Pre-Conference Workshop

Brain Injury Screening and Rehabilitation in Forensic Populations 

PRESENTERS: Dr. Jennifer McMahon; Ms. Maddy Pontius

DATE: June 15, 2026

TIME: 1:30pm - 5pm *half day*

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS: 3.5 credits

COST: $250 CAD // Student Member Rate: $125 CAD (includes 1 catered coffee break; lunch NOT included)

DESCRIPTION: 

Justice-involved individuals experience disproportionately high rates of cognitive impairment related to severe and persistent mental illness, brain injury, and other neurocognitive conditions. These cognitive vulnerabilities are frequently unidentified or misattributed to behavioral noncompliance, lack of motivation, or psychiatric instability. Without systematic screening, underlying neurocognitive impairments may remain unrecognized, contributing to repeated restoration failure, poor treatment engagement, institutional infractions, and prolonged legal involvement. Difficulties in attention, memory, processing speed, and executive functioning can directly interfere with meaningful participation in court proceedings, competency restoration, and successful community reintegration. Early identification is also essential to ensuring appropriate disability accommodations and promoting equitable participation within the legal system. Despite the clear relevance of cognitive functioning to legal outcomes, few forensic systems have established structured pathways for identifying cognitive impairment and translating findings into targeted, evidence-based intervention.

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. Participants will review a replicable screening pathway, including assessment selection, forensically tailored report writing, and structured feedback designed to support both legal stakeholders and client self-advocacy. 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. The model integrates clinician-led skill-building curriculum (CogSmart) with structured web-based cognitive strengthening exercises (Happy Neuron Pro). Emphasis will be placed on how the intervention is adapted for mandated populations, reinforced through a token-based engagement system, and evaluated using pre- , interim-, and post-intervention cognitive metrics. Case illustrations will demonstrate how screening data informs individualized treatment planning and legal recommendations, creating a continuous pathway from identification to functional rehabilitation.

Designed for mental health practitioners, forensic evaluators, competency restoration educators, program administrators, trainees, and criminal legal personnel, this workshop provides a scalable framework for integrating neurocognitive science into forensic practice. Participants will leave with a practical implementation model that bridges assessment, accommodation, and rehabilitation within justice-involved populations.

This workshop will be of value for researchers, service providers, service users, and others interested in participatory research methods in forensic mental health settings. This topic aligns with multiple subjects outlined in the call for proposals, including research design and methods; recovery and service user involvement; social justice; and equity, diversity, and inclusion in forensic services. This workshop will also build on previous IAFMHS presentations in 2024 and 2025 highlighting Dr. Christopher Canning’s project, Supporting the uptake of patient-oriented research in forensic mental health settings: A multi-site implementation project, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:  

1. Describe the cognitive and functional impacts of brain injury and related neurocognitive conditions in forensic populations, including implications for competency restoration and legal outcomes. 

2. Identify the core components of a structured, replicable brain injury screening pathway, including assessment selection, forensically tailored report writing, and individualized interpretation to inform legal and treatment recommendations. 

3. Explain the clinical rationale and structure of a 12-week Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) model integrating compensatory strategy training with computerized cognitive strengthening.

4. Apply an implementation framework that links screening to rehabilitation within competency restoration and other forensic settings, including treatment planning, outcome measurement, trainee integration, and systems-level sustainability