Competency Test

During any court proceeding, it is required that the defendant is competent to stand trial. Legal competency is defined as “the presence of those characteristics, or the absence of those disabilities, which render a witness legally fit and qualified to give testimony in a court of justice” (thelawdictionary.org). Defendants that are found mentally incompetent to stand trial are usually hospitalized and receive some type of treatment until the person is competent to stand trial. To determine mental competency there are a few commonly used tests.

After completing the learning assessments for each of the classes I chose to meet National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration’s (NASPAA) five core competencies, I feel as though I have a much more complete vision of what the MPA program is set out to accomplish for me in my academic and professional lives. The various assignments included in this portfolio were included because I feel they best represent my best work in the MPA program. NAASPA’s core competencies, I believe, are the living heartbeat of the MPA program. They include the ability to lead and manage in public governance, the ability to participate in and contribute to the policy process, to analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems, and make decisions, the ability to articulate and apply a public service perspective, and the ability to communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry. All five of these competencies are crucial to thinking and planning strategically, manage services, understanding the complexities in, managing, and applying effective administration in all aspects of government.

In any job that you have you have to maintain professionalism in the workplace. You especially need to maintain that professionalism when your work with children. It is very important to do this because it reflects on yourself and your employer. If you work in a childcare facility and wear very inappropriate clothing then chances are you will not be working there long. Professionalism is very important when you work with children.

It is important to maintain a safe environment for students inside and outside of the classroom. My goal is to make sure that the children understand what being safe is. I make sure that they know how to play safe. All of the toys and the materials that the children use are safe. I make sure that there are no broken toys that may harm them around. The children along with me create the class rules. I make sure that the outlet plugs are in place and that the cabinets are secure. The children follow the classroom rules. I make sure that I supervise the children at all times. I also make sure that I observe the areas where they play, work, and eat. I make sure that shoes are tied. I make sure that

Many assessment tools and interviewing skills are available to the clinical social worker within a mental health setting. This paper will examine one such assessment tool, the competency based assessment, and its applicability in a mental health setting. A comparison will be made between this advanced assessment method and a generalist social work assessment. Interviewing people who have mental health concerns can offer challenges for clinical social workers. Several interviewing techniques that can help with some of these challenges will be outlined.

Pennsylvania Department of Education Bureau of Career & Technical Education CDA-Ready Certificate Documentation Infant/Toddler (Developed from The Child Development Associate: Assessment System and Competency Standards Infant/Toddler Caregivers in Center-based Programs, Second Edition, ©2006, www.cdacouncil.org ). Student Name: _______________________________________________________________ School: Instructor: ___________________________________________________________ Instructor Contact Information Phone: E-mail: __________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Requirements Enrolled in approved Child Care Program, CIP 19.0708, or FCS Child

Nancy McMenamy and Dr. Judy Johnson-Russell, Texas Woman’s University - Dallas, TX Reviewed by Nancy McMenamy, Texas Woman’s University - Dallas, TX, 2008 and Wendy Jo Wilkinson, METI - Sarasota, FL, 2009

I follow local, state, and federally mandated policies and procedures in order to ensure a well-run program. Daily I perform health and wellness checks when the students arrive and I remain apprised of who is allowed to pick the child up. I am attentive to possible signs of neglect and physical or sexual abuse. If necessary I will provide support and resources such as 211 First Call for Help or Beechbrook counseling to comply with the family’s needs. Ensuring appropriate adult-child ratio, current student records and maintaining open communication with parents is another way the program is purposeful. I identify the child’s progress

By consistently reviewing the ODE (Ohio Department of Education) preschool program licensing rules I maintain a safe environment for my students. I make sure all exits are marked and unobstructed with properly working doors and locks. Safety and evacuation plans consisting of emergency contact numbers, emergency drill information and diagrams are posted. A communicable diseases chart is posted and a first aid kit is available yet out of the children's reach. My personal items along with cleaning supplies are locked in a cabinet. Children are never left unattended. I model safe practices in the classroom, on the playground and on the bus.

Alex informed the team I am going to sleep at night, but I have to wake up to early to catch the bus. Alex stated, “Mrs. Telisha has been giving me Melatonin to help with my sleep.” Alex’s foster mother shared with the team, “Alex have mood swings frequently.” “Alex commented, “I am ready to go home.” Alex’s foster mother reported, “Alex is very helpful; however, he continues to try to take care of the children.” Alex acknowledged, “I am proud of the progress I made, so I feel like services should end.” Alex’s listened as the QP shared it is important for him to have services when he return home in 3 months to address barriers and prevent a relapse. Alex has made minimal progress with stabilizing his mood, as indicated by Alex having mood swings while in his foster family’s house and getting adequate sleep and having a stable appetite.

Justice informed the QP "I don't want to go to tutoring I can just wait and go Thursday."

In the case of Dusky v. the United States, the court affirmed that a defendant has a right to a competency evaluation before a trial. The case established that if a defendant is not competent to stand trial, he/she might lack the capacity to assist counsel. The defendant may also lack rational or factual understanding of the

This article was written by Randy K. Otto fir the journal, Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice. The subject of this article is to review the legal framework regarding competency to stand trial, or competency to proceed, as it pertains to our current court system, provide a recommend format for competency evaluations, and review special topics and/or related issues. Competency to stand trial is defined as “the ability to participate adequately in criminal proceedings and to aid in one’s own defense.” (Costanzo & Krauss, 2012). This article addresses the development of modern day competency ideas and standards, provides a sample competency assessment template, and addresses various topics and issues related to the question of competency. This article address the topic I have chosen specifically.

Competency has two split meanings in it uses relating to evidence and witness themselves. In regards to evidence, competence refers to admissibility and specifically not hearsay. In regards to witness, the term refers to legal capability of an individual to give reliable facts for use in court of law. The general rule under rule 601 of the federal rule evidence provides that "every person is competent to be a witness except as otherwise provided in these rules". This rule governs and directs in decision making on a witness ability to provide evidence in a trial. It through assessments of competence that it is determined if a court can hear evidence from a particular witness (Nemeth, 2011).

Although the restoration of competency presents itself as a rather important factor within a trial as well as the legal system, research regarding this topic is still in its early stages. Zapf & Roesch (2011) assert that there are two questions that recent research is attempting to answer: examining variables that may aid in predicting competency restorability, and determining the most effective treatment programs. Regarding predictions of competency restorability, Zapf & Roesch begin by noting that a majority of individuals, near 75%, initially deemed incompetent are restored to competency within 6 months (Bennet & Kish, 1990). However, this statistic is accompanied by a 78% accuracy rate from professionals asked to predict the probability