Coming Soon! Mental Competency Evaluation Scale (MCES) and Juvenile-Mental Competency Evaluation Scale (J-MCES) Technical & Interpretive Manual
Both assessments come with a comprehensive Technical & Interpretive Manual, outlining the target population, potential for telepsychological assessment services, the legal standards and statutes, and other key points such as the four phases of the competency restoration process. The manual offers detailed guidelines for administration, scoring, and interpretation, and provides a detailed explanation of the evaluation procedures, including court-ordered competency evaluations and initial intake baseline program evaluations, phase evaluations, and exit evaluations (if utilizing as part of the subscription-based MCAT Program).
The assessments include open-ended and multiple-choice questions that measure expressive and receptive domains, respectively. Open-ended questions probe the examinee’s expressed knowledge of general law and judicial proceedings, while multiple-choice questions assess their receptive knowledge of these areas. The MCES and J-MCES comprehensively assess an individual's understanding of the legal process, their relationship with their attorney, the nature and severity of their charges, and their behavior and etiquette in the courtroom, among other areas. They also have the flexibility to incorporate optional assessments of personal stress management and anger management, further enriching the findings. The assessments address issues of malingering and assess an individual’s ability to understand and respond to both simple and complex questions. Importantly, they align with the two-pronged test of competency established in Dusky v. United States (1960), assessing an individual's present ability to understand the court proceedings and ability to consult with counsel rather than past or previous ability.
Evaluators are guided to take a holistic view of each individual, reviewing all pertinent collateral information, from criminal charges and cognitive ability to psychiatric history. The assessment results are then bolstered by an extensive interview and assessment of current psychiatric symptoms.
The MCES and J-MCES are invaluable tools for competency to stand trial evaluations, supporting a thorough, professionally responsive, and culturally sensitive approach to assessing an individual's competency to stand trial.
