Toward Aspirational Forensic Mental Health Practice

Forensic mental health professionals are often provided with aspirational guidelines to inform their practice; however, disparities exist between what such professionals should strive to do and what they actually do. This article considers pathways to improving practice not only in terms of knowledge base but also in terms of ethics, skills, and intellectual, dispositional, and interpersonal qualities. Obstacles are identified that could prevent forensic mental health professionals from practicing at higher levels of excellence.