Southeast Psych Nashville offers a wide range of forensic services provided by a formally trained clinical and forensic psychologist and Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Certified Forensic Examiner. We focus on helping to answer mental health questions that come before the Courts through the provision of forensic evaluations and expert testimony.

WHAT IS A FORENSIC EVALUTION?

When a significant mental health issue is raised during the legal process, the court will often utilize the assistance of a psychologist specializing in the area in question, to evaluate the matter providing information, insight, and feedback regarding the mental health issue. It is important to remember that the trier-of-fact (judge/jury) is one who makes the ultimate decision regarding the question at issue, not the forensic evaluator.

TYPES OF EVALUATIONS

Child Custody Evaluations

• These evaluations focus on parenting capacity and are utilized to determine if a parent’s mental state poses a risk to the children’s safety. The goal is to do what is in the best interest of the child and a forensic psychologist may be enlisted to evaluate the family to that end.

• The evaluation will generally include
  • Initial clinical interview
  • Follow-up interviews (other parent/children)
  • Testing
  • Parent/Child observation
  • Record review
  • Collateral information/interviews
  • Feedback
  • Report writing/test scoring

Parental Fitness Evaluations

• Similar to the child custody evaluation, the goal is what is in the best interest of the child and focuses on parenting capacity. However, these evaluations do not always occur in the context of a child custody matter and can be obtained for a variety of reasons.

Justice-Involved youth psychological services

• Competency, Mental Capacity, Diminished Capacity

• Risk assessments

• Psychotherapy

• Diagnostic and treatment recommendation

• Transfer to adult court

Personal and Psychological Injury/Civil Litigation

• Competency Evaluations

• Mental State and Diminished Capacity

• Psychosexual Evaluations

Consultation and Education

• Case Consultation

• Psychological Autopsies

• Collaborative Safety Planning

• Suicide Prevention

• Transfer to Adult Court

Expert Testimony

FEES

• General consultation/initial session – $300 (this price will be deducted from the total price of any service completed)
• Full Child Custody evaluation with testing – $8500 (family of up to 4) +1k per additional child and/or stepparent
  • Amount due at scheduling for full child custody evaluation – $6000
  • Amount due upon completion of the report – $2500
• Full Child Custody evaluation without testing – $5000 (family of 4) +$500 per additional child and/or stepparent
  • Amount due at scheduling for evaluation – $3750
  • Amount due upon completion of the report – $1250
• Parental fitness evaluation (parent) – $2500
• Parental fitness evaluation (child) – $1500
• Parental fitness evaluation (parent and child) – $3000
• Psychological evaluation/diagnostic evaluation (child) – $1250
• Psychological evaluation/diagnostic evaluation/pre-employment (adult) – $2000
• Personal Injury/psychological trauma – $5000
• Expert court testimony – $300/hour
• 15-minute Q and A/Meet and greet – no charge