Psychological and Forensic Evaluations

Types of Psychological and Forensic Evaluations:

The reason for seeking an evaluation is different for everyone. Some people are looking for answers about their mental health or learning, while others need an evaluation as part of a medical procedure, immigration case, or legal proceeding. The type of evaluation will depend on what you need and the questions the assessment is intended to answer.

• Psychological and Psychodiagnostic Evaluations – Sometimes you’ve been given a diagnosis that doesn’t quite explain what you’re experiencing. Other times, you’ve been looking for answers and still aren’t sure what’s going on. A psychological or psychodiagnostic evaluation looks more closely at your symptoms and experiences to help identify or clarify a diagnosis and give you a better understanding of what’s happening.

• Psychoeducational Evaluations – When someone is struggling in school, it isn’t always obvious why. A psychoeducational evaluation looks at how a person learns, where they may be having difficulty, and where their strengths are. This can help identify learning differences and give families a better understanding of the support that may be helpful.
  

• Forensic Evaluations – Legal cases sometimes involve questions that require a psychological assessment. Forensic evaluations are objective, court-ready assessments that address the specific psychological questions involved in a case and provide attorneys, courts, and other referring professionals with information they can use in the legal process.

• Immigration Evaluations – Your immigration story can include experiences that are difficult to put into words, especially when you’re being asked to explain how they have affected you emotionally and psychologically. An immigration evaluation gives you the space to share those experiences while providing documentation to support your case.

  We provide immigration mental health evaluations for VAWA, asylum, extreme hardship waiver, and U Visa cases. Each evaluation is completed with care for your story and attention to the information needed for your legal process.
  

• Bariatric and Medical Evaluations – Preparing for bariatric surgery involves more than preparing physically. A pre-surgery mental health evaluation looks at your emotional and psychological readiness for the changes that come with surgery. The evaluation includes a letter to your surgeon when required.
  
  We also provide psychological readiness evaluations for people being considered for organ transplant. The assessment focuses on the psychological factors that are important as you prepare for the transplant process.
  
• Conservatorship Evaluations – When a conservatorship is being considered, there may be important questions about a person’s ability to make decisions for themselves. A conservatorship evaluation assesses capacity and provides objective psychological information for the court to consider as part of the proceeding.

• Child Custody Evaluations – Child custody decisions can involve difficult questions about a child and family’s circumstances. A child custody evaluation provides an objective psychological assessment focused on the issues the court needs to consider when making custody decisions.