2026 Pre-Conference Workshops

15 JUN 2026

We are pleased to offer a number of excellent pre-conference workshops at the 2026 IAFMHS conference on Monday, 15 June 2026. Workshops are offered either as half-day or full-day. The workshops are open to all, regardless if you are attending the conference. The workshops will be hosted at  Helsinki Congress Paasitorni. 

*NEW* We are pleased to introduce a 50% reduced workshop registration rate for current IAFMHS student members. This is the first time IAFMHS has offered this and we think it's a great initiative to increase access to the workshops and support our student members. 

Half-Day Workshop

Duration: 9am - 12.30pm  OR 1:30pm - 5pm

Continuing Education (CE) credits: 3.5 credits

Standard Cost: CAD$250 // Student Member Cost: CAD$125

          (includes 01 refreshment break; lunch NOT included)

Full-Day Workshops

Duration: 9am - 5pm

Continuing Education (CE) credits: 7 credits

Standard Cost: CAD$500 // Student Member Cost: CAD$250

          (includes 02 refreshment breaks; lunch NOT included)

*Please note we are not accredited to offer continuing medical education (CME) credits for workshops at this time. IAFMHS reserves the right to cancel the workshop if minimum enrollment is not reached. Participants will receive full refund in the event of workshop cancellation. 

To register for a Pre-conference workshop, please CLICK HERE. 

Half Day Workshops

Option 1: AI in Forensic Mental Health: Revolutionary or Hallucinatory?

Presenter: Prof. dr. David J. Vinkers

Time: 9am - 12:30pm

Artificial intelligence (AI) is entering forensic mental health rapidly, from automated risk assessment to AI-generated clinical reports. There are, however, several concerns about the use of AI, such as the “black box” problem, algorithmic bias, privacy risks and loss of professional identity. Is there any value in using AI in forensic mental health? The answer to this question is probably that this depends on the balance of risks and benefits of using AI. This workshop is exactly about this topic. You will get a hands-on understanding of the core mechanisms in AI systems and learn about different AI applications in forensic mental health: risk estimation, summarization of judicial documents, analysis of recorded conversations and AI based voice analysis. You learn how to annotate (dummy) data, how to record and summarize a conversation and how to build a prompt. You will also learn about the judicial background of AI use including the EU AI Act and a recent Dutch example of AI in risk estimation (OXREC) will be discussed.

Workshop details can be found HERE.

Option 2: How to Conduct Participatory Research in Forensic Settings

Presenters: Dr. Christopher Canning; Ms. Kristy Allen; Ms. Sevil Deljavan

Time: 9am - 12:30pm

This half-day workshop entitled “How to conduct participatory research in forensic settings” will interactively explore guidelines and strategies for conducting patient-oriented research and related participatory research approaches in forensic mental health settings. We will start with an introductory discussion with participants exploring what researchers are doing to meaningfully engage forensic patients in research and assess participants’ current levels of understanding in this subject. We will then share a short presentation outlining two resources we have co-created with patient partners and other hospital staff at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care in Ontario, Canada: 1) Guidelines for conducting forensic patient-oriented research; and 2) How to do patient-oriented research: A practical handbook. We will provide a brief overview of each dimension of the guidelines and handbook and share a case study example of what these considerations look like in practice. 

Workshop details can be found HERE.

Option 3: Brain Injury Screening and Rehabilitation in Forensic Populations

Presenters: Dr. Jennifer McMahon; Ms. Maddy Pontius

Time: 1:30pm - 5pm

This workshop presents an integrated, implementation-ready model that links identification of brain injury and cognitive impairments to functional rehabilitation within forensic systems. Drawing from the Brain Injury Screening Program and Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) Model developed at Denver FIRST (Forensic Institute for Research, Service, and Training) at the University of Denver, the session moves beyond screening alone to demonstrate how neurocognitive screening results can be operationalized into individualized legal recommendations, structured intervention, and measurable outcomes within competency restoration and related services. The workshop will also examine systems-level innovation, including embedding screening within mandated treatment frameworks, integrating master’s- and postdoctoral-level trainees into supervised service delivery, and discussing sustainability across correctional, hospital, and communitybased settings. The second half of the workshop introduces a 12-week outpatient CRT model designed specifically for adult forensic populations with brain injury or other cognitive concerns.

Workshop details can be found HERE.

Full Day Workshops

Option 1: Recent Advancements in SPJ: Assessing the Individual in Context Using the MLG-V2 and CARE-V2

Presenter: Prof. Stephen D. Hart

Time: 9am - 5pm

This full-day workshop will focus on the recent advances in SPJ that emphasizes evaluating the “individual in context” as exemplified by the newest versions of the Multi-Level Guidelines (MLG-V2) and Child Abuse Risk Evaluation (CARE-V2). Drawing from ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) and Action Theory, SPJ frameworks recognize decisions to engage in violence do not occur in a vacuum; rather, they are influenced by factors operating within and across multiple nested levels. Participants will learn how to assess the presence and relevance of contextual factors, integrate them into formulation using an Action Theory framework, identify plausible scenarios of future violence, and develop individualized risk management plans that are responsive to the specific context of each case. The workshop will also review significant updates to both guidelines, reflecting advances in empirical research, professional practice, and legal standards, as well as feedback from multidisciplinary professionals across international jurisdictions.

Workshop details can be found HERE.

Option 2: Self-Directed Violence Risk Identification through to Management: The Path Toward Prevention

Presenter: Dr. Brianne Layden

Time: 9am - 5pm

This workshop will review a definition of SDV consistent with international guidelines, such as those put forth by the WHO, that facilitates identification and management of SDV, which special attention paid to diversity considerations. In addition, a brief overview of recent case law (Nguyen v. Massachusetts Institute of Technology., 2018; R v. Lofstrum, 2020) and literature (e.g., Obegi, 2017) will be provided to facilitate understanding of the definition and scope of SDV, as well as to highlight professional responsibilities across civil and criminal forensic contexts. The primary focus of the workshop, however, will be to review various approaches to SDV identification (e.g., tracking, screening, triage), comprehensive assessment (e.g., actuarial, structured professional judgment), and management strategies that will help forensic mental health institutions and professionals better meet their professional responsibilities with respect to SDV prevention. The workshop will include a discussion of specific identification (e.g., SAD PERSONS; Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale; Self-Directed Violence Risk Triage) and comprehensive assessment tools (e.g., Guidelines for Preventing Self-Directed Violence). Case discussions and examples will be utilized to demonstrate challenges and promising practices across the various identification and assessment approaches.

Workshop details can be found HERE.

Option 3: Decision making in Abusive Relationships Interview (DIARI) Training

Presenters: Drs. Ed Hilterman; Ilvy Goossens; Tonia Nicholls

Time: 9am - 5pm

In this workshop we will focus on need factors to assist women who are, or have been, in abusive intimate relationships (i.e., domestic violence, dating violence). The Decision-making in Abusive Relationships Interview (DIARI 1.1; Nicholls, Hilterman, & Goossens, 2017) was developed to guide assessments and intervention planning of the needs of women who have been experiencing violence by their partner or ex-partner. The tool can especially be helpful in safety and intervention planning to increase the health and well-being of who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). The DIARI aims to contribute to the accurateness of the assessment of the needs of these women and the subsequent enhancement of the prevention of revictimization. Moreover, an objective of this structured approach is also to increase the knowledge of the decision-making process of women abused by (ex)partners.

Workshop details can be found HERE.