TRIAL TEST
Copyright © 2001 By Dr. Robert Faltin & Heather Fikowski
Dr. Faltin
6529 111 Street
Edmonton, AB, Canada T6H 4R5
OVERVIEW
Evaluation of basic legal knowledge and attitudes necessary for Fitness to Stand Trial, based on the Criminal
Code of CanadaAges: 16 years through adult
Administration: 30 to 45 minutes; structured interview
Many mentally ill and deficient offenders assessed for Fitness to Stand Trial have difficulty with the complexity of presently available structured testing materials. Yet, in defense of civil liberty it remains essential to move these people from the psychiatric setting through the legal system as soon as possible.
In our attempt to construct a basic-yet-sufficient fitness for trial measure we have worked for seven years with defense attorneys, psychiatrists, prosecutors, and the Alberta Board of Review, and developed the Basic Fitness For Trial Test.
The BFFTT asks 30 questions. Going through the interview, the examiner will be able to evaluate the individual’s strengths, weaknesses, attitudes, mental flexibility, and ability to work with counsel. Correct answers can be provided to the accused and the process repeated until the individual understands the issues involved in fitness for trial.
Repeat measures, particularly when contrasted with psychometric results, also help to document malingered fitness incompetence.
In addition to the BFFTT, we provide a worksheet which can be used in one-to-one interviews, in group fitness for trial training session, or left with the patient / inmate for individual study. Our experience is that availability of this worksheet improves success, particularly with delusional and/or cognitively compromised but otherwise motivated individuals.
Level C user qualifications apply (the purchaser must be a member of a regulated professional body). Please indicate where on the Internet we can confirm your membership and address.
No cost to qualified users.
Copyright © 2001 By Dr. Robert Faltin & Heather Fikowski
Dr. Faltin
6529 111 Street
Edmonton, AB, Canada T6H 4R5
OVERVIEW
Purpose:
Assessment of mental state and attitude.Ages:
16 years through adult.Administration:
15 to 30 minutes; Self-report, format. The Forensic Inpatient Sentence Completion is an assessment tool designed to elicit responses describing the patient/inmate’s attitude toward the most relevant issues surrounding Fitness for Trial and Mental State at the Time of Offense determinations. The FISC was developed over the last four years to serve the needs of assessors in a setting that deals with acutely mentally ill criminal offenders and those accused of crimes and referred for assessment.Based on 5 specific themes, the FISC contains 44 items which examine the individual’s attitude toward the legal system, family and friends, past and future events, personal experiences, and values. In an unobtrusive format, the FISC often provides a surprisingly clear overview of the patient/inmate’s mental geography.
While FITNESS FOR TRIAL requires an evaluation of relevant legal knowledge, the FISC helps us to understand the individual’s attitude toward the justice system, specifically lawyers, judges, courts, charges, and police. Together, the FISC and the Basic Fitness for Trial Test (BFFTT) make a potent yet concise evaluation package.
Ongoing research with the FISC looks at establishing a numerical way of evaluating the ‘deep structure’ of the patient’s responses in each thematic category.
Level C user qualifications apply (the purchaser must be a member of a regulated professional body). Please provide an internet address to confirm your member registration and mailing address. No cost to qualified users.