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  • Structured Professional Judgment: It’s Not Just Gut Feelings and a Checklist

    • 20 August 2020
    • 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (UTC+10:00)
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 151
    Register

    Overview

    The literature on risk and threat assessment reveals a variety of decision-making approaches. Some involve considerable professional discretion while others are far more mechanical in nature. Structured Professional Judgment (SPJ) has become a popular approach as it aims to capture the positive aspects of precursor methods whilst minimising the negative aspects. SPJ promotes consideration of nomothetic and idiographic information in its actual context. However, this approach can be misunderstood as merely a checklist that allows practitioners to indulge and wallow in speculative gut feeling hypotheses. This presentation will examine the evolution of the SPJ model. The unique aspects of this approach will be contrasted with unstructured and actuarial methods. Various SPJ tools for the assessment of risk and the analysis of other concerning behaviours will be described. It will be argued that SPJ tools should be properly viewed as structured guidelines for conducting assessments that are grounded in the empirical literature but sensitive to the individual case. They provide a defensible and comprehensive evidence-based framework for risk and threat assessment. Future directions for practice and research will also be discussed and questions will be welcomed.


    Where and When

    Date: 20 August 2020

    Time: 18:00pm - 19:30pm

    Time Zone: UTC+10 (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

    Webinar via Zoom


    Learning Outcome

    1. Understand the SPJ model of decision-making
    2. Become familiar with the variety of SPJ tools available for risk and threat assessment
    3. Understand the importance of considering nomothetic and idiographic information when assessing risk or analysing criminal behaviour


    Presenter(s)

    Dr Michael R Davis


    Affiliations/Organisations

    Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology; Department of Psychiatry,  Monash University; and Department of Psychiatry, the University of Melbourne

    About the presenter(s)

    Dr Michael Davis is a Forensic and Clinical Psychologist in full-time private practice. He has adjunct appointments at Swinburne, Monash, and Melbourne Universities. He has presented nationally and internationally on the topics of sexual deviance, risk assessment, psychopathy, offender profiling, equivocal death, behavioural crime linkage, and other aspects of sexual and violent crime. Dr Davis’ consulting practice is divided between clinical-forensic assessment tasks and providing behavioural investigative advice to police agencies.

    Dr Davis is a member of the Australian Forensic Reference Group (Victoria Police). He has provided behavioural investigative advice to police in several countries across three continents and is the only mental health professional in Australia to be elected to membership of the International Criminal Investigative Analysis Fellowship (ICIAF). Dr Davis also serves as an instructor to the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling. 


    Fees

    • Free for APATAP members
    • $25 for non-members


    Delivery mode

    Due to social distancing restrictions, all current APATAP professional development sessions will be delivered via Zoom.


    Suitable Audience

    This presentation may be of interest to threat assessors, forensic mental health professionals and crime analysts.


    Duration

    1.5 hours (90 minutes presentation including Q&A)


    Show details

  • COVID, Corporations and Conspiracies: The Rise of Sovereign Citizen Ideology

    • 23 September 2020
    • 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM (UTC+10:00)
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 177
    Register

    Overview

    Extremist ideologies flourish in situations where there is mounting distrust between a government and its population. This has been compounded in the current pandemic by disinformation and greater access and vulnerability to fringe messaging.  The pandemic has seen an increase in reported incidents involving Sovereign Citizens, who have a complex anti-government ideology. This presentation will highlight possible reasons for the increased use of Sovereign strategies in these unsettled times.  It will provide an historical overview of the Sovereign Citizen Movement and its various idiosyncrasies.  The webinar will consider the risks posed by Sovereign Citizens in Australia and the importance of recognising their language and behaviour.  The presentation will emphasise the relevance of these individuals to mental health professionals, lawyers and police, and consider management approaches. 


    Where and When

    Date: 23 September 2020

    Time: 18:00pm - 19:15pm

    Time Zone: UTC+10 (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

    Webinar via Zoom


    Learning Outcome

    1.     To understand the significance of Sovereign Citizens in our professions

    2.     To recognise and appropriately respond to Sovereign Citizens and Sovereign Citizen tactics


    Presenter(s)

    Professor Michele Pathé


    Affiliations/Organisations

    Swinburne University of Technology and Forensicare

    About the presenter(s)

    Michele Pathé is Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at Swinburne University and a sessional Consultant Psychiatrist at Forensicare.  She is based at the Victorian Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (VFTAC), situated in the Counter Terrorism Command of Victoria Police. She has a longstanding clinical and research interest in stalking behaviours, threats, pathological grievances and lone actor extremism.  She was instrumental in the establishment of the world’s first FTAC in the UK, then in Queensland, Canberra and Victoria.  She has consulted to New Zealand and other Australian states and territories in the establishment of fixated threat assessment capabilities in those jurisdictions. She provides training to general and forensic mental health, law enforcement, security, judicial and correctional audiences, as well as government officials and the education sector.  She has authored three books, several book chapters and over 100 peer reviewed journal articles. She is a co-author of the stalking risk assessment tool, the Stalking Risk Profile, as well as threat assessment tools used in FTAC settings.


    Fees

    • Free for APATAP members
    • $25 for non-members


    Delivery mode

    Due to social distancing restrictions, all current APATAP professional development sessions will be delivered via Zoom.


    Suitable Audience

    This presentation may be of interest to mental health, health, judiciary, police, intelligence analysts.


    Duration

    1 hours(60 minutes) + 15 minutes Q&A


    Show details

  • Untie the Right: Assessment & Management of Behavioural Threats Within Australian Right-Wing Extremist Groups

    • 01 October 2020
    • 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (UTC+10:00)
    • Zoom Webinar
    • 173
    Register

    Overview

    Right wing extremist (RWE) activity is increasing globally, and is associated with a wide range of harms, including doxxing, public unrest, stalking, assault, and murder. This webinar examines the history and status of RWE networks in Australia (with a focus on Victoria), their current status, goals, and direction, and explores ways that professionals and institutions in forensic, security, or academic roles can manage risks associated with exposure to RWE communities.


    Where and When

    Date: 03 October 2020

    Time: 18:00pm - 19:00pm

    Time Zone: UTC+10 (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

    Webinar via Zoom


    Learning Outcome

    1. Gain overview of the right wing extremist (RWE) movement in Australia
    2. Awareness of prominent RWE groups, goals, and cultural elements
    3. Awareness of behavioural threats presented by these groups to individuals and organisations
    4. Increased knowledge of methods and resources for managing RWE threats


    Presenter(s)

    Mr James Cutler and Mr Luke Bartlett


    About the presenter(s)

    James Cutler

    James Cutler is a Graduate of the Masters of International Relations at Monash University, specialising in Counterterrorism and Political Violence, having graduated with distinction in 2020. He has covered extensively right-wing extremism, media ethics, propaganda models and human rights worldwide, among other topics, and continues to contribute to sociological study and research on these and other topics, focusing particularly on the culture of right-wing extremist groups and concepts of violence around the globe.

    Luke Bartlett, Right In The Head Threat Management & Psychological Services

    Luke Bartlett is a Registered Nurse and forensic mental health specialist based in Melbourne, Australia. His clinical experience includes clinical care in hospital, prison, and court settings, telehealth support and advice, tertiary curriculum development, and crisis assessment. Since 2015 he has provided behavioural threat assessment and management consultancy services with Right in the Head, working with universities, government departments, and private sector clients to address the impact of threatening and harmful behaviours.


    Fees

    • Free for APATAP members
    • $25 for non-members


    Delivery mode

    Due to social distancing restrictions, all current APATAP professional development sessions will be delivered via Zoom.


    Duration

    One hour (45 minutes presentation + 15 minutes Q&A)


    Show details