Keith Cruise

• 1993 BA in Psychology with Criminal Justice Minor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• 1995 MLS in Legal Studies, University of Nebraska, Nebraska College of Law
• 1997 MS in Psychology, University of North Texas
• 2000 PhD in Clinical Psychology, University of North Texas

Keith Cruise is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University. Dr. Cruise conducts research on the clinical-forensic assessment of youth within the juvenile justice system. Various research projects have focused on developing and validating specialized risk assessment protocols, investigating the utility of mental health screening instruments with justice-involved youth, and understanding the connection between trauma exposure, trauma reactions, and delinquent behavior. Dr. Cruise also conducts forensic evaluations of justice-involved youth including post-disposition assessments of risk and treatment amenability, providing expert testimony to juvenile courts, and providing technical assistance and consultation to local and state juvenile justice systems. Dr. Cruise is a Co-Principal Investigator on a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention investigating the impact of trauma screening on service delivery and legal outcomes for justice-involved youth, and is a Co-Director of the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice (CTRJJ), a technical assistance center that is part of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN).

Based on my training in clinical-forensic psychology and the law, my research interests are closely connected to my clinical interests and forensic practice.  Broadly defined, my research interests are in the areas of assessment and treatment of legal defendants with an emphasis on justice-involved youth.  My primary research interest is developing and investigating the clinical utility of specialized assessment instruments to better understand the complex, overlapping needs of adolescents who come into contact with the court system.  My interest in this area is grounded in the position that psychologists who are responsible for assessing and treating justice-involved youth must base their work on empirically supported decision tools and interventions.  Translating research findings into practice is a central theme of my research, my consultation to juvenile justice systems across the country, and my clinical-forensic practice.  

Recent research projects have included a federally funded study investigating the effectiveness of enhanced mental health screening for poly-victimization in justice-involved youth, developing and validating the Short-term Assessment of Risk and Treatability:  Adolescent Version (START:AV), and examining the impact of trauma on adolescent risk/needs assessments and case planning.  As a core faculty member of the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice (CTRJJ), I have collaborated on a national survey of juvenile probation officer practices related to trauma-informed care.  Selected presentations and publications reflecting these interests are noted below.

Undergraduate

• PSYC 4340 Law and Psychology
• PSYC 3820 Forensic Psychology

Graduate

• PSYC 6190 Forensic Assessment
• PSYC 7030 Psychology and Juvenile Justice
• PSYC 7121 Clinical Diagnosis

Cruise, K.R., Morin, S.L., & Affleck, K. (2016).  Residential interventions for juvenile offenders.  In K. Heilbrun, D. DeMatteo, & N. Goldstein (Eds.), Handbook of Psychology and Juvenile Justice (pp. 611-639).  Washington, DC:  American Psychological Association.  

Holloway, E.D., Cruise, K.R., Downs, S.M., Monahan, P.O., & Aalasma, M.C. (2016).  Juvenile probation officer self-assessed mental health competency as a predictor of case management practices.  Administration and Policy in Mental Health.

Morin, S.L., Cruise, K.R., Hinz, H., Holloway, E.D., & Chapman, J.F. (2015).  Content, structure, and usefulness of juvenile predisposition psychological evaluations.  Child and Youth Care Forum, 44, 893-917.

Nicholls, T.L., Cruise, K.R., Greig, D., & Hinz, H. (2015).  Female offenders.  In P. Zapf & B. Cutler (Eds.), APA handbook of forensic psychology volume 2: Criminal investigation, adjudication, and sentencing outcomes (pp. 79-123). Washington, DC:  American Psychological Association.  

Viljoen, J.L., Nicholls, T.L., Cruise, K.R., Desmarais, S.L. & Webster, C.D. with contributions by Douglas-Beneteau, J. (2014).  Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability:  Adolescent Version (START:AV) User Guide.  Burnaby, British Columbia: Mental Health, Law, and Policy Institute.

Stimmel, M.A., Cruise, K.R., Ford, J. D., & Weiss, R. (2014).  Trauma exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology and aggression in male juvenile offenders.  Psychological Trauma:  Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 6, 184-191.  

Viljoen, J.L., Cruise, K.R., Nicholls, T.L., Desmarais, S.L., Webster, C. (2012).  Taking stock and taking steps: The case for an adolescent version of the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START:AV).  International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 11, 135-149.  

Ford, J.D., Chapman, J., Connor, D.F., & Cruise, K.R. (2012). Complex trauma and aggression in secure juvenile justice settings.  Criminal Justice and Behavior, 39(6), 695-724.   

Cruise, K.R., & Ford, J.D. (2011).  Trauma exposure and PTSD in justice-involved youth.  Child and Youth Care Forum, 40, 337-343.  

Cruise, K.R., & Pivovarova, E. (2011).  Special populations: Juvenile offenders.  In B. Rosenfeld & S. Penrod (Eds.), Research methods in forensic psychology (400-420).  New York:  Wiley.

Cruise, K.R., & Graves, A. (2016, March).  Implementing trauma screening practices:  A critical element to achieve a trauma-informed system of care.  Paper presented at the 29th annual Research & Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Behavioral Health, Tampa, FL.  

Cruise, K.R. (2015, December).  Why the key elements matter:  The need for trauma-informed diversion.  Models for Change 10th Annual Working Conference, Washington, DC.  

Cruise, K.R., Hinz, H., Ford, J. (2015, November).  Testing MAYSI-2 decision rules to identify polyvictimization and PTSD in detained youth.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, New Orleans, LA.  

Cruise, K.R. (2015, September).  Trauma-informed case planning for justice-involved youth with the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability-Adolescent Version (START:AV).  Paper presented at the Young Persons and the Law conference, Prato, Italy.   

Lam, J., Cruise, K.R., Green, D., & Belfi, B. (2015, June).  Use of the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability in a Forensic Facility:  Examining the impact of suicide behavior on multiple risk outcomes.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Manchester, UK.  

Green, D., Rosenfeld, B., Cruise, K.R., Belfi, B., Lam, J., Iskander, E., & Griswold, H. (2015, March).  Identifying clusters of forensic patients by vulnerability ratings on the Short Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START) and their relationship with institutional aggression.  Paper presentation at the annual meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society, San Diego, CA.  

Holloway, E.D., Cruise, K.R., Monahan, P.O., & Aalasma, M.C. (2015, March).  Predicting juvenile probation officer case management strategies:  The role of mental health competency.  Paper presentation at the annual meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society, San Diego, CA.  

Cruise, K.R. (2014, November).  Trauma-informed case planning for justice-involved youth with the Short Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability-Adolescent Version (START-AV).  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, Miami, FL.  

Hinz, H., Cruise, K.R., Gavaras, G., & Fisher, C.B. (2014, June).  Adolescent and parent perspectives on ethical issues in risk behavior survey research:  The patient perspective.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services, Toronto, ON.  

Stimmel, M.A., Cruise, K.R., Ford, J., Levine, J., & Chang, R. (2014, March).  Which comes first, affect regulation or trauma-specific symptom change?  Understanding mechanisms of treatment change among incarcerated females.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society, New Orleans, LA.  

Cruise, K.R. (2013, November).  Multidisciplinary perspectives on the challenge of creating trauma-informed juvenile justice systems.  Panel presented at the 29th annual meeting of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS), Philadelphia, PA.