Race-informed Forensic Mental Health Assessment: A Principles-Based Analysis

Existing forensic mental health assessment (FMHA) models do not address the role of race or ethnicity in data collection, interpretation, report writing, or testimony. This omission impedes gathering information relevant to the forensic question. By expanding the scope of 12 of 38 established principles of FMHA, we propose "race-informed FMHA," a culturally responsive model that systematically assesses the impact and relevance of race, ethnicity and intersectional identities. We identify culturally responsive tools and approaches to present identity-related information. We suggest ways to increase evaluators' fluency in discussing race and ethnicity-their own and others'-with implications for research and practice.