Each year, the Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law (CMHPL) sponsors presenters for the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Grand Rounds Series, with an emphasis on renowned experts and topics relating to forensic mental health. The Grand Rounds webinars are open to those within UW Medicine and to the general public, at no charge.
Upcoming Grand Rounds
Bridging Mental Health, Policy, and the Law — Advancing Forensic Mental Health Practice
Friday, May 29, 2026, 12:00–1:00 p.m. PT
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95229242811 (passcode: 461403)
Jennifer Piel, MD, JD, will introduce the work of the Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law (CMHPL) — a hub for research, education, and policy innovation dedicated to improving outcomes for individuals with behavioral health needs in the context of law.
Jennifer Piel, MD, JD, is the Director of the UW Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law, an Associate Professor at the UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and a Staff Psychiatrist at the VA Puget Sound. She holds multiple board certifications in Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, Brain Injury Medicine, and Sports and Performance Psychiatry. In addition to her medical training, she earned her law degree from UW. As a member of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL), she serves on the Ethics, Research, and Resident Education Committees and she twice earned AAPL’s Young Investigator Award. She teaches courses in forensic mental health at UW and speaks locally and nationally on topics related to psychiatry and the law.
About the Bruce Gage Annual Lecture in Forensic Mental Health
Bruce Gage, MD has been described as a tremendous clinician, educator, and mentor. He demonstrated compassion and advocacy for vulnerable members of our society, most notably persons getting psychiatric care within correctional facilities. The CMHPL founded the Bruce Gage Annual Lecture in Forensic Mental Health to honor Dr. Gage and to carry on his work. The CMHPL endeavors to continue Dr. Gage’s pursuit of improving psychiatric care, education and training in our state.
Recordings of Past Bruce Gage Lectures
Roadmap to the Ideal Behavioral Health Crisis System
Presented by: Kenneth Minkoff, MD
February 20, 2026
Civil Commitment Through the Ethics Lens: How We Got Here
Presented by: Philip Candilis, MD, DFAPA
December 13, 2024
The Future of Psychiatry: Challenges and Opportunities for Forensic Psychiatrists
Presented by: Rebecca Brendel MD, JD, DFAPA
February 9, 2024
Resynthesizing the Nexus of Mental Health, Law Enforcement and Race
Presented by: Cheryl Wills, MD
December 9, 2022
School Shooters: Tormented Teens or Cold-Blooded Killers?
Presented by: Phillip Resnick, MD
December 10, 2021
Introducing the Center for Mental Health, Policy, and the Law
Presented by: Jennifer Piel, MD, JD
November 20, 2020
Additional CMHPL-sponsored Grand Rounds
National Crisis Regarding Competency to Stand Trial: Impact on Public Sector Mental Health Services
Presented by: Ira Packer, PhD
June 3, 2022
Competence to Stand Trial and Civil Commitment: Are They Related?
Presented by: Debra Pinals, MD
April 23, 2021