South Carolina Forensic Psychiatry
Welcome to SCForensicPsychiatry.com – a website dedicated to educating the public about the practice of forensic psychiatry (forensic psychology) in the state of South Carolina, presented by L.W. Mulbry, MD.
The Practice of Forensic Psychiatry in South Carolina
Forensic psychiatry is a medical sub-specialty that addresses the interface between mental health and the legal system. Forensic psychiatrists are often called upon to consult on a variety of legal issues, and provide expert testimony in civil and criminal proceedings. They also provide clinical psychiatric expertise to help employers identify, prevent and resolve mental and behavioral issues in the workplace.
Forensic Psychiatry Qualifications in South Carolina
In South Carolina a forensic psychiatrist is a medical doctor who completes additional years of training in the diagnosis and treatment of medical disorders as a psychiatrist. Then, the psychiatrist completes additional training or gains experience related to the various interfaces between mental health or illness and the legal system.
Forensic psychiatrists in SC must abide by the general ethics of the medical profession, and must meet State of South Carolina licensing requirements. Most forensic psychiatrists belong to professional organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA,) the American Psychiatric Association (APA,) or the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL,) each of which employ formal codes of ethics.
Forensic Psychology in the South Carolina Court System
The American legal system has long recognized mental incapacity or infirmity as a valid legal defense. Forensic psychiatrists play an important role in helping to determine if defendants are mentally fit to answer the charges against them.
Forensic psychiatrists are qualified to perform clinical assessments relating to criminal and civil legal matters, such as:
- Conservatorships and Guardianships;
- Standards of medical or psychiatric care;
- Emotional harm or disability;
- A defendant’s competency to stand trial;
- A defendant’s ability to testify;
- A defendant’s criminal responsibility, or capacity to conform to the law;
- A defendant’s conformity to the South Carolina Violent Predator statute;
- Death penalty mitigation, or exposing jurors to potentially mitigating or sympathetic circumstances of a defendant’s life experience; and
- A defendant’s competency to be executed.
Forensic Psychiatry in the South Carolina Workplace
A forensic psychiatrist may also practice outside the courtroom. Many forensic psychiatrists in South Carolina also specialize in workplace issues such as conflict resolution, violence risk assessment and determining an employee’s fitness for duty. Many employers invite forensic psychiatrists to consult in cases where ADA compliance (Americans with Disabilities Act) is crucial to mitigating the employer’s legal liability.
Thank you again for visiting SCForensicPsychiatry.com. We invite you to learn more about t he forensic psychiatry practice of L.W. Mulbry MD on our Biography page.