Forensic Psychiatrist in Florida
MorMindful Therapy & Psychiatry of South Florida
Understanding Forensic Psychiatry
Forensic psychiatry is a highly specialized field with a focus on the interplay between psychiatric issues and the law. Forensic psychiatry also deals with the aspect that involves the way mentally disorder offenders are treated in accordance to the law. The legal methods used is such that alternative measures are put in place to ensure that the mentally disorder offenders are given appropriate but also considerate punishment for the offences committed. The breadth of skill required allows for forensic psychiatrist to assist not only in courts but hospital, schools, social service agencies, as well as law enforcement.
Responsibilities of a Forensic Psychiatrist
There are many duties and responsibilities of a forensic psychiatrist but listed below are only a few of them:
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Competency to stand trial
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Psychiatric disability evaluations
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Independent medical evaluations
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Evaluations of emotional distress
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Violence risk assessment
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Immigration evaluations
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Testamentary capacity – evaluation for ability for clients to write will
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Fitness for Duty following a workers’ compensation claim
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Political Asylum
Frequently Asked Questions About Forensic Psychiatry
How useful is forensic psychiatry for legal process?
Lawyers usually consult professionals or experts from various fields and profession during legal process. This is done to help them get reports or findings which they can use for a successful legal process.
During legal process, it is expected that the lawyers seek the attention of experts who are very knowledgeable in the field so that they can get access to vital information which can as well help them in the solving for the last case that happened.
Forensic psychiatry can be useful during legal process when there is a need to determine the mental condition of an offender to know whether or not the crime committed was done with the offender in the right state of mind. this usually help to speed up a legal process as a conclusion can be drawn from the finding made to determine whether the offender is taken to jail or taken to the psychiatric hospital.
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Do forensic psychiatrists take sides during a legal process?
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It is not professional for a forensic psychiatric to support one party over the other during a legal process because they are only required to work with facts and evidences from their research and findings over a particular issue.
They are not expected to be bias. They are only consulted by lawyers during a legal process to determine whether or not a particular offender is mentally fit when a crime is committed. They give unbiased reports based on the information they are able to gather within the areas of their expertise.
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How are Forensic Psychiatrists Paid?​
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It usually depends on the psychiatric involved and also how much he or she is willing to collect in order to work with a lawyer on a particular court case.
They can be paid an hourly fee for a short contract or a short case. In case of long contracts, an agreement will be made between the psychiatrist and the lawyer according to how much the lawyer is willing to pay and the psychiatrist is willing to collect.
There are forensic psychiatrists who work for the government. This set of people is usually paid on a monthly basis since they are placed ion salary. They work on cases which directly involves the government.
Is a forensic psychiatrist the same as a forensic psychologist?
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The right answer is no because forensic psychiatrists are specially trained in schools for several years to be qualified to diagnose and treat a mentally unfit patient. The treatment of this mental disorder usually includes biological evaluation and treatment through laboratory testing.
While on the other hand, forensic psychologist are not trained in medical schools but they are professionally trained with experience which is capable of making them experts in some areas of psychiatry through years of practice.