Forensic Psychiatry Clinic

Robert Weinstock, MD, Connor Darby, MD, Andrew Kim, MD, JD
Tue & Wed PM

In the Forensic Clinic, residents will have the special opportunity to see the challenges the mentally ill face when they are entangled in the criminal justice system. Residents will work as consultants with Veterans in the Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Program. The VJO Program serves patients with a wide range of mental illness to avoid unnecessary criminalization and extended incarceration. Residents will act as liaisons with local justice system partners, VJO case managers, and primary treatment providers. Additionally, residents will perform evaluations for the Disruptive Behavior Committee (DBC) and Ethics Committee at the VA. Residents will be supervised on how to apply their psychiatric expertise to specific legal questions to formulate forensic reports to assist in this consultative role. Learning objectives include: becoming proficient in making ethics-based clinical decisions; performing violence and sexual violence risk assessments; formulating forensic opinions and writing forensic reports; understanding the specific legal issues that relate to the field of psychiatry and the legal regulation of psychiatry; and developing pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments and strategies for mentally ill persons in the criminal justice system.