Identifying and Restructuring Criminogenic Thinking (ONLINE)

The materials covered are applicable to a range of professionals such as psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counsellors, psychiatric nurses, graduate students, case managers, probation/parole officers and other professionals working with clients in private practice, outpatient mental health centres, hospitals, day reporting centres, halfway and transitional housing programs, prisons and probation/parole systems.

Across different treatment settings, practitioners routinely see clients who harm others. Such cases pose a range of challenges that are quite different from addressing the traditional mental health needs of those suffering from mainly internalizing problems such as anxiety and depression.

Join CBT Australia and award-winning author, Raymond Chip Tafrate, Ph.D., for fast paced, interactive, virtual learning sessions that will provide you with the foundational knowledge and tools to better understand, manage and prevent harmful behaviours. These intensive workshops in the Challenging Cases Series, cover a range of challenging clinical topics such as domestic and intimate partner violence, managing dysregulated anger, and addressing antisocial and criminal conduct.

The most efficient way to develop new skills is through practice - learning by doing. Therefore, all these online workshops in this series are highly interactive, incorporating structured learning activities including case examples, audio/video-recorded work samples, small group exercises and “real”-plays. Class sizes are limited to allow for practice opportunities in a virtual learning environment. The goal is for you to be able to transfer and incorporate newly learnt knowledge and skills into your real-world interactions.

A Forensic CBT Primer: Identifying and Restructuring Criminogenic Thinking

Addressing antisocial patterns is no longer just an “add-on” area of practice. For example, among the general populations in many countries, justice-involvement has become as prevalent as common mental health disorders. For this reason, practitioners across numerous settings will encounter adolescents and adults whose antisocial thinking and actions put them at risk for significant loss because of reckless decision-making, destructive behaviours, and deeper involvement in the criminal justice system. CBT has been shown to be effective with antisocial and forensic clientele, although modifications of CBT practices are required for this client group.

Two critical adaptations are necessary to make CBT effective for reducing antisocial and criminal conduct. First, successful intervention requires a focus on a set of specific risk domains that facilitate criminal/antisocial behaviour (beyond mental health symptoms). Step-by-step procedures for assessment and case formulation of these key intervention targets will be provided. Second, traditional automatic thoughts and irrational beliefs are not as broadly applicable to antisocial and forensic clients as they are for those suffering from mental health disorders. An alternative constellation of criminogenic thinking patterns that drive criminal and self-destructive behaviours will be reviewed, as well as specific techniques for altering criminogenic thinking.

(1) Recognize key distinctions between traditional mental health treatment and effective interventions for antisocial and forensic clients

(2) Learn to conceptualize forensic cases around criminal risk domains that form the foundation for successful intervention

(3) Become proficient at spotting criminogenic thoughts and thinking patterns that drive specific incidents of antisocial and criminal conduct

(4) Appreciate that even in clients who present with both mental health problems and antisociality, the cognitions that amplify dysphoric symptoms will be different from those that facilitate criminal decisions

(5) Practice forensic CBT sequences and conversations designed to elicit criminogenic thinking

(6) Become skilled at techniques for restructuring criminogenic thoughts and thinking patterns to improve client decision-making

Runs across two half days.

Course schedule: 9am - 1.30pm on both days (times are AEST Melbourne VIC)

Pre-Reading for A Forensic CBT Primer: Identifying and Restructuring Criminogenic Thinking is included in the cost of the course.

Tafrate, R.C. , Mitchell, D., Simourd, D.J. (2018) CBT with Justice-Involved Clients: Interventions for Antisocial and Self-Destructive Behaviors

Click Here

Registrations: Registrations submitted less than 10 days prior to commencement of a course are not secured until confirmed with the office by phone or email. Your place is NOT confirmed until payment has been received in full and receipted. If you do not receive a registration confirmation within 7 days of submitting your booking, please phone +61 (0)3 9705 2216.

Cancellation Policy: Notice of cancellation must be received in writing to CBT Australia (e: events@cbtaustralia.com.au)

• within 5 days of event - no credit or refund

• within 6-10 days of event - 50% credit, no refunds

• over 10 days before event - full credit or refund

• credits are valid within 12 months of initial registration

• onus on participant to contact CBT Australia to rebook within 12 months

• withdraw from course after commencement - no certificate, credit, or refund

• registration transferable to another person upon application

Please contact our office for more information here.