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Well
informed and objective assessments are critical to the judicial
decision making process. At Australasian Psychology Services,
as scientist-practitioners, we apply psychological knowledge,
theory and specialist assessment procedures to the understanding
of offending behaviour. Through our comprehensive assessments,
detailed reports and expert testimony, we communicate a psychological
perceptive of offending behaviour to the judiciary. Our assessors
have expertise in conducting assessments at all levels of the
judicial system (including the Parole Board and Child Protection
Services - Department of Human Services), and are familiar with
current legislation, sentencing principles, and available therapeutic
interventions; both within a correctional and community-based
setting. Australasian Psychology Services specialise in the psychological
assessment/formulation of Sexual offences; Violent offences; Impaired mental functioning; Personality Disorder; Intellectually disabled offenders;
Malingering/Feigning; Drug & Alcohol abuse; Cognitive functioning;
and Trauma. We also have extensive experience in the risk assessment/management
planning of sexual, violent, mentally impaired, and intellectually
disabled offenders.
All our assessments are underpinned by evidence-based procedures,
conform to legislative requirements (e.g., Section 97 of the Sentencing
Act, 1991), result in a comprehensive formulation of an individual's
behaviour, and pay attention to the uniqueness of each brief (e.g.,
intellectual disability, a focus on Verdins). By providing
comprehensive and individually tailored assessments, we aim to
reduce the burden on the court system by minimising the drain
on Solicitors' time, reducing the need for adjournments in the
sentencing process (as Judges seek further clarification through
pre-sentence reports), help expedite the client's journey through
the judicial process, and ensure that the judiciary has sufficient
information in the wake of RJE.
Our tailored assessments aim to answer a
specific question/legal brief by utilising a combination of evidence-based
procedures and data collection methods in order to triangulate
the data gathered during the evaluation process. Our multi-pronged
approach may incorporate:
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Clinical Interviews |
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Psychometric Assessments |
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Structural Professional Judgment Guidelines |
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Actuarial Risk Assessments |
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Archival/Historical Records & Reports |
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Behavioural Observations |
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Third Party Information
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In order
for an assessment to be comprehensive, there is a need to examine
a range of psychological factors; which include, emotional, cognitive,
behavioural, intellectual, developmental, executive, educational,
social, organic, neuropsychological, and physiological. Through
the analysis and integration of these elements our assessments
culminate in a comprehensive formulation of the individual and
their offences, drawing connections between their psychological
functioning and aberrant behaviour. Diagnoses are then considered,
future risks elucidated, recommendations formulated, and prognoses
proffered. The types of assessments/reports we specialise in include:
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Psychological/Mental impairment |
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Fitness to plea/Stand trial |
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Psychological competency |
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Mental state and offending |
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Sexual/Violence risk assessment & management |
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Pre-sentence matters/reports |
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Parole reports |
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Detention and Supervision order (DSO) reports |
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