Revealing the training on intellectual and developmental disabilities among forensic mental health professionals: a survey report
| Pages | 176-187 |
| Published date | 11 December 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JIDOB-07-2017-0013 |
| Date | 11 December 2017 |
| Author | Jennifer C. Sarrett |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Learning & intellectual disabilities,Offending behaviour,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Deviant behaviour,Education,Special education/gifted education,Emotional/behavioural disorders |
Revealing the training on intellectual
and developmental disabilities among
forensic mental health professionals:
a survey report
Jennifer C. Sarrett
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to assess the training forensic mental health professionals in the USA
receive on intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Given the difficulties obtaining accurate
prevalence rates of these disabilities in criminal justice settings, it is important to understand how these
disabilities are being evaluated and the level of understanding about these disabilities evaluators hold.
Design/methodology/approach –An online survey was distributed to forensic mental health professionals
in the USA that included questions on training opportunities in graduate education, post-graduate forensic
training, and professional training opportunities. Participants were also asked about their current work, how
they assess I/DD, and their estimates on the percentage of cases they see with I/DD.
Findings –Respondents reported some training that focused heavily on assessment methods.
Most respondents estimated between 5 and 25 percent of their cases involving I/DD and reported using
a wide range of assessment methods. Finally, many respondents reporting more training needed in this area.
Practical implications –More training is needed for forensic mental health professionals on identifying I/DD.
Additionally, professional guidelines on what tools and methods to rely on to identify these disabilities is
paramount to ensure homogeneity of methods and, thus, better estimates of overall prevalence in criminal
justice settings.
Originality/value –This is the first assessment focused on how forensic mental health professionals are
trained to identify I/DD and can be used to improve identification of I/DD in forensic settings.
Keywords Assessment methods, Intellectual disability, Autism spectrum disorder, Professional training,
Online survey, Forensic mental health professionals
Paper type Research paper
Identifying intellectual and developmental disabilities(I/DD), such as autism, cognitive impairment,
and learning disabilities in the criminal justice system is a challenging, yet critical, task. Part of the
difficulty comes from the fact that people with mild or borderline I/DD, who are often brought to
police attention (Herrington, 2009) and more likely to go through the criminal justice system, are
difficult to identify without proper training. Forensic psychologist Susan Hayes identified five main
issues relatedto I/DD in the criminal justice system: uncertain prevalence, inappropriate treatment
of offenders with I/DD based on improper identification, a lack of knowledge about I/DD from
professionals working in the system, a lack of good diversionary options, and a shortage of
servicesboth in prisons and in communities(Hayes, 2007). This paper addressesthe first and third
of these concernsby reporting on a surveydistributed to forensic mentalhealth professionalsin the
USA on the amount,timing, and professional trainingthey received on intellectual disability (ID) and
autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The guiding research questions were:
RQ1. What kind of training do forensic mental health professionals report receiving on ID and ASD?
RQ2. How did they get this training?
RQ3. What kind of information was included?
Received 2 July 2017
Revised 31 July 2017
Accepted 31 July 2017
The author would like to thank the
respondents for participating in this
survey and Dr Denis L. Zavodny for
his helpful comments on both the
survey and an early draft of
this paper.
Jennifer C. Sarrett i s a
Lecturer at the Center for
the Study of Human Heal th,
Emory University, Atla nta,
Georgia, USA.
PAGE176
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JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND OFFENDING BEHAVIOUR
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VOL. 8 NO. 4 2017, pp.176-187, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8824 DOI 10.1108/JIDOB-07-2017-0013
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