Division of Forensic Psychiatry
Forensic psychiatry forms an interface between mental health care services and the legal system. Our division’s faculty trains residents, students and fellows to navigate this distinct interprofessional realm, while also providing a variety of key services for the community.
Education and Training
Training is a primary goal for our division; our distinguished faculty oversees comprehensive forensic training for psychiatry residents, medical students, fellows and psychology externs and interns.
Research
Our faculty members are involved in a variety of research projects that aim to improve intervention and treatment models for mentally ill individuals in the legal system. We also have ongoing projects to examine and better understand the psychological, neuropsychological and neurobiological factors that relate to criminal behaviors.
Research in forensic psychiatry is often highly interdisciplinary. Our faculty projects involve investigators, trainees and research assistants from multiple disciplines and various local, national and international institutions.
Current research in our division focuses on several key topics:
- improving the validity of common psychological and neuropsychological test instruments in forensic practice
- elucidating the behavioral and neurobiological risk factors for aggressive and suicidal behaviors in mentally ill incarcerated individuals
- treatment during and after incarceration of seriously mentally ill offenders
- improving our understanding of the stressors children and adolescents face when interacting with the juvenile justice system
Consultation Services and Forensic Systems of Care
Our division’s longstanding relationship with the Erie County Department of Mental Health and Erie County's Division of Forensic Mental Health Services enables us to assist in adjudication processes and care for individuals in local correctional and detention facilities.
Working within our consultation services, our trainees become familiar with both criminal and civil assessment. Our trainees also learn about providing psychiatric consultation on a broad range of legal affairs.
Under the guidance of our faculty, our trainees help provide mental health services for both incarcerated adults and youths with psychiatric illnesses.
Director, Forensic Psychiatry
Erie County Medical Center 462 Grider Street Buffalo, NY 14215
Phone: (716) 898-5290
Email: danielan@buffalo.edu
CONTACT US
Division of Forensic Psychiatry
Erie County Medical Center
462 Grider St.
Buffalo, NY 14215
716-898-4857