Abstract
Over the past two decades, the court has begun to rely increasingly upon the opinions of mental health professionals in deciding questions of parental fitness. Despite the value placed on psychologists' evaluations and testimony, there is little guidance for judges and other legal professionals with regard to determining whether an evaluation is competent or useful. Given the heavy burden that accompanies severing the relationship between a child and his or her biological parent, the need for competent and comprehensive evaluations is paramount. Thus, the focus of this article is to provide specific recommendations for legal professionals with regard to assessing the competency of termination of parental rights (TPR) evaluations. Utilizing the American Psychological Association's (APA) Procedural Guidelines for Psychological Evaluations in Child Protection Matters (American Psychological Association, 1998) as a guide, common flaws in evaluations, as well as best practice techniques, are identified and discussed. By providing legal professionals with increased awareness and knowledge of the components of a competent TPR evaluation, it is expected that the best interests of families in these cases will be better served and that psychological professionals will be held to a high standard of competence.
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