Types of Evaluations Offered:

Psychological Evaluation

Psychological testing and evaluation consists of a series of tests that help determine the cause of mental health symptoms and disorders, to determine the correct diagnosis and follow up with the appropriate course of treatment. This type of evaluation includes a comprehensive clinical interview with mental status examination, personality testing, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations.

Psychological Evaluation-Substance Use Specific

Psychological testing and evaluation consists of a series of tests that help determine the cause of mental health symptoms and disorders, to determine the correct diagnosis and follow up with the appropriate course of treatment. This type of evaluation will include a comprehensive substance-use specific clinical interview with mental status examination, personality testing, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations

Psychoeducational Evaluation of a Juvenile, ages 6-17 years or Adult, ages 16++ with optional ADHD testing for juvenile or adult

Psychoeducational evaluation is a process by which a trained professional works with those involved in a child’s learning or development to identify the child’s strengths and weaknesses. Its goal is to enhance everyone’s ability to help the child be as successful as possible.

People involved in the process often include you, your child, and your child’s teachers.

A Psychoeducational Evaluation can also help students prepare for higher education by identifying the ways in which they learn most efficiently. It includes a clinical interview with mental status examination, intellectual and academic testing, diagnosis, and academic recommendations/accommodations. Additional ADHD specific testing can be added to the evaluation upon request.

Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Evaluation

Although there is no single medical, physical, or genetic test for ADHD, a diagnostic evaluation can be provided by a qualified mental health care professional or physician who gathers information from multiple sources. These sources include ADHD symptom checklists, standardized behavior rating scales, a detailed history of past and current functioning, and information obtained from family members or significant others who know the person well. Some practitioners will also conduct tests of cognitive ability and academic achievement in order to rule out a possible learning disability. ADHD cannot be diagnosed accurately just from brief office observations or  simply by talking to the person. The person may not always exhibit the symptoms of ADHD during the office visit, and the diagnostician needs to take a thorough history of the individual’s life. A diagnosis of ADHD must include consideration of the possible presence of co-occurring conditions.

This type of evaluation will include a clinical interview with mental status examination, intellectual testing, ADHD specific testing, diagnosis, and academic recommendations/accommodations.

Parental Capacity Evaluation

In most cases, the judge orders the Parent Capacity Evaluation (PCE) after deciding what information he or she needs about the parents. Based on the PCE, the court can make recommendations for visitation, treatment, and placement of the child(ren). The court requests an objective assessment of the needs of the children and each parent’s ability to meet those needs. Instructions are given to the assessor concerning the matters at issue in custody, access or both.

Parenting ability is not the same as parenting capacity. Parenting ability refers to the child caretaker’s current parenting strengths and weaknesses; parenting capacity refers to the caretaker’s potential for parenting in future, that is, his or her potential for improvement in parenting ability. Parenting capacity, then, includes the concept and assessment of parenting ability. Therefore, parenting capacity is the ability to be what is termed “a good enough parent” on a long-term basis. Hence, it is different from parenting ability, where he or she may be able to parent for a short period of time in specific circumstances but not have the capacity to parent effectively long term.

At different points of time, parenting capacity varies depending on the circumstances facing parents and their children. Competent parenting demands adaptability to the changing circumstances of the child.   The assessment describes patterns of parent’s functioning in adult and child rearing roles. An effort is made to explain the reasons for the problematic behavior leading to the child protection concerns. The assessment also identifies the functioning of child, his or her needs and risks in relation to the parent’s deficits. An important goal is to provide directions for intervention to meet the best interests of children.  Parenting capacity is not seen as fixed but as undergoing constant change.

The recommendation of assessor, therefore, is not determinative. It is one more piece of puzzle. The judge weights the assessor’s report with all the other evidence. The “best interests of the child” remains the primary concern of psychologists regardless of the specific role they play, or the specific interests of the adult parties, who usually contract and pay for the assessment. The goal is to come up with the plan/recommendations for the care of children involved. This evaluation will include a comprehensive clinical interview with mental status examination, parent-specific semi-structured interview, personality testing, parent specific testing, collateral review (records and interviews), diagnosis, and treatment recommendations. 

Child Custody Evaluation

Includes the same basic description of a Parental Capacity Evaluation, but it requires participation from both parents as well as an evaluation of the child(ren) involved. Depending on the child(ren)'s age, the evaluation will include interviews, personality testing, and a behavioral assessment. This type of evaluation is usually ordered by the judge presiding over the child-custody case. Child custody evaluations are assessments conducted by mental health professionals to determine what's best for a child.

They result in a report for the judge that includes a custody recommendation. The evaluator may need weeks or months to study the dynamics between the child and each parent. He or she may:

• Interview the child and parents individually

• Conduct psychological testing on the family

• Observe the family at home

• Interview friends, relatives and others involved with the family (like teachers or doctors)

• Review documents related to the case, such as school or health records

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Sex Offender Evaluation

A psychosexual evaluation is a battery of examinations that uses scientific methods to evaluate a person’s psychological and sexual functioning. The psychosexual examination evaluates sexual interests to see if there is a deviation from generally accepted sexual behavior, which could be considered abnormal, and if acted-upon, illegal. Examples of such behavior includes an attraction to minors, family members, and nonconsensual sex. The evaluation also helps provide information about an individual’s risk of re-offending and what treatment might be most effective. This type of evaluation includes a comprehensive clinical interview with mental status examination, personality testing, sex offender specific testing and interview, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations.

Juvenile Transfer Evaluation

A comprehensive clinical interview with mental status examination, personality testing, intellectual/academic testing, criminogenic testing, collateral review (interviews and records), diagnosis, and treatment recommendations.

Civil Competency Evaluation

A comprehensive clinical interview with mental status examination, intellectual testing, functional testing, neuropsychological testing (as needed), personality testing (as needed), collateral review (interviews and records), diagnosis, and treatment recommendations.

Testamentary Capacity

A comprehensive clinical interview with mental status examination, intellectual testing, functional testing, neuropsychological testing (as needed), personality testing (as needed) ,collateral review (interviews and records) , diagnosis, and treatment recommendations

Capacity to Proceed to Trial

A comprehensive clinical interview with mental status examination, intellectual testing, academic testing, criminal competence testing, neuropsychological testing (as needed), personality testing (as needed), collateral review (interviews and records), diagnosis, and recommendations. 

Criminal Intent/ Mental State at Time of Offense

A comprehensive clinical interview with mental status examination, intellectual testing, neuropsychological testing (as needed), personality testing, collateral review (interviews and records), diagnosis, and recommendations. 

Forensic Criminal Psychological Evaluation

A comprehensive clinical interview with mental status examination, criminogenic testing (as indicated), personality testing, collateral review (interviews and records), diagnosis, and recommendations and opinions regarding specific psycholegal questions identified in referral.