JPD - Forensic Psychologist, Cook County Juvenile Court

Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois•Chicago, IL

95d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Cook County Juvenile Court Clinic was established in June 2003 as a non-judicial office in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The Clinic is operated through a partnership between the Circuit Court of Cook County and Northwestern University and is the primary provider of forensic consultation and evaluation services for Cook County’s Juvenile Court, which encompasses the Juvenile Justice and Child Protection Divisions. The Clinic resides within the Juvenile Probation and Court Services Department and is located in the Cook County Juvenile Center, which contains the Juvenile Justice and Child Protection courtrooms, the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC), and other entities affiliated with the Juvenile Court. This location permits the Clinic to be well-integrated with and responsive to the needs of the Juvenile Court, its constituents, and court-affiliated entities.

Requirements

Successful completion of a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from an APA accredited program or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience from which comparable skills can be acquired.
Successful completion of an APPIC accredited pre-doctoral internship.
Current Illinois psychologist license (out of state applicants must be eligible for licensure in Illinois).
Clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and families.
Experience working with court-involved populations in a clinical or forensic capacity.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to effectively convey information and opinions through written reports and oral testimony.
Cultural competence, including an awareness of how experiences, beliefs and values of diverse individuals and groups affect clinical forensic interactions and practice.
Knowledge of ethical and best practice standards for the practice of clinical and forensic psychology.
Ability to work cooperatively in an interdisciplinary setting.

Nice To Haves

Pre-doctoral training in forensic psychology and/or psychology and the law.
Completion of a forensic post-doctoral fellowship and/or two to three years post-doctoral experience conducting forensic evaluations, with preference given to those candidates with experience in child protection or juvenile justice settings.
Experience conducting evaluations pertaining to problematic sexual behavior and eligibility for Illinois licensure as a sex offender evaluator (see Title 68, Section 1280 of the Illinois Administrative Code, for details)
Experience providing courtroom testimony pertaining to forensic evaluations.
Fluency in Spanish, sign language or other non-English languages.

Responsibilities

Conduct court-ordered evaluations for the Juvenile Justice and Child Protection Divisions.
Interview evaluation subjects and collateral sources.
Review records.
Conduct observations.
Administer psychological testing.
Produce written reports that summarize the data gathered and provides opinions regarding psychological-legal questions.
Work as part of an interdisciplinary team.
Participate in internal training, supervision, and consultation activities to support ongoing adherence to ethical and best practice standards in clinical and forensic psychology.
Conduct court ordered forensic evaluations for the Juvenile Justice Division of the Cook County Juvenile Court to address pending legal questions related to detention and sentencing decisions, fitness to stand trial, risk of violence/recidivism, problematic sexual behaviors, and capacity to waive Miranda rights.
Review relevant records; conduct multiple forensic interviews with evaluation subjects (youth who are the subjects of juvenile court petitions); interview parents/guardians and relevant collateral sources; administer and interpret psychological tests; and write comprehensive, well-supported reports that answer the Court’s questions and comport with forensic best practices.
Conduct forensic child protection evaluations to address pending legal questions such as visitation, change of permanency goal, termination of parental rights, return home, motion for case closure, and motion to vacate or transfer guardianship.
Review relevant records; conduct multiple forensic interviews with evaluation subjects (parents or other caregivers who are parties to a child protection matter); interview children who are the subjects of a child protection petition; interview caseworkers and other relevant collateral sources (e.g., community therapists); administer and interpret psychological tests; and write comprehensive, well-supported reports that answer the Court’s questions and comport with forensic best practices.
Provide on-call coverage (several times per month, during court business hours) for same-day evaluations of a parent’s capacity to consent to specific adoption and/or voluntarily relinquish parental rights.
Review available records, conduct a brief clinical interview with the parent and prepare a brief report of findings.
Testify in court as an expert witness regarding forensic evaluations tendered to court.
Participate in supervision and training initiatives, including but not limited to regular meetings with primary supervisor, monthly psychologist and staff meetings, and internal and external trainings related to child protection, juvenile justice and forensic evaluation.
Perform other duties as assigned.