Randy Otto

Dr. Randy Otto is a prominent faculty member serving as the Director of the Division of Forensic Behavioral Sciences at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He holds significant leadership roles in the field, including Executive Director of the American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABFP). Dr. Otto is board-certified in both Clinical Psychology and Forensic Psychology (ABPP) and maintains an active license to practice in Florida.

His primary research and scholarly focus is on forensic psychological assessment. Key areas of expertise include:

• Violence risk assessment
• Evaluation of civil capacities (testamentary capacity, financial management, healthcare decisions)
• Assessment of trial competence
• Expert testimony and report writing
• Ethical issues in forensic practice
• Application of psychological testing in forensic settings (having developed two such tests)

Dr. Otto has authored and edited numerous influential books covering forensic evaluation, expert testimony, report writing, ethics, violence risk assessment, and Florida mental health law.

He has received prestigious awards for his professional contributions from multiple organizations, including:

• American Academy of Forensic Psychology
• American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS)
• Society for Personality Assessment
• New York State Psychological Association
• University of Nebraska
• University of California, San Francisco

Dr. Otto is a dedicated educator for professionals, developing and leading comprehensive on-demand training programs on critical forensic topics like expert testimony, report writing, ethics, civil capacities, telehealth evaluations, and responding to ethical dilemmas related to other professionals' work. These programs are foundational for several forensic psychology certificates.