Rebecca is a fourth year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Rhode Island. Her clinical and research interests lie within the area of forensic psychology, or the intersection of psychology and the legal system. Before coming to URI, Rebecca received her master’s in Forensic Psychology from Roger Williams University. Her master’s thesis examined the utility of a sexual violence risk assessment tool in the prediction of reoffending for juvenile sex offenders. Subsequently, she worked as a research coordinator in the Juvenile Justice and Assessment Lab within the Department of Law and Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

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The majority of her research has focused on the implementation of structured professional judgment risk assessment tools within juvenile probation departments to assist probation workers in case planning decisions. Rebecca’s work primarily examines the ability of probation workers to refer youth to appropriate treatment services (e.g., amount and intensity level) to specifically address their individual areas of need as identified by a risk assessment tool. The research examines the relationship between matching services to individual needs and the risk for future criminal behavior, with the goal that better service-to-need matching will reduce the risk for youth re-offending. This implementation research aims to improve the policy and procedures of the juvenile justice system in managing youth cases.

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Rebecca’s current line of research focuses on methodology practices and cross-cultural considerations within forensic psychology research. Specifically, her dissertation will focus on examining the way cultural variables are captured, the extent to which cultural considerations are accounted for and applied to methodology and research design, and the degree to which the field is conducting quality, cross-cultural research. Rebecca’s other research interests within criminal justice populations include: aggression and intimate partner violence in particular, substance use and abuse, and motivation for and compliance with treatment.

 

Publications:

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Nelson, R. J., & Vincent, G. M. Matching services to criminogenic needs following adoption of RNR-related case planning.

 

Boonmann, C., Nelson, R. J., DiCataldo, F., Colins, O. F., Jansen, L. M. C., Doreleijers, T. A. H., Vermeiren, R. R. J. M. & Grisso, T. G. (2016). Mental health problems of juvenile sex offenders and non-sex offenders: An examination of MAYSI-2 scores. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 26, 352-365.

 

Guy, L. S., Vincent, G. M., Nelson, R. J., & Fusco-Morin, S. (2014). What do juvenile probation officers think of using the SAVRY and YLS/CMI for case management, and do they use the instruments properly? International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 13, 227-241.