Article Figures & Data
Tables
- Table 1
Examples of Fatality Review Team Recommendations of Importance to Forensic Psychiatry
Topic Example State Neonaticide Development of Secret Safe Place for Newborns,18 allowing mothers to leave newborns < 3 days old at hospital or emergency departments with no questions asked. Similar Safe Haven programs have since developed in all 50 states.26 Alabama Neonaticide and infanticide Development of programs for infant homicide prevention and Safe Havens.18 North Carolina Youth homicide Work with school districts for prevention.18 Pennsylvania Child survivors Services for child survivors for mourning and grief.18 California Domestic violence fatalities committed with firearms Collaboration with groups to strengthen the process regarding firearm storage and relinquishment practices in cases where someone had been prohibited from possessing firearms.9 Vermont Domestic violence Recommendations from Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team include “mental health professionals, suicide specialists, and domestic violence programs should collaborate to provide cross-training to each other and to increase their ability to provide the appropriate range of services to domestic violence victims who are suicidal or have other mental health concerns” (Ref. 8, p 9), and routine screening for domestic violence when women presented as suicidal or depressed. Washington Domestic violence risk assessment Passage of statutes requiring law enforcement officers to utilize the lethality assessment protocol when responding to domestic violence calls,27 and recommending more medical education regarding warning signs of domestic violence and risk of future homicide in cases of strangulation.30 Oklahoma Type of Fatality Review Team Potential Role for Forensic Psychiatry Child Fatality Review Sharing knowledge regarding: mental illness in parents and youth, and response to treatment motives for filicide substance use disorders and personality disorders among parents and youth risk factors for suicide and homicide/neonaticide/filicide predictability/foreseeability of suicide and homicide Conceptualizing intentionality versus unintentional or accidental death Developing multi-agency relationships Assisting in developing recommendations that are feasible and logical in our populations Domestic Violence Fatality Review Sharing knowledge regarding: mental illness and substance use disorders in both perpetrators and victims, and response to treatment mental illness and substance use and the correlation with domestic violence medical screening for domestic violence different forms of domestic violence, as well as different types of stalking risk factors for intimate partner homicide, suicide, and stalking Developing multi-agency relationships Assisting in developing recommendations that are feasible and logical in our populations Elder Abuse Fatality Review Sharing knowledge regarding: geriatric psychiatry related to victims, and mental illness/substance abuse/personality disorders among offenders dementias, diagnosis, and treatment risk factors for physical abuse, physical neglect, and financial exploitation the guardianship process and criteria as well as testamentary capacity predictability/foreseeability of outcomes Developing multi-agency relationships Assisting in developing recommendations that are feasible and logical in our populations Overdose Fatality Review Sharing knowledge regarding: substance use disorders and mental illness, and their appropriate treatments appropriate prescribing behaviors physician ethics criminality and criminogenic risk related to drug use suicide among substance abusing populations Conceptualizing intentionality versus unintentional or accidental death Developing multi-agency relationships Assisting in developing recommendations that are feasible and logical in our populations Maternal Mortality Review Sharing knowledge regarding: maternal mental health, such as postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis screening for postpartum depression maternal suicide treatment of maternal mental health disorders