Didactic work includes a yearlong lecture series that covers all aspects of forensic psychiatry. In addition, fellows will participate in seminars on legal philosophy, landmark cases, and psychiatric and forensic ethics. They will also partake in journal club, case reviews, and the training of general residents. The lecture series are conducted by faculty from forensic fellowship programs located in both New York City and New Jersey. These include New York University, Rutgers University, Montefiore/AECOM, and Columbia University. Fellows will also attend lectures given by private forensic psychiatrists, lawyers and judges. Fellows participate in a mock trial, in addition to testifying in the cases that they have evaluated and prepared formal reports. There are also monthly preceptorships with senior faculty in private and civil forensic expert work.

Training Experience: Clinical

We train our fellows at numerous sites, where they will become proficient in all areas of Forensic Psychiatry. These include:

Correctional Health Services Court Clinic
Bronx Psychiatric Center
Bronx Mental Health Court/Bronx TASC Mental Health Program
Correctional Health Services (Rikers Island)
Sing Sing Correctional Facility
Westchester Jewish Community Services

Through these rotations, our fellows gain experience in the following areas:

Court-ordered forensic evaluations of adult and child cases
Examination and treatment of criminal offenders (including sex offenders)
Dangerousness assessments
Child Custody
Mental Health Court-Based Diversion
Immigration
Veterans Affairs
Evaluation and treatment of insanity acquittees
Correctional mental health administration and treatment
Civil assessments for involuntary hospitalization, treatment over objection, outpatient commitment, immigration relief, and guardianship

Over the course of their training, fellows will have ample opportunity to give courtroom testimony.

Supervision

All fellows receive at least 90 minutes of formal supervision from the Program Director and/or Associate Fellowship Program Director on a weekly basis, in addition to weekly supervision by each individual site director at their assigned rotations. We encourage close collaboration and mentorship and offer after-hours supervision and ongoing, informal guidance, as needed.

Seminars

Fellows participate in a yearlong, weekly full-day didactic program consisting of seminars in the fundamentals of criminal and civil forensic psychiatry, forensic research and ethics, correctional psychiatry, and landmark cases. They will also participate in a journal club.

This is augmented by a July and August orientation to forensic practice, risk assessment, and relevant New York State law as well as participation as student and teacher in the forensic curriculum for the medical students and psychiatric residents.

In addition, we encourage fellows to submit abstracts for annual meeting presentations. Past submissions have covered a wide range of topics, including: