Training Description
Evaluating clients for malingered symptoms of mental illness is a critical skill for mental health professionals. In this comprehensive training, attendees will learn to accurately and reliably administer and interpret the findings of the Miller Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test (M-FAST), a popular screening tool for the assessment of feigned mental illness. The training begins with an overview of the diagnostic issues and malingering assessment theory, as well as a comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of currently available assessment tools. Next, the development of the M-FAST is discussed, and the research literature on the reliability and validity of the tool is described. The training includes two live case studies in which the M-FAST is administered and attendees have the opportunity to practice scoring and interpreting the findings of the tool along with the trainer. Presented by the developer of the M-FAST, this On Demand workshop is eligible for 6 hours of valuable Continuing Education Credit.
Attendees should have access to the M-FAST Professional Manual purchasable through the instrument’s publisher, Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. For details, visit:
https://www.parinc.com//
Trainer Biography
Holly A. Miller, PhD is the Associate Dean of Academic Programs in the College of Criminal Justice and Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University. She received her BA from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota and her PhD in Clinical Psychology - with Forensic emphasis - from Florida State University in 1999. Dr. Miller conducts research, teaches, and practices in the areas of malingered mental illness, risk and treatment need, and sexual offenders. As a specialist in forensic assessment and offender evaluation, Dr. Miller has developed two published measures. The Miller Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test (M-FAST) is a brief structured interview that provides a screening assessment of malingered mental illness. The Inventory of Offender Risk, Needs, and Strengths (IORNS) is a measure developed to assess variables that are related to recidivism for offender treatment and management purposes.
Learning Objectives
This training is designed to help you:
- Explain the advantages of utilizing an objective assessment measure for the diagnosis of malingered mental illness
- Understand the development and psychometric properties of the M-FAST
- Discuss the classification rates for different M-FAST cut scores
- Administer and score of the M-FAST
- Write accurate interpretive statements based upon M-FAST total score and scale results