Major Developments in Mental Health Law
Presenter: David Shapiro, Ph.D., ABPP Friday, March 20, 2026 ♦ 10:00am – 12:00pm EDT Zoom Webinar Many psychologists and mental health professionals are aware that their evaluations are often disregarded or misused in courts, but do not realize currents in the legal system that underly these distortions. This webinar will deal with several of these distortions, how they are used, and areas of the law in which we often find them. The first is called Sanism, which is an irrational prejudice against mentally ill individuals; a good example is the attribution of violent behavior to the mentally ill when in fact the relationship between mental illness and violence is quite minimal. The second is called Pretextualism, the use of some questionable or totally inaccurate theory to explain away criminal behavior; an example is the use of non-validated IQ adjustments to justify the imposition of capital punishment. Finally, ordinary common sense is the third in which a prosecutor urges a jury to “ignore all the psychological gobbledygook” and use their common sense in determining whether a defendant was legally insane. These distortions will be explored over a variety of areas in criminal law.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
David Shapiro, Ph.D., ABPP is a Professor Emeritus at the College of Psychology at Nova Southeastern University. He was involved in teaching, training, and research in the forensic concentration. He holds a Diplomate in Forensic Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology (1979). Dr. Shapiro has authored fifteen books and approximately forty peer reviewed articles and book chapters in forensic psychology, ethics, and malpractice issues. He has served on the ethics committees of the American Psychological Association and the American Board of Professional Psychology and has received distinguished Contribution Awards from the American Academy of Forensic Psychology and from Division 42 of the American Psychological Association.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
Participants will be able to:
PROGRAM AGENDA
10:00 am – 10:30 am Innovative concepts in mental health law and their impact of legal changes 10:30 am – 11:00 am Major changes in the concept of competency to stand trial 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Appropriate vs. inappropriate use of mental illness in trial proceedings For additional information on continuing education policies, please visit our web site at http://psychology.nova.edu/ce.
Prices range from $0.00 to $30.00 (price depends on options selected)