Biography
Randy K. Otto, PhD, MLS, joined the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in May 2025, where he serves as Professor and Chief of the Division of Forensic Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Otto was a member of the faculty at the University of South Florida between 1989 and 2022, and Nova Southeastern University between 2022 and 2025.
Dr. Otto, licensed to practice psychology in New Mexico and Florida, is board certified in clinical psychology and forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He earned a bachelors degree in psychology from the University of Rochester, and masters and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Florida State University. After serving as a clinical psychology intern at the Medical University of South Carolina, he completed a two year, NIMH-funded fellowship in the College of Law and Department of Psychology at the University of Nebraska, where he was awarded a masters degree in legal studies.
Personal Statement
My research, writing, and practice is devoted to matters of forensic psychological assessment. In press is the fifth edition of Psychological Evaluations for the Courts: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals and Lawyers, which I co-authored with co-authors Chris Slobogin, John Petrila, and Lois Oberlander. With Irv Weiner, I edited the fourth edition of the Handbook of Forensic Psychology, and I am lead author of books devoted to forensic practice ethics and forensic report writing and testimony.
I have developed two tests that are used in the assessment of defendants' trial competence: the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication and the Inventory of Legal Knowledge, both of which are published by Psychological Assessment Resources.
I chaired the committee that revised the American Psychological Association's Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology, and was a member of the task force that revised the American Bar Association's Criminal Justice Mental Health Standards. I have served as President of the American Board of Professional Psychology, the American Board of Forensic Psychology and the American Psychology-Law Society (APA Division 41), and I he currently serve as Executive Director of the American Board of Forensic Psychology.
Areas of Specialty
Forensic psychological assessment
Ethics & forensic mental heatth practice
Assessment of decision making capacity
Assessment of violence risk
Achievements & Awards
Dr. Otto is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and has received awards for his work from the Society for Personality Assessment, the New York State Psychological Association, the University of California San Francisco, the University of Nebraska, the American Board of Professional Psychology, the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, and the American Psychology-Law Society.
Key Publications
Journal Article
Borum, Randy, Otto, Randy, K 2000 Advances in forensic assessment and treatment: An overview and introduction to the special issue. Law and Human Behavior, vol. 24, Issue 1, 1-7 https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1005480018608
Gender
Male
Research and Scholarship
Slobogin, C., Otto, R. K., Petrila, J., & Condie, L. (in press). Psychological Evaluations for the Courts: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals and Lawyers (5th ed.). New York: Guilford.
Douglas, K. S., & Otto, R. K. (eds.)(2021). Handbook of Violence Risk Assessment (2nd ed). New York: Routledge.
Otto, R. K., Heilbrun, K., & Goldstein A. (2017). Ethics in Forensic Psychology Practice. Hoboken: Wiley.
Otto, R. K., DeMier, R., & Boccaccini, M. (2010). Forensic Reports and Testimony: A Guide to Effective Communication for Psychologists and Psychiatrists. Hoboken: Wiley.
Otto, R. K., & Heilbrun, K. (2002). The practice of forensic psychology: A look toward the future in light of the past. American Psychologist, 57(1), 5-18.