{"id":11219,"date":"2025-06-25T12:22:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T19:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhs.lacounty.gov\/lageneral\/?page_id=11219"},"modified":"2025-06-30T07:00:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T14:00:22","slug":"forensic-psychiatry-fellowship-program","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dhs.lacounty.gov\/lageneral\/graduate-medical-education\/forensic-psychiatry-fellowship-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: right\"><strong>Welcome from the Program Director<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: right\"><span data-teams=\"true\"> Welcome to the USC\/LA General Medical Center Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship. Established in 1965 by Dr. Seymour Pollack, our program is among the oldest in the nation and helped lay the foundation for modern forensic psychiatry. As we continue this legacy, we remain committed to advancing excellence, innovation, and leadership in the education and training of the next generation of forensic psychiatrists.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: right\"><strong>Dr. Talene Keshishian<\/strong><br \/>\nFellowship Program Director<\/h4>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_single_image image=&#8221;11250&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221; alignment=&#8221;right&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;20px&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>About the Fellowship<\/h3>\n<p>Our ACGME-accredited, full-time, one-year fellowship program is comprised of lectures, seminars, first-hand experience, and expert supervision from psychiatrists board-certified in forensic psychiatry, as well as forensic psychologists. From day one, forensic psychiatry fellows are directly involved with hospitals, county jails, juvenile justice agencies, dependency courts, the Los Angeles County Mental Health Court &#8211; and other agencies in which mental health and the law are intertwined. In addition, forensic psychiatry fellows have numerous opportunities to serve as expert witnesses for superior courts, mental health courts, and other local and state government agencies.<\/p>\n<h3>Mission Statement<\/h3>\n<p>Our fellowship program prepares psychiatrists to serve as an integral part of the justice system by addressing legal issues involving mental health. Founded by Seymour Pollack in 1965, the USC\/LA General Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship has always been a pioneer in its field and remains at the forefront of forensic psychiatric education through innovation and unparalleled expertise.<\/p>\n<h3>Curriculum Highlights<\/h3>\n<p>Forensic psychiatry fellows are regularly assigned <strong>cases<\/strong> for which they provide their forensic psychiatric opinion in the form of a written report. These cases involve psychiatric-legal issues for the criminal, dependency, juvenile and mental health courts, as well as various administrative hearings. Forensic fellows also regularly testify for civil commitment and conservatorship hearings with <strong>supervision<\/strong> from experienced faculty members.<\/p>\n<p>Our unique geographic location and partnerships offer an extremely <strong>diverse<\/strong> setting for optimizing clinical, educational and research activities. <strong>Placement<\/strong> is primarily based at the Los Angeles General Medical Center, which houses the Psychiatric Emergency Service, Consultation-Liaison Service and Psychiatric Inpatient Unit. Our close partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services provides unique opportunities for understanding the delivery of mental healthcare to underserved patients in the Los Angeles County jail system. Forensic psychiatry fellows serve as consultants to the county Mental Health Court on a daily basis. Forensic psychiatry fellows also serve as consultants to various other agencies, such as the L.A. Public Defender\u2019s Office and L.A. County District Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n<p>Our fellows benefit from <strong>didactic courses <\/strong>that are second-to-none, offering education from expert faculty, including forensic psychiatrists and psychologists, judges, public and private attorneys, and professionals from other forensic-related disciplines. Courses specifically designed for forensic psychiatry fellows include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Biological, psychological, and sociological determinants of crime and delinquency<\/li>\n<li>Civil law<\/li>\n<li>Criminal law<\/li>\n<li>Family law<\/li>\n<li>Federal criminal law<\/li>\n<li>Juvenile &amp; Dependency law<\/li>\n<li>Mental health law<\/li>\n<li>Correctional psychiatry<\/li>\n<li>Biases applicable to forensic assessments<\/li>\n<li>Landmark mental health cases (including all AAPL-specified cases)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Fellows work closely with faculty on multiple scholarly projects, including <strong>presentations<\/strong> and submissions for national professional meetings and publications. Each year, fellows author and submit an abstract to AAFS (American Academy of Forensic Sciences) and complete a legal digest that is published in an AAPL (American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law) journal.<\/p>\n<h3>Faculty and Lecturers<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Talene Keshishian, MD<\/strong><br \/>\nProgram Director<br \/>\n<strong>Lorraine Cuadra, PhD<\/strong><br \/>\nChief Psychologist<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>20+ forensic psychiatrists<\/li>\n<li>10+ forensic psychologists<\/li>\n<li>10+ judges and attorneys<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Salary and Benefits<\/h3>\n<p>Fellows are employees of the County of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PGY5<\/strong> Yearly Salary as of October 1, 2024 : $90,019<\/p>\n<h4>Benefits<\/h4>\n<table width=\"93%\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"41%\"><strong>Bonus<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"57%\">$10,000 per fellow for housing purposes, paid during the first pay period of employment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"41%\"><strong>Meals<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"57%\">$27 per day at Los Angeles General Medical Center; meals are reimbursed during off-campus rotations ($15 for lunch at facilities without a cafeteria).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"41%\"><strong>Educational Stipend<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"57%\">Up to $2,500 to use for qualifying educational expenses.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"41%\"><strong>Parking<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"57%\">Provided at no cost at Los Angeles General Medical Center and other placements.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"41%\"><strong>White coats<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"57%\">Provided<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"41%\"><strong>Vacation<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"57%\">24 days paid vacation each year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"41%\"><strong>Sick leave<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"57%\">8 days per year, of which 3 may be used for personal leave<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"41%\"><strong>Professional liability insurance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"57%\">Provided by the County of Los Angeles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"41%\"><strong>Maternity\/Paternity leave<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"57%\">Available in accordance with Federal and State Law<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"41%\"><strong>Medical\/dental benefits<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"57%\">Choice of several offered plans; family coverage available at additional cost<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"41%\"><strong>Life insurance<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"57%\">Additional insurance up to 8x annual salary may be purchased with benefits allowance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>For more information about salary, benefits, and the contract between the County and CIR,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cirseiu.org\/los-angeles-county-usc-medical-center\/\">visit CIR\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Life in Los Angeles<\/h3>\n<p>Life in Los Angeles offers a vibrant blend of culture, creativity, and opportunity. With year-round sunshine, diverse neighborhoods, and endless entertainment options, the city provides an inspiring backdrop for both work and play. Whether you&#8217;re drawn to the beach, the arts, or innovation, L.A. has something for everyone.<\/p>\n<h3>How to Apply<\/h3>\n<p>The\u00a0<strong>Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)<\/strong>\u00a0will be used for the forensic psychiatry fellow selection process for the 2026-2027 Academic Year.<\/p>\n<h5>Important Dates:<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>July 2, 2025 \u2013 Applications are open for forensic psychiatry fellowships via ERAS.<\/li>\n<li>July 16, 2025 \u2013 Forensic psychiatry fellowship programs begin to review applications and can begin to interview applicants. Please note, we request a recent writing sample (e.g., admission summary, discharge summary, forensic case report, etc.) be emailed directly to Mary Goodbeer, Program Coordinator, at <a href=\"mailto:goodbeer@usc.edu\">goodbeer@usc.edu<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/students-residents.aamc.org\/applying-residencies-eras\/applying-residencies-eras-system\">https:\/\/students-residents.aamc.org\/applying-residencies-eras\/applying-residencies-eras-system<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Our forensic psychiatry fellowship program participates in the\u00a0<strong>National Residency Match Program<\/strong>\u00a0(NRMP aka \u201cThe Match\u201d) for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. Our program will not make fellowship offers to applicants outside of The Match, except in the event of attempting to fill an unfilled position after Match Day.<\/p>\n<h5>Important Dates:<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>August 6, 2025 \u2013 Match Registration opens.<\/li>\n<li>September 3, 2025 \u2013 Ranking opens.<\/li>\n<li>October 8, 2025 \u2013 Rank Order List Certification deadline.<\/li>\n<li>October 22, 2025 \u2013 Match Day. Unfilled\/Unmatched Lists available.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrmp.org\">https:\/\/www.nrmp.org<\/a><\/p>\n<h5>For additional program information or questions regarding applications, please contact:<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Talene Keshishian, MD<\/strong><br \/>\nProgram Director<br \/>\n(323) 409-4942<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:tkeshishian@dhs.lacounty.gov\">tkeshishian@dhs.lacounty.gov<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Mary Goodbeer<\/strong><br \/>\nProgram Coordinator<br \/>\nP.O. Box 86125<br \/>\nLos Angeles, CA 90086-0125<br \/>\n(323) 409-4942<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:goodbeer@usc.edu\">goodbeer@usc.edu<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;] Welcome from the Program Director Welcome to the USC\/LA General Medical Center Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship. Established in 1965 by Dr. Seymour Pollack, our program is among the oldest in the nation and helped lay the foundation for modern forensic psychiatry. As we continue this legacy, we remain committed to advancing excellence, innovation, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"parent":224,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/template-subsite-basic-page.php","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11219","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program - LA General Medical Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dhs.lacounty.gov\/lageneral\/graduate-medical-education\/forensic-psychiatry-fellowship-program\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program - LA General Medical Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;] Welcome from the Program Director Welcome to the USC\/LA General Medical Center Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship. 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