PY7008 - Assessment and Treatment in Forensic Psychology

You will learn through interactive workshops which will include didactic teaching and practical work. These workshops will give you the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in the understanding and evaluation of theoretical perspectives on risk assessment and treatment in forensic psychology. Directed study will be encouraged through the provision of reading lists including pertinent research articles that accompany the workshops, and the provision of study questions and topics to read in preparation for subsequent sessions. You will be encouraged to engage in critical analysis via independent study and self-reflection throughout this module through which you will develop conceptual knowledge of the topic areas whilst considering their application in real-world settings.

Module tutors will support you by making a variety of resources linked to the teaching sessions and assessments available on the eLearning Portal (e.g. PowerPoint slides, activities and tasks, supplementary materials, reading lists) to encourage further exploration of the topics. Discussion boards on the eLearning portal will be available for students to pose and respond to questions among peers and to module tutors. This enhances collegiality and also means that support is available to all students. Drop-in sessions will support the delivery of workshops. Technology- enabled learning through the use of eLearning Portal is embedded in the module.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
MK&U1. Develop a critical understanding of psychologically informed risk assessment and treatment in a forensic context.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
MIPSA1. Develop skills in the administration of a forensic risk assessment tool called the HCR-20 using a fictional case study.

MIPSA2. Develop written and verbal communication skills in relation to forensic risk assessment and treatment.

MIPSA3. Develop reflective skills relating to learning and development.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
MPVA1. Apply relevant ethical, legal and professional practice frameworks, e.g., BPS, HCPC and Interact in a professional manner with a range of stakeholders.

Formative assessment:
You will have the opportunity to take part in role-plays with your peers wherein you will practice clinical interviewing/ assessment skills, in addition to providing feedback on a ‘mock’ assessment report. You will be provided with feedback from module tutors. MIPSA2; MPVA1.

Summative assessment:
The module comprises one integrated risk assessment and reflection assignment which has three parts:

Part A (70%): A 2500-word professional risk assessment report based on a fictional case study. The report requires critical coverage of relevant literature and research relevant to risk assessment and the case study.
Part B (20%): A 200-word ‘easy read’ letter to the service user summarising the report written for Part A to include images/ pictures.
Part C (10%): A 500-word reflective account summarising your learning and development of knowledge from this module [.

This assignment assesses all module learning outcomes: MK&U1, MIPSA1, MIPSA2, MIPSA3, and MPVA1

Feedback:
Feedback will be provided on the electronic submission of the summative assessment in the form of a level-specific rubric. Additional written comments will be provided that identify strengths and areas for improvement

General feedback is provided via the eLearning Portal. Cohort mean, standard deviation and distributions of marks for the are provided so students can compare their performance with that of their cohort.

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This module will cover the assessment and treatment of people who commit crime. You will learn about the concept and importance of risk in forensic psychology, the evolution of risk assessment, risk factors for offending behaviour and protective factors, risk assessment tools for violent offending, including their evaluation and case formulation. You will learn how forensic treatment has evolved, common treatment approaches and how to evaluate treatment. Leading academics and practitioners will bring their applied knowledge of working in this area into class. Your understanding of forensic assessment and treatment will be assessed, along with your ability to reflect on learning from the module.