Forensic Custody Evaluation Certification Course

Certification

New York State law requires that court-ordered forensic evaluations involving child custody and visitation be performed by a New York licensed psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist.

Additionally, eligible professionals must complete a training program administered by the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Licensees must periodically complete required training to perform such services.

For more information on the certification or how to become certified, please contact [email protected]

*Certification dates for new Forensic Custody Evaluators to be posted by December 2026.

Recertification

This recertification training is open to Forensic Custody Evaluators who have already completed the 24 hour FCE Certification training and who need to recertify every 2 years after initial certification.

Below are all the offerings for the recertification training that will take place in 2025 and 2026.

Training Series Registration Instructions

Select One Training Series
There are four separate training series offered. Each series includes multiple live virtual sessions and eLearning components that must be completed in full. Here are the available training dates:
- Fall 2025: eLearning opens 10/29/25
  - Live virtual training dates:
    - November 6, 9:00 am-2:00 pm
    - November 13, 9:00 am -2:00 pm
- Winter 2025: eLearning opens 12/1/2025
  - Live virtual training dates:
    - December 9, 9:00 am-2:00 pm
    - December 11, 9:00 am-2:00 pm
- Winter 2026: eLearning opens 1/26/2026
  - Live virtual training dates:
    - February 5, 9:00 am-2:00 pm
    - February 12, 9:00 am-2:00 pm
- Spring 2026: eLearning opens 2/23/2026
  - Live virtual training dates:
    - March 4, 9:00 am-2:00 pm
    - March 11, 9:00 am-2:00 pm.
- Summer 2026: eLearning opens 7/27/2026.
  - Live virtual training dates:
    - August 4, 9:00 am-2:00 pm
    - August 11, 9:00 am-2:00 pm.
Stay Within a Single Series
To earn certification, you must complete all sessions and coursework within the same series. You cannot combine sessions from different series (e.g., taking some in the Fall and the rest in the Spring).
If You Miss Sessions
If you register for a series (e.g., the Fall Series) but miss one or more sessions, you will need to repeat the entire series in a future cycle. Any previously completed sections will not carry over.
If You’re Unsure About Scheduling
If you are not yet sure which series you can attend, you may register for multiple series options to keep your schedule flexible. Once you begin, however, you must complete all coursework in just one series for certification.

Follow-up Instructions:

You will receive a training confirmation email after registration and additional information about recertification training details in advance of your scheduled recertification series. If you have questions about registration, please submit a ticket via Coalition Manager.