On-Demand CE Training
ODL 420: The Psychology of Uncertain Memory: Blackouts, Confessions, and Accusations
Please make sure to check with your own state board to ensure the transferability of CE credit for an asynchronous course. Some state boards may place restrictions regarding the modality of training required for ethics credits to be awarded. If this training indicates ethics credits are available, please verify that your state allows them to be earned through an on-demand course format.
Please note: This on-demand webinar is a replay of a live CE event. The format reflects the original presentation and may include live Q&A, transitions, and intermittent audio/visual fluctuations typical of a live recording.
5 CREDIT HOURS APPROVED FOR:
Social Workers
ASWB ACE – 5 Clinical Continuing Education credits
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work – 5 Contact hours
Psychologists
APA – 5 CE credits
Counselors 5 Contact hours
NBCC ACEP – 5 Contact hours
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners – 5 Contact hours
Addiction Professionals
NAADAC – 5 Contact hours
Nurses
California Board of Registered Nursing – 5 Contact hours
Case Managers
CCMC – This course is not approved for CCMC Contact hours
Created On: 6/12/2026
Target Audience:
This course is targeted for social workers, psychologists, counselors, and nurses.
Instructional Level:
Intermediate
Counselor Skill Groups:
4. Counseling Services
8. Legal, Ethical and Professional Development
Overview:
This 5-hour course brings together three topic areas that often confound forensic evaluations but may be encountered in any clinical practice: false accusations, false confessions, and alcohol induced blackouts. False accusations present a particular challenge to mental health practitioners, and insights into the factors and dynamics behind these claims will help clinicians better navigate their conversations with clients around this topic. False confessions are a very interesting phenomenon, particularly in forensic assessment. This course asks the question, “What would make a person confess to a crime or act they did not commit?” Finally, the impact of alcohol on cognition, and particularly memory, is explored in a segment on alcohol-induced blackouts.
Together, these three domains are a source of lively debate and often confusing empirical findings. This course aims to illuminate the research behind each of these areas to give the clinician a foundation for addressing them in real practice.
Course Objectives:
By the end of the session, the participant will be able to:
- Identify three pathways to false accusations.
- Explain two types of error in assessing the veracity of an accusation.
- Identify three factors associated with false confessions.
- Describe three tactics in the Reid Technique of interrogation.
- Explain two ways in which alcohol affects the brain.
- Differentiate alcohol induced “en bloc” blackouts from fragmentary blackouts.
Presenter:
Carl A. Bonacci, PhD
Dr. Bonacci is a clinical psychologist with a background in forensic evaluations and court testimony. He has submitted more than 200 court ordered reports and testified in both criminal and civil court hearings. In addition to forensics, Dr. Bonacci has a background in neuropsychology, including studying the effects of alcohol on cognition. In his forensic practice, Dr. Bonacci has reviewed and referenced empirical research on false accusations and false confessions and incorporates these insights into his forensic consultations. He has taught courses on forensic testimony as well as behavioral management of cognitively impaired individuals.