Psychological Assessment

People involved in all kinds of legal processes might require a psychological assessment from an expert. If you’re one of them, talk to experienced psychologist Tioana Maxwell, PsyD, at Bridging the Gap Psychological Services in Greater Houston area, Texas. The team provides assessments for conservatorships and acts as an expert witness in court cases in the Greater Houston area. Call Bridging the Gap Psychological Services to learn more about expert psychological assessments or receive pricing for this service. You can also book an appointment online at any time.

What are psychological assessments?

Bridging the Gap Psychological Services provides expert mental health assessments for legal purposes. The evaluations involve assessing people using various tests and interviews and examining their medical history. An assessment evaluates multiple aspects of someone’s mental health, including:

• Behavior
• Mood
• Cognition (attention, communication, and memory)
• General appearance (for signs of poor self-care)
• If they experience delusions or hallucinations

One of your provider’s roles as an expert evaluator is in conservatorship. They can also testify in court as an expert witness.

What psychological assessments does conservatorship require?

Conservatorship is a legal procedure where a judge appoints a responsible person (or team) to help care for someone unable to care for themselves. This can happen when a child legally becomes an adult but lacks the capacity to make age-appropriate decisions.

A conservatorship helps someone who could suffer financial or physical harm because they can’t understand the consequences of their decisions. If a court grants a conservatorship, it stays in force unless another court lifts it.

It’s vital to ensure that people requiring this kind of protection receive the support they need while avoiding putting unnecessary restrictions on those who can care for themselves. Your provider’s expert psychological assessment plays a significant role in helping courts make the best decision.

What role does an expert witness play?

An expert witness provides independent evaluations of someone’s mental health. Your provider at Bridging the Gap Psychological Services can act as an expert witness for courts and tribunals covering:

• Criminal trials
• Personal injury claims
• Family law matters
• Immigration cases

They spend time with the client and review their mental health history. This enables your provider to answer various questions relevant to the case. For example, in a personal injury case, they may offer their opinion on whether the claimant experienced psychological harm from a defendant’s negligence.

They can also determine if someone has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and whether defendants are psychologically susceptible to others’ influences, which may reduce the degree of responsibility for their role in a crime.

The team at Bridging the Gap Psychological Services evaluates people’s mental capacity, including whether they have a mental health, substance use, neurodevelopmental disorder, or intellectual impairment that might affect their fitness to plead. They can also advise on the results psychological therapy is likely to have on a defendant or claimant.

Call Bridging the Gap Psychological Services to learn more about psychological assessments and the current fees for this service. You can also schedule a consultation by completing the online booking form.