Specialists in Artificial Intelligence

• Tell us about your current professional roles and activities.

I conduct forensic evaluations as a forensic evaluator at Netcare and through my private practice, Expert Psychological Evaluations. I conduct a mixture of criminal and civil forensic evaluations, present on a range of topics nationally, do some consultation, and supervise graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.  

• What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy so many things about my work. I love the intellectual stimulation I receive from complex cases and the challenges that come with unusual cases. The flexibility to work across different jurisdictions, settings, referral questions, and populations keeps my work dynamic and engaging. This has stimulated growth, avoiding complacency and stagnation. My favorite cases are those that involve complex delusional systems and thought disorders. Seeing how the human mind functions and dysfunctions never ceases to amaze me. 

• How do you utilize artificial intelligence in your professional activities? 

Literature reviews and video/audio transcription are two areas in which I have found artificial intelligence (AI) to be especially effective. For some of my evaluations, I need to do a literature review. This may be because I want to know the average IQ of individuals who are found unrestorable to competence to stand trial or because I need to know about the typical duration of delirium tremens or the half-life of a medication or drug. A number of AI research tools (e.g., Elicit) can be used to find relevant articles that answer my questions much faster than more traditional research tools. I am also beginning to use HIPAA-compliant AI to create transcripts of audio and video files to speed up my review process for evaluations and to ensure I do not miss important information. For those who decide to use AI, it is important to know any relevant statutes or policies that might impact your use of AI before initiating its use and to use it in an ethical manner. 

• What inspired you to get board certified in Forensic Psychology?

I was inspired to become board certified by attending the AAFP workshops, which I highly recommend. I learned an enormous amount and had the opportunity to interact with others who were board certified (Terry Kukor) or in the process (Meredith Veltri), who encouraged me. I was impressed by the professionalism, knowledge, and expertise of the board certified presenters, which led me to attend more workshops and eventually pursue board certification. A second factor was my deep commitment to the field of forensic psychology. I have always been driven to grow, refine my skills, and challenge myself to operate at the highest professional level. Board certification represents the highest level of advancement in our specialty, and pursuing it felt like a natural extension of my dedication to becoming the most capable and ethical forensic psychologist I can be.

• How has board certification contributed to your professional activities?

One of the greatest gifts is being a part of the AAFP listserv. Reading the posts and conversations on the listserv has been educational, engaging, and motivating. While some posts leave me better informed, others have encouraged me to reconsider some of my beliefs and challenged me. This has led me to become a more thoughtful and knowledgeable clinician. I believe my report writing, interviewing, knowledge, and conceptualization improved dramatically through the process of becoming board certified and have continued to progress because of my board certification. 

• What advice would you give to psychologists or trainees interested in pursuing board certification?

The most important thing you can do is to seek out a mentor who is already board certified. In my experience, those who are board certified are very welcoming, helpful, and eager to answer questions and provide assistance. Becoming board certified under the mentorship of someone who has already gone through the process will increase your likelihood of success, build your confidence, and make you a better forensic psychologist. Terry Kukor and Meredith Veltri were both instrumental in preparing me for the challenges of pursuing board certification, and I am grateful to them both.

• What advice would you give to psychologists or trainees interested in integrating artificial intelligence into their professional activities?

Although AI is useful, impactful, and changing the world as we know it, I encourage all psychologists and trainees to first master their professional activities before they introduce AI. A master clinician can use AI as a tool. A novice who does not understand the practice will lean heavily on AI as a crutch. That novice will never develop independent skills or become the clinician they might have been, so long as they rely heavily on AI to support them. Research has already demonstrated that overuse of AI can result in a decline (or lack of development) in critical thinking, memory, and problem-solving. Those skills are critical to use as forensic psychologists.