Psychologists and psychiatrists increasingly are asked by courts to perform assessments that will assist the court in making legal determinations regarding specific, legally-relevant competencies and capacities of humans. The subjects of these evaluations frequently are menally ill or developmentally disabled persons involvedin criminal or civil legal processes. The proposed project will produce useful, critical analyses of empirical forensic assessment methods in each of seven important areas of legal competence that are addressed by mental health professionals: (1) copetence of criminal and juvenile suspects to waive constitutional rights; (2) compentency to stand trial; (3) capacity for intent (mens rea, """"""""insanity defense""""""""); (4) involuntary civil commitment for mentally ill and/or dangerous persons; (5) competence to consent to medical or psychiatric treatment; (6) competency in life skills (in relation to guardianship of mentally disabled and elderly); and (7) competence of parents (in relation to guardianship of mentally disabled and elderly); and (7) competence of parents (in relation to child custody determinations). The primary work of this project involves a critical review and analysis of existing literature on empirical forensic assessment tools (tests, instruments). The analyses will describe the tests' relatinoships to the law and legal standards for competencies, th adequacy of their construction, their validity and utility when applied to assist courts in competency decisions about the mentally and developmentally disabled, and research needed to improve their construction and use. Models will be produced for both the application of these instruments and research to develop other tests. The project procedure involves compilation and critical review of existing law, legal procedures and practices, and existing psychological and forensic measures used to address legal competency issues. The review process is directed by certain conceptual frameworks drawn from both psychology and from law. The ultimate objective is a series of journal articles and a book-length manuscript that, when disseminated, will provide metnal health practitioners and researchers with a comprehensive review and guide for competent practice and research in forensic assessments related to the aforementioned legal competency areas.
