The Forensic Supervisor's Toolkit: Going Beyond the "Checklist" with Purpose, Precision, and Awareness (March 31, 2026) | In Person

The Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy presents:

The Forensic Supervisor's Tooklit: Going Beyond the "Checklist" with Purpose, Precision, and Awareness | March 31, 2026 from 12:30-5PM at ILPPP in Charlottesville, VA

Summary

This interactive workshop, led by Dr. Douglas Lewis, is designed to strengthen supervision in forensic settings by moving beyond task completion toward intentional, informed practice. Attendees will explore strategies for developing supervisees, maintaining role clarity, and navigating institutional systems with greater precision and purpose. Through real-world examples and guided discussion, attendees will learn how to cultivate supervisory awareness that promotes accountability, professional growth, and ethical decision-making within complex forensic environments.

Workshop Description

This workshop provides an in-depth exploration of best practices in supervising trainees in forensic psychology, with an emphasis on grounding supervision in a clear theoretical orientation or supervisory framework. Participants will learn how a structured framework—whether developmental, competency-based, clinical, or integrated—guides feedback, case conceptualization, documentation expectations, and ethical boundaries. This workshop underscores that supervision in forensic settings must be intentional and theory-driven so that trainees understand why certain methods, interventions, or consultation strategies are used rather than relying on ad-hoc instruction or role modeling alone.

Another component of the training focuses on distinguishing competencies tied to forensic-clinical skills from those related to institutional or operational knowledge. Supervisors learn how to differentiate between skills such as psycholegal reasoning, assessment of malingering, report writing, and expert-witness preparation versus setting-specific procedural learning like custody protocols, security expectations, chain-of-command culture, and interagency communication norms. By making this separation explicit, supervisors can more clearly evaluate a trainee’s attainment of core competencies rather than conflating forensic-clinical skills with success or challenges pertaining to institutional processes or workplace adaptation.

The workshop also addresses the emotional labor and the potential for vicarious trauma inherent in forensic settings, including but not limited to correctional facilities, inpatient forensic hospitals, and court-based environments. Supervisors are provided with strategies to help trainees process their exposure to violence, suicide attempts, aggressive conduct, or other potentially traumatic incidents they may witness or hear about during their placement. Supervisors will learn how to create space in supervision for reflection, emotional regulation, and resilience-building practices that prevent desensitization, burnout, or moral injury—while still maintaining role clarity and professional boundaries.

Learning Objectives

By the conclusion of this workshop, attendees will be able to:

1. Describe the essential roles, responsibilities, and ethical boundaries involved in effective forensic supervision.
2. Implement evidence-informed strategies for managing supervisory tasks, personnel, and institutional expectations.
3. Explain how purposeful and reflective supervision contributes to ethical decision-making and professional competence.
4. Integrate institutional knowledge and system awareness into supervisory practices to enhance communication and accountability.

Continuing Education

Participants can recieve up to 4 hours of continuing education credits (CEs) through the ILPPP, which is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor contining education for psychologists. ILPPP maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be sent a Qualtrics survey link to evaluate the training. While completion of the evaluation is not required to be awarded your continuing education credits, we would greatly appreciate your feedback.

$120 Standard Registration

$60 DBHDS/CSB employees

*If you are a DBHDS employee, please use this promo code to get the reduced price: WORKSHOP26