Review (PDF) The Portable Guide To Testifying In Court For Mental Health Professionals: An A-Z Guide To Being An Effective Witness
A one-stop guide to testifying in court for mental health professionals Even the most seasoned mental health professionals can find themselves unnerved by the prospect of appearing in court, especially when presented with it for the first time. Those in the mental health field usually have no formal preparation for testifying in court, even though they often play an important part in many types of cases. The Portable Guide to Testifying in Court for Mental Health Professionals provides a concise yet comprehensive guide for practitioners preparing to appear in court. The authors employ their combined decades of legal work in the mental health field to provide a clear, no-nonsense handbook of what to expect, how to prepare, and what to look out for when testifying in court. Along with a general introduction to courts and the legal system, the text details topics such as: * Testifying both as an expert and involuntary witness * Protecting clients when bringing therapy into testimony * Preparing for testimony * Tips to use and lawyers' tricks to look out for when testifying in court Throughout the book, Bernstein and Hartsell use detailed case studies to provide specific examples. In addition, "legal light bulbs" offer important tips and facts, and appendices list relevant Web resources and provide common legal forms. A one-of-a-kind resource, The Portable Guide to Testifying in Court for Mental Health Professionals gives a complete view of your role in courtroom proceedings, offering a vital tool for both legal and mental health practices.
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (July 13, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0471465526
ISBN-13: 978-0471465522
Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 0.6 x 9.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #124,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #12 in Books > Law > Rules & Procedures > Witnesses #52 in Books > Medical Books > Psychology > Forensic Psychology #91 in Books > Law > Rules & Procedures > Civil Procedure
Having been a practicing Licensed Clinical Social Worker for about 33 years now, I have, from time to time (thank goodness, rarely) found myself on the stand as either a 'simple' witness or, at times, as a certified expert witness. The experiences are amongst the most challenging and can be among the most awkward and unsettling of all of those a professional psychotherapist can have. How to answer questions and give helpful and relevant information without violating client confidentiality and without winding up being held in contempt for refusing to answer and chancing jail time for one's self is no situation for either amateurs, the inexperienced or the timid of heart. It is also no place for the uninformed. It is the last of these requisites that is nicely addressed in the book at hand.Understanding that the handling of giving legal testimony requires some deeper-than-rudimentary orientation to the legal/court system itself, the meaning of testimony and the specific consequences and expectations once one is presented as an 'expert' are taken into account as one can plainly see initially by scanning the Table of Contents. The basic organization of the volume speaks volumes, in-and-of itself about the understanding by the authors of the importance of these issues. The book is presented in eight parts, as follows:1. The Judicial System2. Testimony Versus Therapy3. Preparing For Testimony4. In The Courtroom5. The Expert Witness's Tools6. Other Expert WitnessesThere is also an extensive set of Appendices that include sample forms, motions and other useful sources of relevant information - both in print and on line.
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