May 16, 2023
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Pacific
1.5 Hours
Michael Perlin, JD, and Heather Ellis Cucolo, JD present a live professional training program on Stigma in the Law and the Impact on the Forensic Mental Health Evaluation in partnership with the Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates.
This program will introduce the fundamental case law on the Fourth Amendment’s application to the use of excessive force by law enforcement against persons with a mental disability. Through this law, participants will learn how the Supreme Court has narrowed Fourth Amendment protections and expanded the right of officers to use excessive force without legal consequence.
Additionally, the presentation will introduce participants to the Americans with Disabilities Act and focus on the required steps law enforcement personnel must take to ensure that they are not discriminating against individuals with mental disabilities. Presenters will provide an overview of the ADA legal principles applicable to state and local criminal justice programs.
Throughout the presentation, real-life examples will be used to demonstrate how suggested best practices by law enforcement would effectuate better outcomes for both police and citizens.
This program will cover:
- Statistics on use of excessive force
- Fourth amendment case law on excessive force
- Factual examples demonstrating the failure of statutes and prevailing case law to effectively serve persons with a mental disability
- Title II of the ADA as it relates to excessive force claims
- Detail jurisdictional police protocols that have the potential to better guide law enforcement in their interactions with persons with a mental disability
This program is ideal for lawyers, disability rights advocates, police, police administration, social workers, emergency response technicians, clinicians, and forensic practitioners and all stages of career development.

Intended Audience
This live program is intended for mental health and other allied professionals.

Experience Level
This live program is appropriate for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level clinicians.

CE / CPD Credit
APA, ASWB, CPA, NBCC: Click here for state and other regional board approvals.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program you will be able to:
Describe current statistics and real-life scenarios that exemplify the problems in policing persons with a mental illness or mental disability
Describe the prevailing caselaw that considers excessive force and Fourth Amendment protections for persons with a mental illness or mental disability
Describe how the Americans with Disabilities Act intersects with Fourth Amendment jurisprudence for persons with a mental disability
Describe best practices in law and policing that would benefit persons with a mental disability during interactions with law enforcement

Live Event Policy
Event Communications
All program information will be available on your dashboard after registration. When registering, use an email that is active and that you check regularly. We are not responsible for communications not being received; if you do not add caps@paloaltou.edu to your email safe sender list, our emails are likely to end up in your spam or junk folders.
Cancellation Policy
Have a sudden change of plans and are unable to attend live? No worries, you will be given access to the on-demand version of the program once available.
Event Conduct
Please conduct yourself in a professional manner throughout the event. Our goal is to make this as interactive an experience as possible for all who attend. We reserve the right to remove any participants who are disruptive or who act unprofessionally.
Develop a Specialty Area of Practice
Transforming mental health professionals into experts
Expert Instructors
Professional training developed and delivered by the field's leading experts
CE Credit
Earn CE credit for meaningful professional training that will elevate your practice
Convenience & Flexibility
Learn at your own pace, from wherever you might be!
Program Partner
Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates (MDLPA)
We are proud to partner with Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates, LLC for this training. MDLPA is a boutique educational training company that offers specialized mental disability law consulting, the creation or enhancement of distance learning programs, in-house or online courses, and day or weekend training seminars to reputable organizations, educational institutions, professional groups, and advocacy groups focused on providing advanced knowledge and skills to persons working with marginalized populations.
