The practice of forensic psychology creates a great deal of confusion for many people. The average individual is unsure about the role a forensic psychologist and how they can service the courts, attorneys, and their clients. When most individuals hear the word forensic, they automatically think of homicide reconstruction, blood analysis or other crime scene related topics. The word forensic is simply defined as relating to or dealing with the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems. There are forensic pathologists, criminologists, scientist, and so on.

What is it that a forensic psychology practice does? The role of a forensic psychologist is to educate the trier of fact on a legal matter. In many ways his is different than the goals of a clinical psychologist. A clinical psychologist deals primarily with patients that are seeking treatment for debilitating psychological symptoms. A forensic practice does not provide treatment, but examines clients based on referral objectives set forth by the legal system. The forensic assessment is different from a clinical assessment because factors such as malingering come into play. Clients seeking treatment have little reason to malinger symptoms if they are motivated in treatment. However, participants in criminal and civil courts often have legal and monetary reasons to malinger symptoms.

Members of a forensic practice must also have knowledge of the law and courtroom proceedings. In law, words many times take a different meaning than in clinical settings. For example, the words insanity and competency are very narrowly defined in legal terms. A modern clinical psychologist would never refer to a patient as insane. They may suggest that a person is psychotic or has a thought disorder, but never as being insane. In contrast, courts often refer to people as insane. The legal definition of insanity differs depending upon whether the state in question uses the American Law Institute (ALI) or M'Naghten rule. These rules basically say that a defendant is insane if at the time of the crime, because of a mental deficiency, they are unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of their act and/or are unable to conform to the rules of society. This definition of insanity differs significantly from how a clinician several years ago would have defined it. If a clinician, without proper forensic training, had evaluated a defendant they would not be able to make a proper legal recommendation to the court.

A forensic practice interfaces with the courts in a variety of ways. They have been called on by the officers of the court to assist in criminal, civil, and family in decisions. A forensic team can be valuable to the courts when a defendant's competency is in question. They can also conduct assessments and provide insight during custody battles. A forensic psychologist can also assist the court during a workman's compensation claim.

There are few highly specialized forensic practices in the Westchester County area at this time. When requesting the services of a forensic practice several critical factors must be kept in mind. It is extremely important to remember that a clinical psychologist, although highly skilled, may not be appropriate for the job at hand. In addition the practice must utilize the latest forensic tools available. SLS Health as well as other quality practices currently employ the newest forensic specific psychometric testing procedures. These practices are staffed by qualified M.D./PhD/Psy.D. forensic experts. Another factor to consider is the quality of the assessment. Reports that are written by an experienced evaluator are delivered in a timely manner, are easy to read, are exhaustive in nature, and provide a well-supported recommendation to the court.