Course Description
Psychiatry and the Law | L4454
This course will explore the relationships between psychiatry, psychology, and the law. We will cover the connections between psychiatry and criminal, civil, and administrative law. Subjects to be covered will include: sanity and competency determinations; role of mental health experts in the court; special issues involving the mentally ill and death penalty; third party protections and reporting requirements in child abuse and danger to third parties; child custody and termination of parental rights; civil commitment and involuntary treatment of the mentally ill; malpractice including professional misconduct and sexual boundary violations, and standards of mental health care; professional ethics in medicine and the law; law of informed consent for medical treatment; confidentiality; clinical and legal aspects of end of life care; prisoner's rights in correctional settings including sex offender treatment; and application of the ADA in the setting of mental illness. Readings will include landmark state and federal decisions shaping each of these areas, along with readings from legal and mental health literature.
Landmark cases will be accessed electronically.
Prerequisites: None
Credit Hours: 3
ULW: This course does not satisfy the Upper Level Writing requirement (ULW)