Description

When mental health issues present within an employee in the workplace, it's invaluable to understand best practices for performing an employer requested Fitness for Duty evaluation. To protect all parties involved, it is paramount that the evaluating clinician understand their role in performing Fitness for Duty evaluations. Additionally, understanding the guidelines offered by The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the US Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) can help clinicians ensure that an employee is appropriate and meets criteria for a workplace Fitness for Duty evaluation and avoid potential litigation. This training will help licensed clinicians better understand when a Fitness for Duty evaluation for an established employee is warranted, review ADA and EEOC requirements for performing an evaluation, the importance of the referral call, and best practices for engaging in the Fitness for Duty evaluation.

Learning Objectives

Objective 1 Describe what a Fitness for Duty evaluation is and the reasons why a FFDE may occur.

Objective 2 Differentiate between an employee who has behavioral concerns and poor performance versus an employee who demonstrates the necessary criteria for a FFDE to occur.

Objective 3 Explain best practices in performing a FFDE (what to include in your report, what not to include, importance of the referral call, the evaluating clinician's role in a FFDE).

Objective 4 Explain the guidelines imposed by the ADA and EEOC for performing Fitness for Duty evaluations for an established employee.

Presenter

Rachel Ann Dine, LMHC, LPC, LPCC, CFMHE, CFP

Rachel Ann Dine is licensed as a Professional Counselor in Florida, Virginia, and California. She is a Registered Supervisor for Residents in Counseling in Virginia, Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator, Certified Neuroscience Informed Practitioner, and Certified Forensic Psychometrist. Rachel Ann has worked in the mental health field since 2005 in a variety of settings from crisis hotline, long term residential and acute stabilization psychiatric hospitals, military and family life counseling, emergency department as behavioral health support, and has written evidence-based educational courses on psychiatric disorders for hospital employees. Rachel Ann has owned and operated her mental health private practice, Humanitas Counseling and Consulting, since 2017 and currently works with counseling clients in Virginia and California; and offers select forensic and Fitness for Duty evaluations for Virginia residents and agencies. Since obtaining the CFMHE credential in 2021, Rachel Ann has had the opportunity to provide a multitude of Fitness for Duty evaluations for established employees in various private and state agency settings. She is passionate about providing the highest standard of practice when engaging in the Fitness for Duty evaluation process, consulting with agencies on mental health issues in the workplace, and ensuring that necessary ADA and EEOC guidelines for engaging in the FFDE process are upheld to protect an employee’s rights.

Cost

$15 for NBFE members (i.e., CFMHEs and CFMHE applicants/candidates) and, for members of  our partnering organizations please see Professional Partners for current listing)
$30 for Non-members

Continuing Education Information

ACEP No. 6189

Florida CE Broker Tracking No. 20-1263983

CE Broker Provider No. 50-15823

                               

          

The National Board of Forensic Evaluators (NBFE) has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6189.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  NBFE is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. NBFE is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  NBFE maintains responsibility for this program and its content. NBFE is recognized and endorsed by the American Mental Health Counselors Association.

This workshop has been approved for 1.5 general hours with the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, & Mental Health Counseling and the Florida Board of Psychology, CE Broker Tracking # 20-20-1263983 (CE Broker Provider #50-15823).

Click here for NBFE Cancellation/Refund Policy.

Become a Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator(CFMHE)!

Virtual 2 Day Zoom Event

In support of  the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association (FMHCA), the National Board of Forensic Evaluators, Inc. (NBFE) announces our exclusive forensic mental health evaluator certification training event on Thursday, 2/27/25 and Friday, 2/28/25  online via Zoom, enabling mental health professionals across the country to attend remotely.  NBFE is the only forensic certification organization officially endorsed by the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA).

    

Forensic mental health evaluation is an impactful and lucrative area of specialization for licensed mental health professionals, yet few counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists are exposed to this unique specialty in their graduate training.  Whether you plan on working full time in forensics or just wish to supplement your practice with an additional funding stream, this credential can help you establish yourself as a forensic expert.  If you already work in the forensic field, this credential can boost your resume, sharpen your evaluation skills, and enhance your reputation as an expert.

Join Our Elite Group of Certified Evaluators!

Attendees who complete the entire certification process and are awarded the Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator (CFMHE) credential can use the credential to better establish themselves as experts in the forensic arena.

 

NBFE’s all-inclusive certification fee includes:

• The 8-hour workshop on the fundamentals of forensic mental health evaluation online via Zoom.

• Free 24/7 access to several webinar recordings and study materials designed to help candidates prepare for the written and oral examinations for certification

• One-on-one mentoring (via email, phone, or webcam) with an expert CFMHE who provides feedback on written evaluation reports

• Written examination and oral examination fees

• Complimentary participation in select NBFE webinars

• Complimentary access to NBFE’s member portal, including use of our online forum for questions and answers about forensic mental health evaluation.

Get Certified at a Reduced Rate!
NBFE’s all-inclusive certification fee is $715, but we are offering a heavily discounted fee of $600 for all candidates who register for this event due to our partnership with FMHCA.  Students and interns may attend at a reduced rate of $300 to start learning about forensic mental health evaluation.  However, students and interns cannot obtain the full certification until they have been licensed for a full year, at which time they may pay the remaining $300 balance and continue with the certification process, having enjoyed the benefits to free and reduced-cost forensic webinars in the interim.

Learning Objectives
Participants will:
Learn about the National Board of Forensic Evaluators, the Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator credential, and the certification process.

1. Participants will articulate an understanding of the certification and credentialing process for the Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator (CFMHE) credential.

1. Participants will define "forensic mental health evaluation" and describe differences between forensic and clinical evaluations, ethical considerations for forensic evaluation, types of forensic mental health evaluations, and qualifications for administering and interpreting psychological tests.

1. Participants will summarize subject matter incorporated into the CFMHE written examination, including Parental Alienation Syndrome and child custody cases, assessment and testing principles, psychopathic traits, domestic violence, competency to stand trial, malingering, civil commitment, laws and standards of forensic mental health evaluation, assessment of violence and suicide potential, interviewing techniques, personal injury cases, juvenile assessment, substance abuse evaluation, sexual abuse, expert witness standards, and resources to learn more.

1. Participants will write a quality forensic evaluation report.

1. Participants will describe tips and strategies for the oral examination and expert witness testimony.

1. Participants will identify tests that can be used for forensic applications.

Note that attendance at this workshop is not the only step in the certification process.  Attendees must also complete an online application, submit three reference letters, submit proof of licensure for at least one full year (associate, intern, and provisional license status will not meet this requirement unless the applicant is legally permitted to diagnose and treat mental disorders without being under the supervision of another licensed mental health professional), submit proof of malpractice insurance, document 40 hours of forensic-related training and/or experience (e.g., CEs, time spent conducting evaluations, writing reports, court testimony, etc.), pass the written examination (administered at the end of the workshop), submit a sample report, and pass the oral examination (done via webcam online) as depicted in the graphic below and on our website.  Most attendees already have the 40 hours experience (i.e., work-related experience or training experience) prior to attending the workshop, but many do not.  If an attendee does not already have 40 hours of forensic experience, he or she may apply 8 hours from by attending this workshop and then obtain the remaining hours through other means after the workshop by attending training events on forensic mental health-related topics with any approved CE provider (NBFE is not responsible for any additional costs incurred during that process).  

About the Presenters

Norman Hoffman, PhD, EdD, LMHC, LMFT, CFMHE,

CCCE, CFBA, CSFDE

A man who saw the potential, an innovator, pushing the boundaries to advance the cause of licensed professional counselor in the field of forensic mental health. He had the vision, the success in his field, sometimes overcoming great challenges to pave the way for those seeking status and professional recognition in a field of forensic mental health that has in the past been inaccessible.

Dr. Hoffman had the boldness and courage to create a training and certification process paving the way for those seeking the status as psychiatrists and psychologists have. His dedication and persistence, despite systematic discrimination, made it possible for licensed professional counselors to have equal, if not elevated status in the field of forensic mental health.

Dr. Hoffman is considered a pioneer with his passion and creativity to develop the pattern for those who pursue a role as an expert forensic mental health expert witness, having founded the national Board of Forensic Evaluators, created the Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator (CFMHE) credential, developed the Hoffman Organicity Test (HOT) to differentiate between schizophrenia and other organic brain disorders.

Dr. Hoffman  developed and validated the Child & Adolescent Forensic Screening Inventory  (CAFSI), meticulously designed to support professionals in conducting thorough and effective clinical interviews with children and adolescents within forensic contexts, ensuring that critical information is gathered accurately and efficiently. 

Today, as Clinical Director of the Counseling and Psychotherapy Center in Ormond Beach, Florida, Dr. Hoffman continues to break through conventional barriers to provide families with the help and guidance they need. But he has not forgotten his musical foundation.

He credits music with inspiring his collaborative approach to working with parents and professionals, and he continues to perform and write the jazz that started it all.

Aaron Norton, PhD, LMHC, LMFT, CFMHE, CFBA

Dr. Aaron Norton is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with certifications in addictions, alcohol and drug counseling, rehabilitation counseling, clinical mental health counseling, trauma treatment, forensic mental health evaluation, forensic behavioral analysis, and forensic psychometry.

He serves as executive director of the National Board of Forensic Evaluators, assistant professor of instruction at the University of South Dept. of Mental Health Law & Policy, southern regional director, Ethics Committee liaison, and International Counseling Task Force chair for the American Mental Health Counselors Association, chair of the Government Relations Committee for the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association, and consulting editor for AMHCA’s The Advocate Magazine.

He co-authored the Forensic Evaluation section of the "AMHCA Standards for the Practice of Clinical Mental Health Counseling,” authored the proposal for AMHCA’s Clinical Mental Health Specialist in Forensic Evaluation (CMHS-FE) credential, authored the DSM-5 to DSM-5-TR update article published in the American Counseling Association's Counseling Today magazine, and served on the expert panel that created the standards and written exam for the Florida Certification Board’s Certified Telehealth Practitioner (CTP) credential.

He has 20 years of experience as a psychotherapist and clinical supervisor, was awarded Mental Health Counselor of the Year by the American Mental Health Counselors Association in 2016, Counselor Educator of the Year by the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association in 2016, Researcher of the Year by the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association in 2019, and he was awarded AMHCA’s Public and Community Service Award in 2020.

 

Continuing Education Information

 

This workshop has been approved for 8 hours of continuing education (6 general hours, 1 domestic violence hour, and 1 hour ethics/professional boundaries) with the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, & Mental Health Counseling and the Florida Board of Psychology, CE Broker Tracking # 20-1236690 (CE Broker Provider #50-15823).  

 

The National Board of Forensic Evaluators (NBFE) has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6189.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  NBFE is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. 

NBFE is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  NBFE maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

NBFE is recognized and endorsed by the American Mental Health Counselors Association.

Click here for NBFE Cancellation/Refund Policy.