Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Clinical-forensic psychology in Canada: A survey of practitioner characteristics, attitudes, and psychological assessment practices.

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In this study, we conducted a practice survey to obtain an overview of the demographic characteristics, education, and clinical training of 110 Canadian psychologists in forensic practice. Using an online survey, we gathered information about current clinical practices, types of forensic psychological assessments used, and involvement in court-ordered forensic evaluations. Although most practitioners received some exposure to clinical-forensic psychology during their education, only 47% of doctoral-level respondents reported completing formal training during their predoctoral residency. Participants reported working primarily in correctional facilities, independent practice, forensic hospitals, and outpatient forensic clinics. The most commonly performed types of forensic psychological evaluations were violence risk assessments (70%), general risk assessments (54%), and presentence assessments (30%). Despite limited involvement in fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility assessments, participants overwhelmingly endorsed the opinion that psychologists are qualified to conduct these evaluations independently in Canada. Our findings suggest a need to increase clinical training opportunities in forensic psychology and advocate for independent practice in court-ordered assessments in Canada. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)