Learn more about assessing violent behavior risks at free conference

Augusta University alumnus Dr. William S. Hagler, the Department of Psychiatry and the James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute at the Medical College of Georgia are sponsoring a conference from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, in the Jaguar Student Activities Center.

With several recent high-profile cases of physician misconduct, the Hervey Cleckley, M.D. Psychopathy and Addictive Disorders Conference will bring awareness to abusive and criminal behavior. Specifically, the program will discuss the effects of psychopathic individuals and addictive disorders in the medical field, how to prevent these personalities from becoming physicians, and addressing negligent behavior given the potential negative consequences, including lawsuits and professional risks.

The day will feature Dr. Adelle Forth, Dr. Paul Earley and panel discussions with faculty from the Medical College of Georgia.

Forth is an associate professor at the Department of Psychology/Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. She is the senior author of “Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version.” She is also a co-author of “Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth,” a risk scale for predicting adolescent violence. Her research centers on the validity of the construct of psychopathy in different populations, the emotional and cognitive processes that underlie psychopathy and violence risk assessment.

Earley has been an addictive medicine physician for 30 years. He treats all types of addictive disorders and specializes in the assessment and treatment of health care professionals. As a therapist, he works with patients already in recovery, providing long-term therapy for those who suffer from this disease. He is the author of two books and numerous articles on addiction and its treatment. He is a contributing author to the American Society of Addiction Medicine textbook “Principles of Addiction Medicine and the ASAM Criteria.” He has been the medical director of two nationally acclaimed addiction programs, specializing in the care of addicted health care professionals.

This conference is free and open to the public. This event is not exclusively for health care professionals.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Please RSVP to David Cantrell at (706) 721-1817.