Dr Matt Frize
1Forensic Disability Services, Australia
Biography:
Matt is the Director of Forensic Disability Services in Victoria’s Dept of Families, Fairness & Housing. He is a registered supervising clinical, forensic and educational / developmental psychologist and holds a clinical associate position at Swinburne University. Matt has a Masters in Educational & Developmental Psychology, a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a PhD exploring risk assessment in offenders with an intellectual disability. Matt has previously led clinical services within the New South Wales forensic disability service and Victoria’s child protection Secure care Services and is a co-author of the ARMIDILO (general) and ARMIDILO (sex) dynamic risk assessment tools.
This symposium presented by Forensic Disability Services Victoria (Dept. Families, Fairness, & Housing) examines the critical intersections within forensic disability practice, focusing on treatment and assessment advances, alongside, therapeutic, and systemic responses to complex clients.
Explored will be the prevalence, treatment, assessment, and drivers of family violence offending in this population. Case studies will be used to discuss the progress and challenges of implementing a clinical practice guide for assessment and treatment.
Harmful sexual behaviour in young people will be explored through an integrated approach of systemic intervention and cognitive behavioural therapy, utilising case examples to discuss the application of this approach with young people and their families.
The symposium will also highlight the intersection of retribution and therapeutic jurisprudence within the workforce in secure residential settings. This will explore the legal, clinical, and ethical frameworks that must work in tandem to reduce risk and problem behaviours in serious offenders.
Additionally, the symposium will present recent developments to the Assessment of Risk and manageability of Individuals with Developmental and Intellectual Limitations who Offend (ARMIDILOs), including its predictive and ecological validity, evolution, and application to individuals without cognitive disability.
Together, these papers aim to strengthen sustainable, ethical, and clinically sound approaches to assessment and treatment in forensic practice.