Lessons from the Frontline: Case Formulation in Justice

Explore how case formulation helps practitioners understand behaviour and plan more effective interventions.

Case formulation is widely used in clinical settings to understand complex behaviour and guide effective intervention. Within criminal justice practice, however, it is often underused or misunderstood.

In this session, Dr Comer joins us to explore how case formulation can be applied within justice contexts to deepen understanding of offending behaviour and strengthen intervention planning.

Through discussion and practical examples, the webinar examines how formulation approaches can complement existing risk assessment and behaviour change frameworks used within probation, community justice and related services.

Key Themes

• What case formulation is and how it differs from risk assessment
• Theoretical foundations of formulation, including CBT and attachment theory
• Understanding the underlying drivers of behaviour
• Applying formulation approaches within justice settings
• Barriers to using formulation in criminal justice practice
• Using formulation to inform intervention planning and supervision
• Clinical perspectives from Dr Comer on working within justice contexts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the session participants will be able to:

• Understand what case formulation is and how it differs from standard assessment tools
• Apply formulation frameworks to criminal justice casework
• Develop a deeper understanding of the drivers of offending behaviour
• Integrate formulation thinking into intervention planning and supervision
• Bridge insights from clinical practice with frontline justice work