Program Description

 

1. TRAINING EXPERIENCES

Acute Assessment and Treatment Unit
Under supervision, residents gain expertise in court ordered assessments of fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility and report writing (including complex or high profile cases). They are involved in the management and treatment of remanded patients with the multidisciplinary team. Residents also provide court testimonies if the opportunity arises.

Forensic Rehabilitation Units
Along with the multidisciplinary team, residents develop recovery-based rehabilitation and risk management plans for patients found unfit to stand trial or not criminally responsible (NCR). Residents write reports for the Alberta Review Board (ARB), which include a formal risk assessment, and provide testimonies at ARB hearings. In addition, residents are invited to participate in a CBT therapeutic group for high-risk patients.

Forensic Assessment and Community Services (FACS)
Residents are involved in assessment and treatment of individuals participating in sexual behavior disorder programs and domestic violence program. Attendance of the Edmonton Mental Health Court gives residents excellent opportunities to conduct real time assessments and give brief court testimonies. On an outpatient basis, residents continue to complete court-ordered assessments. They are involved in treatment and risk management of select outpatients under the ARB.

Young Offender Programs
Our program offers a truly unique exposure to young offenders. On the inpatient unit (Turningpoint Program), residents complete presentence assessments (Section 34 of the Criminal Code) and the Intensive Rehabilitative Custody Supervision (IRCS) assessments. Resident treat incarcerated youth certified under the Mental Health Act and may report on unfit or NCR youths during ARB hearings. Residents also have the opportunity to attend the outpatient Centerpoint Program, to access presentence assessments and treatment cases referred by the courts, probation, and community agencies.

Correctional Psychiatry
The Edmonton Remand Centre provides our residents with more opportunity to be involved in court ordered assessments, including high risk offender assessments. In our provincial and federal correctional facilities trainees become familiar with the running of clinics and the uniqueness of the correctional environment.

Civil Forensic Psychiatry
This experience provide exposure to various assessments depending on availability, including assessment of risk for workplace misconduct and occupational safety, fitness for duty, psychiatric disability claims, assessment of parenting capacity.

Forensic Research
Residents have the option to be involved in multiple ongoing research projects or to start their own research. Examples of ongoing projects include (1) researching  the effectiveness of the Edmonton Mental Health Court, (2) performing  applied research with the Alberta NCR population, (3) working on long term follow-up data from the Phoenix Program (a former sexual offender program at Alberta Hospital Edmonton).

2. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Residents are expected to participate in educational activities which include but are not limited to a weekly forensic seminar series, forensic grand rounds and journal club and an mock trial.

FORENSIC GRAND ROUNDS SCHEDULE:
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=ualberta.ca_61h2vnjo93biq4usfbanvvqes4%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Edmonton