Course Details

Course Title	Forensic & Correctional Applications of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI)
Date	Varies
Provider	CONCEPT Continuing & Professional Studies (Palo Alto University)
Phone
Email	caps@paloaltou.edu
Website	https://concept.paloaltou.edu/course/Forensic-and-Correctional-Applications-of-the-Personality-Assessment-Inventory?hsLang=en
Location	Online
Credit Hours	9
Instructor(s)	John F. Edens, PhD
Method of Instruction	Online (Asynchronous/Self-paced)
Approving Agency	APA
Course Syllabus

Course Description

NOTE: This 20 hour CE course has been approved for 9 POST CPE hours. In addition to the course description below, relevant course content includes an overview of the PAI, its uses, and defensibility in court when used in a forensic context; Review of specialized reports including the law enforcement selection report; Assessment of psychopathology; Detailed discussion of the validity scales of the PAI and how they affect the validity of PAI protocols; and Assessment of suicidal risk with the PAI. The program provides an overview of the basic design and structure of the PAI and how this measure can be used with forensic populations in an array of contexts (e.g., pre-adjudication, post-adjudication). Forensic applications of the PAI across various referral questions are highlighted, with a description of relevant research and clinical case examples included to enhance the application of the PAI in practice. Interpretive procedures and empirical results pertaining to the PAI in various forensic settings are described. This program overviews the use and interpretation of the PAI for issues of response style, mental disorder, institutional adjustment, and treatment outcome. The importance of self-report assessment in forensic evaluation is discussed, with particular attention to the limitations of other assessment methods and the relevance of pertinent ethical and practice guidelines. The admissibility of expert testimony based on the PAI is addressed, and case examples are reviewed.

Course Objectives

Describe the basic design and structure of the PAI
Describe general interpretive strategies and guidelines for the PAI
Describe the primary PAI scales and indices used to evaluate response style
Describe interpretive strategies for the detection of various forms of response distortion on the PAI
Describe the primary PAI profile characteristics useful for risk assessment
Describe evidence concerning the utility of the PAI in identifying those at increased risk for recidivism and institutional misconduct
Describe the primary PAI indicators that reflect treatment needs of examinees
Describe the utility of the PAI in identifying psychopathology and personality pathology in criminal populations
Describe the primary PAI indicators that provide data regarding treatment responsiveness
Describe the limitations of the PAI with respect to evaluating diverse populations

<o:p></o:p>