Forensic Psychiatry Subspecialty

Our forensic psychiatry subspecialty training program has received Royal College accreditation and has started accepting residents in their PGY5 year of training in 2023. We will be accepting applications for training to begin in July 2025. Our training program consists of 12 months of specialized forensic psychiatry experience ranging across a vast array of services and opportunities.

Our educational sites include:

• Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre (SAFPC) (Assessment and Treatment Units)
• Court Ordered Assessments (Criminal)
• Inpatient psychiatry and consultation liaison at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre (SAFPC),
• Outpatient forensic mental health clinics at the Forensic Assessment and Outpatient Services (FAOS), Youth Treatment at the Forensic Adolescent Psychiatry Service (FAP).
• Specialized teams (Family Violence and Sex offender Treatment)
• NCR inpatient and outpatient care and assessments at both the SAFPC as well as 3 Community Recovery Homes
• Calgary Correctional Centre in Calgary Zone, Calgary Remand Centre as well as the Calgary Young Offenders Centre to provide institutional assessments and treatment
• Rocky Mountain Sex Offender Program out of the Calgary Correctional Centre/FAOS
• Mental Health Court 

 Elective opportunities provincially and nationally including but not limited to assessments and treatment with the Calgary Police and Crisis Teams.

Our clinical teaching staff are committed to developing confident and competent clinicians who will become our future leaders in forensic psychiatry. They have been recognized by many residents during their training to be great sources of wisdom, mentorship and support in their educational journeys and are the foundation of our training program.

Education is the foremost objective in our subspecialty training program with protected half days, participation in international review courses (American Psychiatry and the Law) and flexibility to attend conferences and symposia. Formal mentorship will be a key component during the one year of training to develop both clinical and professional skills necessary for successful independent practice.

Thank you once again for consideration of joining our subspecialty training program.

Please contact us for any further information in regard to this program.

Starting in the 2025 cycle, all the Forensic Psychiatry Subspecialty Program across Canada will be moving to  CaRMS for application and selection process.

Applications for July 2026 start date opens in  CaRMS on July 10, 2025 at 12:00 (noon) ET. Application deadline is August 19 2025 12:00 (noon) ET.

There is (1) residency position each year.

PGY 5 and 6 enrollment in a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Program in the 2025-2026 Academic year are eligible to apply. 

Applications are accepted through CaRMS only, and documentation will include:

• Completed Application
• Personal Statement
• Three Letters of Reference
• Relevant Residency Rotation Experience

• Rotation Evaluations/ In Training Evaluation Report (ITERs) OR Competence Committee Summary Report (for programs with no ITERS)  

  Select candidates will be invited to interview with the Program Director and various members for the Residency CaRMS Committee. This will include virtual information session that can help provide further insight into our program

  Program information Session is on August 25th, 2025, 11AM-12PM MTS.

  Virtual interviews will take place on September 8th and September 15th, 2025.  

For additional information, please visit CaRMS website. 

For more information about our program, please contact our Residency Program Administrator Bernice Mina-Buna Bernice.Mina-Buna@albertahealthservices.ca