Assessing Civil Capacities
6 hours | 6 CEs
This on-demand professional training program on Assessing Civil Capacities is presented by Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP.
The program begins with discussing assessment principles that apply to all civil capacity evaluations, regardless of their specific focus. Next, characteristics of good and bad civil capacity evaluations and the reports that summarize them are reviewed using documents extracted from actual cases (i.e., report excerpts, test data, and affidavits).
Then, for several specific rights/capacities, the legal definition/operationalization is offered, followed by a discussion of appropriate assessment strategies. In addition to consideration of specific competencies, including the ability to testify, write a will (testamentary capacity), manage finances, and make health care decisions, related matters are discussed, including undue influence and conducting guardianship/conservatorship evaluations.
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 why civil capacities are typically less well-defined than criminal competencies, and the extra efforts examiners should make when assessing civil capacities in response
Describe predicate impairment(s) that should be present if any opinion of impaired capacity is going to be offered
Describe key components of good civil capacity evaluations and the reports that summarize them
Describe errors that examiners are likely to make when conducting civil capacity evaluations and writing reports summarizing them
Describe the law defining the capacities to testify, execute a will, manage finances, and make health care decisions, and identify and employ resulting strategies for valid assessment of these psycholegal constructs
Describe rights that are often at issue in the context of guardianship/conservatorship proceedings and identify strategies for valid assessment of these rights
Describe “undue influence” as it applies to matters of legal decision making, and identify indicators of it
Presented By
Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP
Dr. Otto is Director of Division of Forensic Behavioral Sciences at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is licensed to practice psychology in Florida and is board certified in clinical psychology and forensic psychology (ABPP). Dr. Otto has authored books...
Curriculum
1. Introduction
2. Overarching Issues
3. Structuring Civil Capacity Assessments
4. Good Evaluations & Reports
5. Specific Civil Capacities
6. Undue Influence
7. Guardianship/Conservatorship
8. Specialized Assessment Tools
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!
CE Sponsorship Information
Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.