- To provide a comprehensive educational experience for Forensic Fellows focusing on psychiatric subspecialty knowledge using ACGME guidelines and skills necessary to ethically apply scientific and clinical expertise in the following areas:
- Medical legal issues of criminal law
- Medical legal issues concerning civil law
- Medical legal issues involving correctional psychiatry
- Provision of consult services on forensic psychiatry issues to general psychiatry and the legal regulation of psychiatry
- Providing psychiatric evaluation and treatment to those individuals in correctional facilities or other forensic settings
- Providing the Fellows with opportunities to perform scholarly work specific to Forensic Psychiatry which will contribute to knowledge in the field.
The following is a list of didactic core curriculum materials provided to meet the objectives of the first goal of Fellowship Training.
- Forensic Didactic Core Curriculum Seminar Series.
- Expert Witness Legal Seminar.
- Seminar in Landmark Cases.
- Clinical Forensic Psychiatry Seminar.
- Forensic Journal Club/Research Seminar.
The Fellows will have approximately 20 to 25 hours per week of clinical/forensic experience. The bulk of this experience is provided in five settings.
The Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System, Forensic Division (ELMHS) in Jackson, Louisiana
New Orleans Forensic Aftercare Clinic
Orleans Parish Criminal District Court
Child Custody and Mediation Clinic
On site supervision of the above clinical experience is provided by
John W. Thompson, Jr., M.D., Herman Soong, M.D., and Jose Artecona, M.D., (ELMHS)
Sarah DeLand, M.D., (Orleans Criminal District Court)
Sarah DeLand, M.D. (Orleans Forensic Aftercare)
Karen Van Beyer, Ph.D. (Child Custody and Mediation Clinic)
The Fellows are supervised in writing psychiatric reports and in testifying in court. These supervised experiences occur at numerous criminal courts within the state of Louisiana, as patients are referred throughout the state to various courts from the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System after restoration of competency and for release hearings.
The Fellows work with faculty members on private cases in both civil and criminal law. This participation includes involvement in consultation with attorneys, examination of individuals referred for forensic evaluation, review of all relevant written materials, writing of forensic reports, preparation of testimony, and observation of psychiatric testimony. Supervision is provided by all faculty members listed.
Additional Fellowship Opportunities:
- The Fellows are expected to gain experience in teaching psychiatry and forensic psychiatry to psychiatric residents at the Tulane Medical Center.
- Fellows perform scholarly work during the year with supervision from faculty. Opportunities include writing a legal digest article for the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Grand Rounds presentations at Tulane, or preparing a manuscript suitable for publication.
- Fellows attend the AAPL Meeting and Forensic Psychiatry Review Course each year. A stipend is provided to assist in fellow attendance.
- Fellows are encouraged to present one Grand Rounds presentation a year to Tulane medical students/residents.
Evaluation Criteria, Process, and Follow-up:
- The evaluation and criteria include the Fellows' clinical observations and clinical interview skills; responsibility, industry, and involvement; ability to form working relationships with patients and to implement appropriate treatment procedures; forensic report writing abilities; ability to work with staff members and attorneys.
- The Fellow Evaluation Form will be distributed to faculty members directly supervising the Fellows for completion and submission to the Fellowship Director.
- The evaluation will occur on a quarterly basis.
- The Fellows will complete a written and oral exam on landmark cases and forensic topics at the middle and end of their fellowship year.
- The Fellows are responsible for evaluating the Fellowship quarterly. Evaluation categories cover didactic and supervisory experiences.
- Fellows meet on a monthly basis with faculty members of Tulane's Forensic Division and provide feedback to faculty that is incorporated into the training process.
