Clinical and Forensic Evaluations
Evaluations by Dr. Cox
As a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia, evaluation and diagnosis is part of my scope of practice. I am also a Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator and a Forensic Psychometrist with specialized training in forensic and clinical evaluations. Please remember that some cases are more complicated and will require more testing or collection of more collateral information than other cases, which will result in additional charges. Clinical Evaluations are generally less expensive and are appropriate in some cases.
People who are convicted of DUI in the State of Georgia are required to obtain a clinical substance abuse evaluation from a provider who is on the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities' approved list. In most cases we can do these evaluations online via an encrypted telehealth connection. Usually it is better, but not required, that the client attend DUI school prior to the clinical evaluation.
Forensic assessment is a part of the broader category of psychological assessment. The purpose of forensic assessment is distinct from that of traditional therapeutic assessment, and as such forensic evaluators have different training and practice guidelines. The settings in which forensic evaluations occur are vast, including law enforcement, correctional, and civil and criminal court settings. Forensic assessment may include traditional psychological assessments and specially designed forensic measures.
Forensic Mental Health Evaluations
Similar to a psychological evaluation, these evaluations are focused on determining whether a client has a mental health disorder and to determine the need for treatment. These evaluations include personality testing and screening instruments, specific screening instruments for specific mental health concerns, substance use disorder screening, collateral information including police reports, court records, and interviews as well as one or more clinical interviews.
Fitness for Duty Evaluations
These evaluations are often required by public agencies to determine if there are psychological problems that would prevent an individual from being able to perform his or her duty in a public safety environment such as a police agency, fire department, or other emergency services. Such evaluations include personality testing, anger assessments, and other disorder specific screening or testing instruments, reviews of collateral information,, interviews with collateral sources, and one or more clinical interviews.
Forensic Malingering Evaluations
These evaluations are designed to determine if a person is feigning one or more mental health disorders, feigning cognitive disorders, or feigning physical health issues. It will involve personality testing, specific tests of malingering, collateral information, interviews, and a clinical interview.
Domestic Violence Evaluations
Often these court ordered evaluations are conducted to determine the best way forward for people who have been charged with domestic violence. Such evaluations include personality testing, screening for mental health disorders, anger assessment instruments, review of collateral information including police reports and court records as well as one or more clinical interviews.
Forensic Drug and Alcohol Evaluations or Substance Use Evaluations
These evaluations are conducted to determine whether an individual is likely to have a substance use disorder and to determine treatment recommendations. These evaluations include screening instruments for substance use disorder, personality screenings, reviews of collateral information including police records and court records. as well as one or more clinical interviews.
Anger Evaluations
These evaluations are often ordered in cases where person has been charged with an offense related to violence or a loss of emotional regulation. Like evaluations for , these evaluations include personality and anger assessment instruments, review of collateral information including police reports and court records as well as one or more clinical interviews.
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