MDLPA: Mental Illness, Dangerousness, the Police Power, and Risk Assessment
20 hours | 20 CEs
This on-demand professional training program on Mental Illness, Dangerousness, the Police Power, and Risk Assessment is presented by Michael L. Perlin, JD, and Heather Ellis Cucolo, JD, in partnership with Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates (MDLPA). This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts towards a certificate. Enroll in this program to earn credit towards Mental Disability Law Certificate and share your new digital credentials with prospective employers and colleagues.
This program deals with the relationship between mental illness, dangerous behavior, and police power, the ability of mental health professionals to predict dangerousness, and the significance of risk assessment instruments for a variety of decisions to be made in the legal system. Participants discover how these relationships and concepts play out in a variety of settings, including involuntary civil commitments, right to refuse treatment, insanity defense acquittee retention hearings, sex offender status hearings, sentencing cases, death penalty ‘future dangerousness’ inquiries, death penalty mitigation hearings, and Tarasoff (duty to protect) cases in civil law.
Intended Audience
This on-demand professional training program is intended for mental health and other allied professionals
Experience Level
This on-demand professional training 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 the relationship between mental illness, dangerous behavior, and the police power
Describe the perceived and actual relationship between mental disorders and violence
Describe how violence is assessed clinically and actuarially (structured and unstructured)
Describe the significance of the Police Power in the commitment process
Describe the ability of mental health professionals to predict dangerousness
Describe the significance of the Parens Patriae power in the commitment process
Describe the significance of risk Assessmentinstruments for decision-making in the legal system
Describe the extent to which the public misapprehends the relationship between mental illness and dangerousness
Describe the significance of the MacArthur Network Research
Describe the relationship between basic involuntary civil commitment principles and risk assessment
Presented By
Heather Ellis Cucolo, JD
Heather Ellis Cucolo is a Distinguished Adjunct professor of law and the facilitator of the joint JD/MA program with John Jay College of Criminal Justice, at New York Law School (NYLS). She is also an adjunct professor in the JM Program at Emory University School of Law, and a Fellowship faculty mem...
Presented By
Michael Perlin, JD
Michael L. Perlin is Professor of Law Emeritus at New York Law School (NYLS), founding director of NYLS’s Online Mental Disability Law Program, and founding director of NYLS’s International Mental Disability Law Reform Project in its Justice Action Center. He is also the co-founder of Mental Di...
Curriculum
1. Introduction
2. Mental Illness and Dangerousness
3. Use of Police Power
4. Violence and Risk Assessment
5. Dangerousness
6. Right to Refuse Treatment
7. Risk Assessment
8. Retention Hearings
9. Death Penalty
10. Duty to Protect
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, LLC
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.
