Psychological Assessment of ForensicPsychiatricOutpatients

The 1960s decrease in long-term residential mental health care resulted in former psychiatric patients being admitted to correctional and forensic psychiatric facilities. Although psychologists face challenges in managing and treating this displaced population, assessment data plays a pivotal role in the determination of appropriate aftercare for the men- tally ill parolee. This article discusses the assessment protocol utilized by the Forensic Condi- tional Release Program (CONREP) in California, summarizes data from these patients, and uses case excerpts to illustrate the potential value of assessment with a forensic psychiatric (outpatient) population. Special emphasis is given to the use of the MMPI-2 and Rorschach. Mentally disordered offenders experience significant challenges when transitioning from inpatient settings to the community. Community supervision can decrease their risk of reoffending (Wiederanders, 1992; Wiederanders & Choate, 1994). Often, these patients have a history of substance abuse and felony convictions in addition to their Axis I psychiatric conditions. This complex clinical presentation increases the likelihood of recidivism (Edens & Otto, 2001; Lamb & Weinberger, 2001; Ute & Cotton, 1995). Comprehensive assessment can guide successful treatment planning and aid in decreasing the risk of rehospitalization. In this arti- cle, we discuss the assessment protocol utilized by the Forensic Conditional Release Program (CONREP) in California (Meloy, Haroun, & Schiller, 1990), summarize data from these patients (Bannatyne, Gacono, & Greene, 1999; Nieberding et al., in press), and use case excerpts to illustrate how assessment guides treatment interventions and enhances successful community adjustment for forensicpsychiatricoutpatients in California.