The Role, Responsibilities and Relationships of Medical and Forensic Personnel in Criminal Cases - Essay Example

? Ethics on Concurrent Therapeutic and Forensic Roles There have developed various technical strategies used inthe judicial system to ensure equality and fairness in the process of justice administration. Usually before cases are presented to the court for hearing, intensive investigations ought to be done to verify the authenticity of the misconduct at hand. Police investigations have been the central in the development of several cases that emerge in the societies. In some cases, the help of a medical doctor or health professional may be sought to carry some kind of health examinations to the victim or suspect. In extreme situations, forensic personnel may be required in the investigation process to dig out elaborate evidence through technological examination. Controversies have flouted the atmosphere concerning whether therapeutic and forensic methods of investigation should be used simultaneously by a single individual. As an active component of the society, this paper will discuss the roles of both therapeutic and forensic personnel in criminal investigations. Ethics on Concurrent Therapeutic and Forensic Roles Handling cases in the courts requires participation of various professionals in different fields that concern ethics. Some criminal allegations and cases tend to be complex yet serious after presentation to the court. Judges’ role is always to weigh claims and settle upon clear declarations of cases. Cases involving abuse of person’s dignity may call for some psychological attention that may be accrued by health practitioners. The role played by health practitioner in the development of a certain case is referred to as therapeutic role. A clinical officer may carry health examination on the state of the victim and present his/her findings to the court. Desire for further surety may raise the need of employing forensic personnel who evaluates the situation technologically and produces special witness items for the case. Forensic and therapeutic roles are ethically compatible considering the various ethical facts and responsibilities attached to each extreme. Therapists deal with the examination of the physical and mental health of the victim and prescription of necessary treatment. Forensic psychologist also requires deep understanding and knowledge of the with regard to psychological makeup of a particular patient. Ordering concurrent therapeutic and forensic roles on a particular patient may provide chance for assessing and preparing the patient for court hearing process (Gould & Greenberg 2001). Therapists are also likely to be affected by tribal warfare that may require him/her to lean on one side of the case. For this reason, combination of forensic skills will help therapist to obtain beforehand psychological thoughts of the conflicting parties and decide on a way by which to evade the mess. Gould and Greenberg (2001) report that therapists during their treatment of the patients need to console the patient and raise his/her hopes. In this case the therapist will need forensic psychological techniques with which he/she can apply to mediate and unify the conflicting parties before advancing the case to court. In the case of divorced families, therapist may be required to provide treatment to the child of the divorced family or the affected parents and at the same time court may order forensic psychologist to approach the victims and rehabilitate them and set them on the right course of life free from stress (Gould & Greenberg, 2001). Combination of therapeutic and forensic roles may be of great significance during the progress of case when therapist is asked by court to continue treating the patient while at the same time reporting to court over the health and mental condition of the patient. Concurrent therapist and forensic roles in a family case set up, nourishes therapists with significant know how legal requirements in the progress of cases and deep psychological technique. Lack of such skills may dump a therapist in a situation where he/she involve health examination to the child in absence of one parent, an act that is ethically and legally unacceptable. In some extreme case of family conflict, therapist may decide to hold a child in custody to extract vital information on the daily life experience of the family and any other historical injustice or conflict within the family. Forensic psychologist may also reach a point where he/she has to take the child into custody for cross examination of the family’s historic and past ways of life (Gould & Greenberg, 2001). In such a case it will within ethical regards when concurrent roles of therapeutic and forensic are carried on the patient in order to avoid upsetting the child as well as wastage of time and resources. Forensic professionals sometimes rely on therapists’ findings on the health of the patient or the victim to make viable evaluation of the real witness information. Greenberg and Gould report that in some cases of family divorce, a parent may ran to the therapist to seek for exaggeration of harm occasioned to the child by the other parent (Gould & Greenberg, 2001). In order that therapists escape such unethical presentations, forensic psychology is required to dig deep into the truth of the events and sometimes may involve advanced criminal detection technology. Tackling family cases that involve mistreatment, abuse and domestic violence will better be when the therapeutic and forensic roles are merged and carried at the same time. In such circumstance, therapists will provide treatment for the brutalized while at the same collecting forensic information that may be presented to court concerning the alleged conflict. In addition, combining forensic and therapeutic role in the treatment process of a patient is more important in that the psychological information collected about the patient may help in the allocation of appropriate diagnosis and prognosis for the effective treatment of the patient (Greenberg & Gould, 2001). Using a therapist in line with forensic roles ensures efficiency and accuracy in the case management process considering the fact that the therapist during his/her first time with the client have collected adequate information and has ready evaluation tools at hand. This will reduce further spending of money and wastage of time as the information shall be readily available with the therapist. Subsequent therapeutic and forensic roles are an important process in gathering information from the patient. While treatment is underway, therapist need to shift to forensic evaluation as this will ensure proper gathering of information by vexing fears that the patient may have for direct forensic examination. Some patient may decide to become rigid in delivering truthful information due to the fear that the information may be used by a third party. Concurrent therapeutic and forensic roles safeguard the dignity and trust of the patient as therapists already have established information that direct forensic examination may have implications on the health of an individual. Therapists have particular ethical mandates outlined with the aim of protecting the confidentiality and desire of the client (Kitchener, 2011). Forensic psychologists as well are required to work towards maximizing protection of client’s rights and preference yet ensuring impartial evaluation of the conflicting parties (Otto, 2008). In that order, combining therapeutic and forensic roles will ensure maximum protection and fairness to the conflicting parties. Ethics requires therapists to operate in openness and fairness with the involvement of both conflicting parties in the process of health examination. Despite such ethical requirements, therapists may fall in a situation where one party presents his/her requests to be fulfilled with the promise of money. Engaging a forensic professional in such a case will help in preventing therapists from such temptations considering that the core ethical value of forensic psychologist is upholding impartiality and according maximum respect to the rights of individuals. Ethics requires therapists to show high levels of competence by eliminating discriminative signs that may direct to patient. Forensic practitioners are also required to practice fairness and always inform the parties under investigation over the procedures evaluation and existing rights of rights of the individuals before and after accomplishment of the process. Applying concurrent roles of the two professionals will ensure maximum protection and warmth to the patient and parties under investigation. In conclusion, application of concurrent therapeutic and forensic roles in investigation of cases is fundamental in ensuring delivery of justice. Both therapists and forensic psychologists operate under set ethical standards to ensure that one does not misuse hi/her professionalism. Therapists are expected to indulge in transparent practices that are open to every party involved in the case. Therapists provide treatment and mental examination to the brutalized patients in order to figure out the main causes of the conflicts. Therapists can at special occasions be requested by court to carry out both therapeutic roles and forensic roles to the patient while making regular reports to the court. Therapists are also prone to corruption requests by particular intimates of the patient when they ask for false medical declaration with aims of demolishing the other parties. Most of forensic psychology deals with investigation of the psychological make up of the patient and other parties in conflict. Forensic psychologists need to practice fairness and impartiality in executing their roles. The main function of forensic psychologist is to carry evaluation of the situation at hand and provide viable evidence linking the parties to the conflict. Merging the roles of the two professions offers clear assurance of respect and adoration to the ethical rules that governs social justice. 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