The CFMHE credential is designed to certify licensed individuals who, hold a current license in good standing as a mental health professional (i.e., clinical mental health counselor, clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, clinical or counseling psychologist, psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioner*) for at least one full year in the state of his/her practice and have attained expert status in the specialty of forensic mental health evaluation as evidenced by their forensic knowledge and experience. Please note that in order to pursue our Certified Child Custody Evaluator (CCCE) credential or our Certified Forensic Behavioral Analyst (CFBA) credential you must first be certified as one of our Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator's (CFMHE).

Only click "apply now" to access our the self-served (On-Demand) credentialing process designated to the perquisite credential (CFMHE). Access our CFMHE course when time allows. This option is all self-paced. Please be advised that our self-paced Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator training, still adheres to our timeframes for completing the course. Our self-paced certification course is offered starting at $715 (none-members) or $608 (members). Members are those who hold a valid, none-expired membership with one of our professional partnerships. Please click here to verify our professional partnerships. Or attend one of our live certification workshop discounted starting at $600. Click here to view live certification workshops! Should you have any questions about becoming certified please contact our Administrative Assistant,Valentino Norton, by calling/text (386) 366-5761 or by email at Valentino@nbfe.net. 

To attain NBFE board certification as a forensic mental health evaluator, the applicant must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1.   Has submitted an initial application and certification fee.

2.   Holds a current license in good standing as a mental health professional (i.e., clinical mental health counselor, clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, clinical or counseling psychologist, psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioner) for at least one full year in the state of his/her practice.

·       Please note that registered internship, associate counselor, or provisional licensure status do not meet criteria for independent licensure unless you are legally permitted to diagnose and treat mental disorders in your state without being under the supervision of another licensed professional.  

·       If you do practice outside of the United States, the licensure requirement may not apply to you.  Click here to learn more about our international certification requirements.

·       Laws, board rules, and other regulations vary state-by-state.  Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the individual mental health professional to verify that the ability to diagnose and treat, conduct forensic mental health evaluations, and/or administer and interpret specific tests and assessment tools is within the scope of practice of his or her license in his or her state.

3.   Has a minimum of forty (40) hours of forensic experience and/or training.

·       "Experience" is defined as hours spent conducting clinical interviews, reviewing collateral records, administering tests, testifying in court, and/or writing reports for legal proceedings.  Case numbers must be provided in the electronic application.  Experience in forensic mental health-related research (e.g., studies published in peer-reviewed, professional journal articles) may also be considered.

·       "Training" consists of clock hours of training with providers that are approved by continuing education authorities commonly recognized within healthcare occupations (e.g., American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, American Medical Association, American Mental Health Counselors Association, American Psychological Association, Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, National Association of Social Workers, National Board for Certified Counselors, etc.) and that are forensic mental health-related.  Examples of forensic mental health-related topics include working with sexual offenders, domestic violence, expert witness, ethical issues in forensic evaluation, DSM updates, family law, introduction to essentials of forensic assessment, child custody evaluations, assessment in personal injury, malingering, competency to stand trial, civil commitment, juvenile justice, administering and interpreting psychological tests, and substance abuse evaluation. 

·       Applicants who do not have 40 hours of experience may elect to complete live, "on demand" webinar, or homestudy courses offered by NBFE.  All NBFE courses are automatically deemed "forensic mental health-related." Click here to explore these courses.

4.   Has submitted three current professional references that can validate the applicants ethical and    moral standards, as well as pertinent clinical skills and abilities.

·       Note that reference letters will only be accepted if written by a mental health professional.

5.   Has completed a written examination designed to assess the depth and breadth of the applicant's forensic mental health knowledge.

6.   Has submitted a sample written report that adheres to NBFE's official report format (note that training resources will be provided to aid the applicant in writing the sample report). 

7.   Has passed an oral examination that involves defending the sample report (note that training resources will be provided to aid the applicant in passing the oral exam)

8.   Has agreed to abide by the Code of Ethics of the evaluator's licensed discipline as follows: American Mental Health Counselors Association or American Counseling Association (for counselors), National Association of Social Workers (for social workers), American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (for marriage and family therapists), American Psychological Association (for psychologists), American Psychiatric Association (for psychiatrists).