Mental health professionals, more than any other clinicians, encounter legal issues on a regular basis. This book is for anyone in the field, at any stage in their training or practice, who has been perplexed by the complexities at the interface of law and clinical practice.

• Chapter 1: Basics of the Law and Legal System


• Ronald Schouten


• Chapter 2: Civil Commitment


• Ronald Schouten and Philip Candilis


• Chapter 3: Violence Risk Assessment


• Jennifer L. Piel and Ronald Schouten


• Chapter 4: Practice and Malpractice in the Evaluation of Suicidal Patients


• Gary Jacobson


• Chapter 5: Informed Consent


• Ronald Schouten and Kimberly Kumer


• Chapter 6: Guardianships, Conservatorships, and Alternative Forms of Substitute Decision Making


• Ronald Schouten and Rebecca W. Brendel


• Chapter 7: Treatment Refusal


• Ariana Nesbit, Steven K. Hoge, and Debra A. Pinals


• Chapter 8: Malpractice


• Jennifer L. Piel and Phillip J. Resnick


• Chapter 9: Confidentiality and Testimonial Privilege


• Robert Scott Johnson and Ronald Schouten


• Chapter 10: Evaluation of Child Abuse and Neglect


• Matthew Soulier and Catherine Ayoub


• Chapter 11: Juveniles and the Law


• Matthew Lahaie and Robert Kinscherff


• Chapter 12: Mental Health Professionals and the Criminal Justice System


• Reena Kapoor and Alec Buchanan


• Chapter 13: Disability Evaluations


• Marilyn Price


• Chapter 14: Malingering and Factitious Disorder


• Scott Beach and Matt Lahaie


• Chapter 15: Ethics at the Intersection of Mental Health and the Law


• Philip J. Candilis and Navneet Sidhu


• Appendix 1: Sample Letter for Standard Medical Disqualification


• Appendix 2: Sample Letter for Permanent Medical Disqualification


• Appendix 3: Subpoena Form

Dr. Schouten practiced law in Chicago before attending medical school and has combined his legal and medical training to provide consultation and training to a wide variety of groups and individuals. He teaches at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels, and is a regular contributor to the continuing education of physicians, psychologists, social workers, judges, attorneys, and law enforcement. Dr. Schouten is the Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship. He serves as a testifying and consulting expert in civil and criminal matters, and as a consultant to organizations and government agencies on topics ranging from workplace violence to terrorism.