Legal Requirements

The insanity defense is as old as it is controversial. There are times when insanity truly applies and times when it is not easy to determine. In either case, the documentation of services provided to these clients is typically heavily scrutinized by attorneys since documentation is the primary means used by courts to measure insanity as it meets legal standards. This assignment will allow you to examine the legal standards for insanity in your jurisdiction in addition to the requirements for the documentation of services provided to these individuals.

Tasks:

Search your state and regulatory boards, professional associations, state psychology boards, and state psychological associations. Use resources from professional literature to support your response. Professional literature may include relevant textbooks; peer-reviewed journal articles; and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, and .gov).

Write a 3- to 4-page paper, including the following:

What are the legal requirements in your jurisdiction regarding the documentation of services provided by a forensic psychology professional? If not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity (NGRI) and guilty-but-mentally-ill (GBMI) evaluations are not recognized by your jurisdiction, review the legal requirements in a jurisdiction where they are the standard.
What are the specific laws and rules regarding the documentation of psychological services?
What are the differences between the requirements for clinical work and the requirements for forensic work, if any?
What standards are used in your jurisdiction for an insanity plea?
Do the insanity standards identify mental disease or defect with any exclusions, such as substance use? Explain.
How do the standards in your jurisdiction contrast with the standards presented in your course textbooks?
Do the insanity laws specify the presence of cognitive or volitional impairment as a threshold requirement to meet insanity? Provide brief examples.

preview of the answer..

The legal defense of insanity states that an accused person should not be found guilty as a result of his insanity. The premise behind this law is that an insane person does not possess the legal intent necessary to commit a criminal act as the person either does not know the act is wrong or is unable to control their actions even when they understand that the act is wrong (Dripps, 2003). The insanity defense is controversial because it is difficult to define insanity and the scenarios when it can be used to excuse criminal liability are hard to categorize. Although it is only used in few occasions, it often provokes public debate on the few occasions it is used. ..

APA 1025 words