Our group offers comprehensive forensic services including forensic evaluations, expert testimony, consultation, education, and research.
UNM’s Division of Forensic Behavioral Sciences is an interdisciplinary team focused on providing high quality, evidence-based, and culturally informed forensic services. Our forensic psychologists are equipped to conduct a wide variety of forensic evaluations to address the needs of our diverse referral sources across local, State, and federal jurisdictions.
Other university-based activities include, but are not limited to, training programs (e.g., the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology), consultation and research, public policy, professional training, and our nationally recognized Law and Mental Health Didactic Series. In addition, members of our Forensic Division serve on various advisory and editorial boards, commissions, committees, and task forces.
The Division is supported by the University’s School of Medicine and collaborates with various stakeholders and partners throughout the State. With the goal of advancing the field of Forensic Behavioral Sciences and aptly considering the perspectives of all key professionals involved, our Division includes various mental health professionals, researchers, social workers, psychiatrists, pre- and post-doctoral trainees, law enforcement, lawyers, administrators, and policymakers.
For more information on some of our collaborators and partnerships, click the links below:
We conduct a wide variety of evaluations addressing civil, criminal, and administrative matters for both juveniles and adults. Providing the consumers of our services with thorough, objective evaluations is of utmost importance to our team. As such, our work is always grounded in the most current science and theory. Our practitioners are specially trained to administer psychological testing (e.g., IQ testing, measures of performance validity, personality tests), as well.
Examples of referral questions our team can address includes (but is not limited to):
We strive to ensure that recipients of our services are able to make decisions based on reliable, evidence-based information. To this end, our personnel offer consultation to attorneys, organizations, policymakers, and other stakeholders on a variety of topics. We are available to provide scientific consultation regarding best practices in forensic evaluation (e.g., risk assessment) and second opinion on forensic evaluation reports.
Additional examples include (but are not limited to):
As faculty of a rigorous research university, we are dedicated to providing unbiased testimony based on the most up-to-date clinical and scientific evidence. In offering our scientific perspectives to the courts, we endeavor to provide sound education with which legal professionals can make informed decisions. Members of our Division are qualified to deliver expert testimony on a breadth of topics pertaining to broad-based scientific issues, as well as case-specific matters.
Examples of topics our experts can testify about include (but are not limited to):
Our interdisciplinary team provides trainings on various legal, forensic, and mental-behavioral health topics. These trainings are offered to diverse audiences and professionals, such as attorneys and judges, clinicians and mental health professionals, correctional service providers, and law enforcement. We offer such trainings in a variety of formats (e.g., in-person, online), both locally and beyond.
Some of our trainings include (but are not limited to):
We also offer a weekly webinar, open to all audiences, the Law and Mental Health Didactic Series.
As the State’s premier institution of higher learning, UNM is committed to encouraging our learners to develop the values, skills, and knowledge they need to lead satisfying lives and actively contribute to the social, cultural, and economic development of New Mexico and our country in positive ways. Within the UNM School of Medicine, the Forensic Behavioral Sciences Division offers specialty training to faculty and staff, psychology interns and post-doctoral fellows, and psychiatry residents in accordance with UNM’s mission and in service of the well-rounded development of those on the receiving end of our educational efforts.
Our Division views high-quality education as paramount to advancing our field. By producing ethical, competent professionals situated at the intersection of psychology and the law, we aim to promote advancement of human rights and enhance the overall well-being of society.
For more information on our formal training program in forensic psychology, please see our Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology webpage.
Our Division’s faculty and staff study legal and mental behavioral health topics, as well as other policy and forensically related topics. We conduct research and program evaluation focused on psycholegal questions. Example topics our team focuses on include diversion and deflection, sentencing, professional ethics and practice, policy and legislative impact, inequities in the legal system, and needs assessments, among others. Some faculty also research factors that increase risk for involvement with the legal system.
To check out one of the projects our Division is currently involved in, click the link below:
We conduct a wide variety of evaluations addressing civil, criminal, and administrative matters for both juveniles and adults. Providing the consumers of our services with thorough, objective evaluations is of utmost importance to our team. As such, our work is always grounded in the most current science and theory. Our practitioners are specially trained to administer psychological testing (e.g., IQ testing, measures of performance validity, personality tests), as well.
Examples of referral questions our team can address includes (but is not limited to):
We strive to ensure that recipients of our services are able to make decisions based on reliable, evidence-based information. To this end, our personnel offer consultation to attorneys, organizations, policymakers, and other stakeholders on a variety of topics. We are available to provide scientific consultation regarding best practices in forensic evaluation (e.g., risk assessment) and second opinion on forensic evaluation reports.
Additional examples include (but are not limited to):
As faculty of a rigorous research university, we are dedicated to providing unbiased testimony based on the most up-to-date clinical and scientific evidence. In offering our scientific perspectives to the courts, we endeavor to provide sound education with which legal professionals can make informed decisions. Members of our Division are qualified to deliver expert testimony on a breadth of topics pertaining to broad-based scientific issues, as well as case-specific matters.
Examples of topics our experts can testify about include (but are not limited to):
Our interdisciplinary team provides trainings on various legal, forensic, and mental-behavioral health topics. These trainings are offered to diverse audiences and professionals, such as attorneys and judges, clinicians and mental health professionals, correctional service providers, and law enforcement. We offer such trainings in a variety of formats (e.g., in-person, online), both locally and beyond.
Some of our trainings include (but are not limited to):
We also offer a weekly webinar, open to all audiences, the Law and Mental Health Didactic Series.
As the State’s premier institution of higher learning, UNM is committed to encouraging our learners to develop the values, skills, and knowledge they need to lead satisfying lives and actively contribute to the social, cultural, and economic development of New Mexico and our country in positive ways. Within the UNM School of Medicine, the Forensic Behavioral Sciences Division offers specialty training to faculty and staff, psychology interns and post-doctoral fellows, and psychiatry residents in accordance with UNM’s mission and in service of the well-rounded development of those on the receiving end of our educational efforts.
Our Division views high-quality education as paramount to advancing our field. By producing ethical, competent professionals situated at the intersection of psychology and the law, we aim to promote advancement of human rights and enhance the overall well-being of society.
For more information on our formal training program in forensic psychology, please see our Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology webpage.
Our Division’s faculty and staff study legal and mental behavioral health topics, as well as other policy and forensically related topics. We conduct research and program evaluation focused on psycholegal questions. Example topics our team focuses on include diversion and deflection, sentencing, professional ethics and practice, policy and legislative impact, inequities in the legal system, and needs assessments, among others. Some faculty also research factors that increase risk for involvement with the legal system.
To check out one of the projects our Division is currently involved in, click the link below:
Presented by the Forensic Division of UNM’s School of Medicine, this online weekly series offers live presentations by national and international experts on topics regarding the intersection of law, criminal justice, and behavioral health. Speakers represent a variety of fields and have included forensic psychologists and psychiatrists, social workers, attorneys, judges, and researchers.
The seminars cover topics such as best practices in forensic mental health assessment, public and behavioral health policy, landmark cases, criminal and civil law, correctional and community forensic psychology/psychiatry, advocacy, supervision, and child/adolescent forensic psychology/psychiatry. Didactics are designed for professionals and trainees in the mental health and legal professions, but all are welcome!
Licensed professionals who attend the live didactics are eligible to earn continuing education (CE) credits.
Recordings of past presentations are available to all on our YouTube channel.
For assistance with registration or to sign up for a listserv to stay updated on upcoming presentations, contact hsc-LawMentalHealth@salud.unm.edu.
This weekly series has gained national acclaim. You’ll learn from experts in forensic psychology, psychiatry, law, policy, and more! (More information below.)
Caroline Bonham
UNM School of Medicine
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
2400 Tucker Ave NE
MSC09 5030
Albuquerque, NM 87106
