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 National Board of  Forensic Evaluators

Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator (CFMHE) Credential



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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).

Two Options for Starting Your Application!



Click the button above if you want to attend the asynchronous "on-demand" version of our 8-hour certification workshop.  Please note that you'll have up to 90 days from the date of registration for the "on-demand" workshop to have passed your written examination and up to 6 months to have scheduled your oral examination.  Our self-paced certification course is offered starting at $825 (non-members) or $720 (members). Members are those who hold a valid, non-expired membership with one of our professional partnerships. Please click here to verify our professional partnerships.


Click the button above if you want to attend a live, synchronous 8-hour workshop, whether virtually or in-person.  You will be re-directed to our live events page, where you can choose the certification workshop you want to attend.  Please note that you'll have up to 90 days from the date of attendance for the live "workshop to have passed your written examination and up to 6 months to have scheduled your oral examination. 

Certification costs include:

  1. Application Fee
  2. Discounted rates on trainings and homestudy courses (member rate vs. non-member rate)
  3. Eight-hour forensic evaluation workshop (8 CEs)
  4. Written examination fee
  5. Oral examination fee
  6. Certification fee
  7. Access to our member forum
  8. Access to a "member only" page with several training resources
  9. Complimentary attendance at virtual consultation group meetings

Certification Requirements

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

  1. 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.
    1. Please note that registered internship, associate counselor, or provisional licensure status does not meet the 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.  
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    1. "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 research (e.g., studies published in peer-reviewed professional journals) may also be considered.
    2. "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, 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.  Please note that effective 4/1/26, 12 of the 40 hours of training and/or experience must include NBFE's 8-hour forensic mental health evaluation workshop, 2-hour webinar on depositions, and 2-hour webinar on the use of artificial intelligence in evaluation, all of which will be included in NBFE's certification fee.
    3. Applicants who do not have 40 hours of experience may elect to complete live, "on demand" webinars, or home study 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 applicant's ethical and moral standards, as well as pertinent clinical skills and abilities.
    1. 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 
    1. 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 
    1. 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: 
    1. Counselors: American Mental Health Counselors Association and American Counseling Association
    2. Social workers: National Association of Social Workers 
    3. Marriage and family therapists: American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
    4. Psychiatric nurses: American Nurses Association
    5. Psychiatrists: American Psychiatric Association
    6. Psychologists: American Psychological Association 

Certification Process in 5 Steps

  1. Complete the application for the CFMHE credential, including supporting documentation 
  2. After submitting the application, attend a certification workshop (no additional cost) and/or utilize the online training resources (no additional cost) available to prepare for the written and oral examinations.
  3. Schedule and complete the written examination within 90 days of applying (or attending a certification workshop).
  4. Submit a sample forensic mental health evaluation report to the Oral Examination Committee within 6 months of the date you attend a certification workshop. You must have your application completed in full, documents uploaded to your account, and have 40 hours of experience/training as part of the application requirements. 
    1. Please note that you will have 6 months from the time you attend a certification workshop to submit your sample, have it reviewed, and be approved by the 6-month deadline.  If the 6-month deadline is missed, the sample will not be reviewed, and an extension must be requested and paid for. 
    2. The committee will review the sample and either recommend revisions for resubmission or approve the sample and schedule the oral examination.  
    3. Once approved by the committee, the sample will be sent to the Chair of the Oral committee for final approval.  
  5. After your sample has been approved, candidates will defend and pass the oral examination via Zoom with a date provided by the Oral Examination Chair.


Certification Renewal

Each year, CFMHEs receive automated renewal instructions directing them on how to upload (1) an updated copy of their malpractice insurance policy, (2) 3 hours of required forensic mental health-related CEs, (3) an updated copy of their license, and (4) re-attestation to ethical and legal questions. CFMHEs also pay an annual certification renewal fee (currently $80). Annual renewal fees are subject to change. Renewals are due by January 31st of each year. The first renewal fee is automatically waived for CFMHEs who are certified from October 1st through February 1st each year.

International Certification Process

NBFE now certifies mental health professionals practicing outside of the United States.  Click here to visit our international certification page. 

Page Last updated/edited 9.16.23 by VN

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