Forensic Conference

Commissioner Patrick J. Connaghan has been the Probate Commissioner for the 22^nd Judicial Circuit (City of St. Louis) since 2007. His responsibilities include supervision of all aspects of decedent and guardianship estates, as well as all mental health civil commitment proceedings. He is the president of the Missouri Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges and serves as chairman of the association’s mental health committee. Prior to his appointment as probate commissioner, he served for 12 years as general counsel for the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen and was also in private practice. He is a 2009 Science and Technology Fellow for The Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center (ASTAR) in Washington, D.C. In 2014, Commissioner Connaghan received the Isabella Horton Grant Award from the National College of Probate Judges for outstanding achievements in the field of adult and minor guardianships.

Tracy Crocker is a Probation and Parole Officer who has been employed with the Department of Corrections for four years and currently supervises the sex offender caseload at the District 12 office.  Ms. Crocker has a Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral Science from Missouri Baptist University.     

Kay Crockett, LCSW has been employed with the Department of Corrections for 20 years; 18 as the Victim Service Coordinator and two as a Treatment Compliance Specialist within the Division of Probation and Parole.  She is a clinical member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, and a member of the Coalition against Domestic and Sexual Violence. She previously co-facilitated group treatment for Sex Offenders, Victims, and Mothers of Victims within the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services in Dallas County for approximately 10 years.

Joel Dvoskin, PhD is a clinical psychologist, and a Diplomate in Forensic Psychology of the American board of Professional Psychology. He is also a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the American Psychology-Law Society. He is past President of the APA Psychologist in Public Service and also of the American Psychology-Law Society. He has published extensively on treatment of persons with serious mental illness. He is qualified as an expert witness in numerous state and federal courts. Dr. Dvoskin is a member of several expert teams for the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice focusing on the rights of inmates, detainees, and patients housed in secure confinement. He has served as Acting Commission of Mental Health for the State of New York. He also has served as a consultant in the design of new psychiatric hospitals, including Fulton State Hospital.

Bridget Graham, PsyD is a Missouri licensed psychologist and Health Service Provider. She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University, interned at the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium, and completed her post-doctoral residency at the Sexual Offender Rehab and Treatment Center (formerly MSOTC). Her clinical interests include sex offender assessment and treatment, forensic assessment, personality disorders, psychopathy, and expert witness testimony. She is currently working on the forensic competency restoration unit. 

Amy L. Griffith, PhD currently serves as the Clinical Director and SVP Psychologist for the Missouri Sex Offender Program, where she has developed a new, empirically-based targeted treatment program for individuals incarcerated for having committed sexual offenses in the Missouri Department of Corrections.  In addition, she has conducted Sexually Violent Predator evaluations for the State of Missouri. Her background includes providing treatment for civilly-committed Sexually Violent Predator populations, as well as for male and female sex offenders in the community. She has also worked with adolescents who have sexually abused, children with sexual behavior problems, and victims of sexual abuse and trauma.

Cora Haynes is the Program Compliance Administrator who has been employed with the Department of Corrections for approximately seventeen years.  Ms. Haynes has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science and a Master of Science degree in Criminology from Indiana State University.   During her tenure with the Department she has held the position of Probation and Parole Officer, Unit Supervisor and District Administrator.   Ms. Haynes worked approximately three years with the Department of Mental health and the Council on Domestic Abuse. 

Jeff Kline, PhD is a psychologist and Certified Forensic Examiner at Fulton State Hospital where he performs evaluations of Competency to Stand Trial, Mental State at Time of Criminal Offense, Diminished Capacity, and Sexually Violent Predators. He earned his doctorate at Indiana State University.

Greg Markway, PhD is Director of Forensic Services for the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Previously, he was with the Missouri Department of Corrections where he served as an Assistant Division Director overseeing the Department’s mental health and sex offender services. He served as chair of the National Institute of Corrections Mental Health Directors Network during 2013 and 2014. He completed in internship in forensic psychology at Norristown (Pennsylvania) State Hospital, and began his career at the St. Louis City Juvenile Court. He served as an Instructor in Medical Psychiatry at the Washington University School of Medicine where he taught and supervised psychiatry residents.

Heather McMahon, PhD is a psychologist and Certified Forensic Examiner with the Missouri Department of Mental Health.  She completed her internship within the California Prison System.  In 2012, she was awarded the Outstanding Doctor in Forensic Psychology by Alliant University.  She completed her post-doctoral training and became licensed while working with the New York Office of Mental Health at a maximum security forensic hospital.  Dr. McMahon has presented research at both the national and international level, including conferences in Scotland, Spain, England, Canada, and the Netherlands.  Her research has included topics related to police hiring policies, psychological assessment, juvenile delinquency, and competency-related topics.

Rachael Springman, PhD is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Forensic Examiner and works with the Forensic Pretrial Program.  She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame, her M.A. in Forensic Psychology from the University of Denver, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Missouri – St. Louis.  Her internship was jointly sponsored by the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and the Federal Correctional Center in Butner, North Carolina.  Her clinical interests include forensic evaluation, malingering, diagnostic accuracy, expert testimony, and report writing.

Angeline Stanislaus, MD is a board-certified forensic psychiatrist and serves as Medical Director for the Missouri Department of Mental Health. She has extensive experience within both the Missouri and Illinois Departments of Corrections, and is on the clinical faculty at the St. Louis University School of Medicine where she trains forensic psychiatry fellows in the areas of sex offender evaluation, risk assessment and management, and psychiatric issues in capital punishment. She has been published in the areas of civil commitment of sex offenders and the treatment of persecutory delusions.

Lisa Swanson-Witcher, PsyD is a psychologist and Certified Forensic Examiner at the Center for Behavioral Medicine in Kansas City. She is also the Assistant Training Director at CMB. She earned her doctorate at Spalding University. She has particular interest in clinical-legal issues, assessment and treatment of severe and persistent mental illness, training and supervision.

Missouri Institute of Mental Health (MIMH)

The University of Missouri, Missouri Institute of Mental Health will be responsible for this program and maintain a record of your continuing education credits earned.

The Missouri Institute of Mental Health will award up to 12.25 clock hours or 14.7 contact hours (1.4 CEUs) for this activity.

Missouri Credentialing Board

The program is approved for up to 5.75 contact hours on October 1 and 6.5 contact hours on October 2, 2015.

National Board for Certified Counselors

MIMH is an NBCC – Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP^TM) No. 6339 and may offer NBCC approved clock hours for events (or programs) that meet NBCC requirements. MIMH is solely responsible for all aspects for the program.
Up to 12.25 clock hours are offered for this program.

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Program Schedule

The program sign-in will begin at 9:30 am on Thursday, October 1, 2015 and adjourn at 4:00 pm on Friday, October 2, 2015

Thursday, October 1, 2015
9:30 am – Program Check-in

10:00 – Keynote – Joel Dvoskin, PhD

11:00 – Forensic Diversion Programs in Other States – Greg Markway, PhD and Joel Dvoskin, PhD

12:00 pm – Lunch provided

1:00 – Conditional Release Considerations – Commissioner Patrick Connaghan

2:00 – Forensic Case Monitoring Challenges – Panel Discussion moderated by Dr. Dvoskin

3:00 – Break

3:15 – Competency: Statute and Practice – Panel discussion moderated by Dr. Dvoskin

4:30 – Brief Site Presentations (15 min) – MPC, SLPRC and SMMHC

5:00pm – Adjourn

Friday, October 2, 2015
7:15 am – Continental Breakfast – provided

8:00 – SVP Legal Implications – Angeline Stanislaus, MD

8:30 – Sexual Offender Treatment – Amy Griffith, PhD and SORTS Staff

9:45 – Break

10:00 – Community Sex Offender Supervision and Treatment: Probation and Parole – Kay Crockett, Tracey Crocker and Cora Haynes

11:15 – Brief Site Presentations (15 min) – CBM, NMPRC, FSH

12:00pm – Lunch – provided

1:00 – Sex Offender Treatment – SORTS Staff

2:15 – Break

2:30 – Discussion – Forensic Needs/Future Directions – Group Discussion moderated by Dr. Markway

4:00pm – Adjourn

Special Needs
If you have special needs, we ask that you notify us at 314.516.8419 or conferences@mimh.edu as soon as possible. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate your needs.

Cancelations or Substitutions
If you are unable to attend the program, we ask that you notify us as soon as possible.

Registration

Following this registration link will take you to our external site where you may register for the program.
This program is subsidized by the Department of Mental Health, therefore there is no fee to attend. As part of the program, one breakfast, beverages and lunch will be served.

You will also receive this information in an email as a confirmation.