May 29, 2025
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Pacific
1.5 Hours | 1.5 CEs
Live Training via Zoom
Michael Perlin, JD and Heather Ellis Cucolo, JD present a live virtual professional training program on Landmark Criminal Law and Procedure Cases Involving Persons with Mental Disabilities in partnership with the Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates, LLC.
This program will discuss and analyze key decisions (predominantly by the US Supreme Court) in criminal law and procedure that forensic mental health professionals must understand. We will cover the most relevant and precedent-setting cases in this area and explain the ethical, legal, and practical outcomes of the case holdings.
Having a background in these particular constitutional and policy-driven cases is necessary to enhance expert testimony, advocacy, judicial education, community and correctional programs, and overall competence in understanding the criminal system as it relates to persons with a mental or developmental disability.
Training Outline:
- Substantive standards
- Procedural issues
- Substantive standards
- Procedural issues
- Confessions
- Testimony as to dangerousness
- Mitigation
- Intellectual disabilitiesn
- Serious mental illness

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 key U.S. Supreme Court decisions as they apply to forensic science
Describe which factors contribute to caselaw decisions for persons with a mental or developmental disability
Describe the significance of quality of counsel and expert testimony

Live Event Policy
Registration for our live events is covered for one (1) person per purchase. If you would like to purchase for a group, please contact our group training team.
Event Communications
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. Please note if you attend live, no access to the recording will be given.
Event Conduct
Professional conduct is expected during our live programs. Our goal is to make our events as interactive as possible for all participants. We reserve the right to remove any participants who are disruptive, act unprofessionally, or who we are unable to verify their purchase.
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.

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.