Forensic Evaluations

We have a team approach to conducting evaluations.

Dr. KKJ heads up the forensic evaluation team. Our team is qualified to provide psychological assessments and testify in legal settings. Dr. KKJ has testified in cases as a clinical and forensic expert in North Carolina and Virginia (multiple designations). Dr. Ludlam is our Training Director. She is responsible for ensuring our evaluation protocols are up to date and that the practice follows current evidence-based practice. She also ensures all our staff and students are properly trained to interview and test our clients. Ms. Foss is our Evaluation Coordinator. She will be your point of contact for initiating and concluding the evaluation process.

If you are seeking an evaluation, please contact lisa@kkjpsych.com.

What is a team approach?

This means that you will always have two minds on the case. This approach helps clinicians maintain neutrality and discuss various perspectives. It allows for efficient and thorough information gathering. And, it mimics the health care system's whole person approach to care. You can read an article about KKJ's team approach to forensic evaluations here.

You will meet with two primary clinicians to complete interviews and psychological evaluations. We will also contact collaterals to obtain records and complete interviews.

We have a team approach to conducting evaluations.

Dr. KKJ heads up the forensic evaluation team. Our team is qualified to provide psychological assessments and testify in legal settings. Dr. KKJ has testified in cases as a clinical and forensic expert in North Carolina and Virginia (multiple designations). Dr. Ludlam is our Training Director. She is responsible for ensuring our evaluation protocols are up to date and that the practice follows current evidence-based practice. She also ensures all our staff and students are properly trained to interview and test our clients. Ms. Foss is our Evaluation Coordinator. She will be your point of contact for initiating and concluding the evaluation process.

If you are seeking an evaluation, please contact lisa@kkjpsych.com.

What is a team approach?

This means that you will always have two minds on the case. This approach helps clinicians maintain neutrality and discuss various perspectives. It allows for efficient and thorough information gathering. And, it mimics the health care system's whole person approach to care. You can read an article about KKJ's team approach to forensic evaluations here.

We will also contact collaterals to obtain records and complete interviews.

Types of Psychological Evaluations

“Psychological evaluation” is a broad term that is often used to refer to many different things. Most basically, a psychological evaluation is an assessment of an individual, usually involving diagnostic interviews and psychological testing. However, this assessment can take several forms and serve different purposes. This summary provides short descriptions of several types of evaluations. The major categories of evaluations include:

  • Psycho-diagnostic Evaluation:
    This type of assessment is usually conducted at the request of an individual who is in or seeking treatment, or a therapist seeking diagnostic clarity about a person’s case. It usually involves diagnostic interviews about the individual’s background and problems and testing focused on psychological symptoms and personality traits.
  • Psycho-educational Evaluation:
    This assessment is focused on an individual’s academic and school-related abilities. It involves interviews and testing, but testing may include specific instruments designed to assess problems like AD/HD or broader measures to assess intelligence or achievement.
  • Neuropsychological Evaluation:
    A neuropsychological evaluation is an assessment of brain functioning, and the goal is usually to identify the specific structure or region in the brain that is causing a person impairment. It involves a diagnostic interview and the administration of tests, either computerized or paper and pencil. These evaluations require administration by a neuropsychologist or trained psychometrist.
  • Forensic Psychological Evaluations:
    These involve any psychological evaluation that is conducted as part of a legal or court case. There are many specific questions that can be addressed depending on the case and question to be answered. Given the legal context, forensic evaluations are typically very structured and follow strict guidelines, and they also tend to include a review of relevant records and collateral information (such as interviews with third parties like therapists) in addition to diagnostic interviews and psychological testing.

Types of Psychological Evaluations

“Psychological evaluation” is a broad term that is often used to refer to many different things. Most basically, a psychological evaluation is an assessment of an individual, usually involving diagnostic interviews and psychological testing. However, this assessment can take several forms and serve different purposes. This summary provides short descriptions of several types of evaluations. The major categories of evaluations include:

  • Psycho-diagnostic Evaluation:
    This type of assessment is usually conducted at the request of an individual who is in or seeking treatment, or a therapist seeking diagnostic clarity about a person’s case. It usually involves diagnostic interviews about the individual’s background and problems and testing focused on psychological symptoms and personality traits.
  • Psycho-educational Evaluation:
    This assessment is focused on an individual’s academic and school-related abilities. It involves interviews and testing, but testing may include specific instruments designed to assess problems like AD/HD or broader measures to assess intelligence or achievement.
  • Neuropsychological Evaluation:
    A neuropsychological evaluation is an assessment of brain functioning, and the goal is usually to identify the specific structure or region in the brain that is causing a person impairment. It involves a diagnostic interview and the administration of tests, either computerized or paper and pencil. These evaluations require administration by a neuropsychologist or trained psychometrist.
  • Forensic Psychological Evaluations:
    These involve any psychological evaluation that is conducted as part of a legal or court case. There are many specific questions that can be addressed depending on the case and question to be answered. Given the legal context, forensic evaluations are typically very structured and follow strict guidelines, and they also tend to include a review of relevant records and collateral information (such as interviews with third parties like therapists) in addition to diagnostic interviews and psychological testing.

More About Forensic Evaluations

There are several specific types of forensic evaluations. One way to organize the types of forensic evaluations is to examine whether the case is being heard in family, civil, or criminal court.

Civil Issues

  • Immigration
  • Personal Injury and Liability (PTSD, depression, workplace violence)
    In this type of forensic evaluation, the goal is to examine a person’s psychological functioning before and after an injury and to consider the impact of that event on the person in the future. Like other forensic evaluations, these include interviews, testing, record reviews, and collateral interviews.
  • Leave of Absence, Performance or Return to Duty
  • Psychological Assessment
    In this type of evaluation, an individual is assessed due to some kind of mental health issue raised. It includes a diagnostic interview, psychological testing, record review, and collateral interviews with third parties. This assessment provides information on the individual’s functioning, any symptoms or problems, and whether the person meets criteria for a psychological disorder. It also provides recommendations for treatments and other interventions.
  • Substance Abuse Evaluation
    In this type of forensic evaluation, an individual is typically being assessed at the request of a third party (i.e., judge or attorney) due to concern of a substance related issue. These thorough evaluations typically involve several interviews, collateral contacts and interviews, psychological testing, and record reviews. The information gathered throughout the evaluation helps provide a better understanding of the individual’s substance use, address any possible substance or mental health disorders, and assist with treatment plans/interventions that may be needed.
  • Risk Assessment for educational settings
  • Emotional Support Evaluations
    The use of animals to provide comfort, assistance, and therapy for individuals with various medical and psychological needs has gained attention, particularly with the rise of individuals relying on “Emotional Support Animals” (ESAs). Individuals may seek a psychological evaluation to demonstrate that their animal qualifies as an ESA, and current recommendations are for these evaluations to be quite comprehensive. Click here for more details.


Family Law
Sometimes there is a need to evaluate a single person in a family due to mental health concerns, and sometimes the whole family benefits from an evaluation. A court may order these evaluations, or individuals or attorneys may request them.

  • Individual Psychological Evaluation
    In this type of evaluation, an individual is assessed due to some kind of mental health issue raised. It includes a diagnostic interview, psychological testing, record review, and collateral interviews with third parties. This assessment provides information on the individual’s functioning, any symptoms or problems, and whether the person meets criteria for a psychological disorder. It also provides recommendations for treatments and other interventions. Note that individual evaluations, even when conducted as part of a custody case, cannot provide recommendations related to custody (like a recommended schedule or interventions for children).
  • Parental capacity
    Often called an Individual Psychological Evaluation with a Parental Capacity (or Parental Fitness) Component, this assessment is an individual evaluation with an additional, specific assessment of parenting abilities; this includes any personality traits, disorders, or problems that may affect an individual’s ability to parent. These evaluations usually include a specific parenting interview, a parent-child observation, additional tests, and sometimes an interview of the child (depending on age and capacity). This assessment provides the court with information on the individual’s psychological functioning and problems, as above, but it also provides detailed information about the ability to parent. However, note that these evaluations also cannot provide the court with any recommendations for custody.
  • Child Psychological Evaluations
    A court may request an individual evaluation for a specific child to answer diagnostic or educational questions, particularly if the parents disagree about the child’s mental health or treatment. A child evaluation usually includes diagnostic interviews, testing, and collateral contacts (with third parties like therapists and teachers). This assessment will provide a summary of the child and any psychological diagnosis as well as treatment recommendations.
  • Custody evaluations
    A custody evaluation is perhaps the most comprehensive of all psychological evaluations, as it involves the assessment of all family members, including the parents, stepparents, children, and stepchildren. The goal of a custody evaluation is to consider the best interests of the children – in terms of a custody schedule, visitation, and treatment needs. This evaluation includes diagnostic interviews with all parents and significant others, psychological testing of all parents and children, parent-child observations, record review, and collateral interviews with third parties. It also includes specific parenting interviews and measures to examine parental capacity. These evaluations focus on the specific needs of the children, including their health, developmental, psychological, and academic needs, and considers how those needs can best be met. Because they are so comprehensive, custody evaluations allow an evaluator to make recommendations about custody and visitation as well as other interventions for all family members. The court utilizes this evaluation when making decisions for the family, or parents may come to an agreement on their own after being able to review the results.
  • Guardian Ad Litem (GAL)
    This is often referred to as an abbreviated custody evaluation. A GAL evaluation does not have to be completed by a psychologist, and therefore does not include psychological testing. However, it has all of the other relevant components related to custody recommendations. Treatment recommendations cannot be made other than to refer for therapy or a psychological evaluation.


Criminal Evaluation Services

  • Mental Status
  • Mitigation
    Mitigation evaluations are assessments of mitigating factors that may affect sentencing. They are conducted before a defendant enters a plea or prior to sentencing, and the goal is to help the court understand any factors (multigenerational, biological, and/or environmental) that influenced the defendant or may have predisposed them to commit a crime.
  • Competency To Stand Trial
    A competency evaluation is an assessment of the ability of a defendant to understand and rationally participate in a court proceeding. A psychologist or psychiatrist will evaluate whether a defendant is capable of consulting with their attorney to help with their own defense and whether they have a factual understanding of the charges against them. These evaluations usually include structured interviews and screening measures and may include testing. These evaluations may be conducted to see if a defendant is competent to stand trial, plead guilty, or waive their right to counsel.
  • Juvenile competency
  • Juvenile transfer
    Transfer evaluations assess whether a defendant should be tried in juvenile or adult court. They are usually comprehensive and include the investigation of several factors, such as the young person’s cognitive development, psychological functioning, maturity, mental health history, criminal history, academic functioning, family dynamics, social support, and amenability to treatment. They involve diagnostic and structured interviews, testing, record reviews, and collateral contacts.
  • Competency to waive Miranda rights
    A competency evaluation is an assessment of the ability of a defendant to understand and rationally participate in a court proceeding. A psychologist or psychiatrist will evaluate whether a defendant is capable of consulting with their attorney to help with their own defense and whether they have a factual understanding of the charges against them. These evaluations usually include structured interviews and screening measures and may include testing. These evaluations may be conducted to see if a defendant is competent to stand trial, plead guilty, or waive their right to counsel.
  • Diminished Capacity
    In a diminished capacity evaluation, our psychologists assess if a defendant lacks the ability to intentionally make and carry out plans due to a mental illness, substance use, or mental defect (i.e., intellectual disability). These evaluations are comprehensive and typically include structured interviews, record reviews, and collateral contacts.
  • Risk Assessment
    What are risk assessments?

More About Forensic Evaluations

There are several specific types of forensic evaluations. One way to organize the types of forensic evaluations is to examine whether the case is being heard in family, civil, or criminal court.

Civil Issues

  • Immigration
  • Personal Injury and Liability (PTSD, depression, workplace violence)
    In this type of forensic evaluation, the goal is to examine a person’s psychological functioning before and after an injury and to consider the impact of that event on the person in the future. Like other forensic evaluations, these include interviews, testing, record reviews, and collateral interviews.
  • Leave of Absence, Performance or Return to Duty
  • Psychological Assessment
    In this type of evaluation, an individual is assessed due to some kind of mental health issue raised. It includes a diagnostic interview, psychological testing, record review, and collateral interviews with third parties. This assessment provides information on the individual’s functioning, any symptoms or problems, and whether the person meets criteria for a psychological disorder. It also provides recommendations for treatments and other interventions.
  • Substance Abuse Evaluation
    In this type of forensic evaluation, an individual is typically being assessed at the request of a third party (i.e., judge or attorney) due to concern of a substance related issue. These thorough evaluations typically involve several interviews, collateral contacts and interviews, psychological testing, and record reviews. The information gathered throughout the evaluation helps provide a better understanding of the individual’s substance use, address any possible substance or mental health disorders, and assist with treatment plans/interventions that may be needed.
  • Risk Assessment for educational settings
  • Emotional Support Evaluations
    The use of animals to provide comfort, assistance, and therapy for individuals with various medical and psychological needs has gained attention, particularly with the rise of individuals relying on “Emotional Support Animals” (ESAs). Individuals may seek a psychological evaluation to demonstrate that their animal qualifies as an ESA, and current recommendations are for these evaluations to be quite comprehensive. Click here for more details.


Family Law
Sometimes there is a need to evaluate a single person in a family due to mental health concerns, and sometimes the whole family benefits from an evaluation. A court may order these evaluations, or individuals or attorneys may request them.

  • Individual Psychological Evaluation
    In this type of evaluation, an individual is assessed due to some kind of mental health issue raised. It includes a diagnostic interview, psychological testing, record review, and collateral interviews with third parties. This assessment provides information on the individual’s functioning, any symptoms or problems, and whether the person meets criteria for a psychological disorder. It also provides recommendations for treatments and other interventions. Note that individual evaluations, even when conducted as part of a custody case, cannot provide recommendations related to custody (like a recommended schedule or interventions for children).
  • Parental capacity
    Often called an Individual Psychological Evaluation with a Parental Capacity (or Parental Fitness) Component, this assessment is an individual evaluation with an additional, specific assessment of parenting abilities; this includes any personality traits, disorders, or problems that may affect an individual’s ability to parent. These evaluations usually include a specific parenting interview, a parent-child observation, additional tests, and sometimes an interview of the child (depending on age and capacity). This assessment provides the court with information on the individual’s psychological functioning and problems, as above, but it also provides detailed information about the ability to parent. However, note that these evaluations also cannot provide the court with any recommendations for custody.
  • Child Psychological Evaluations
    A court may request an individual evaluation for a specific child to answer diagnostic or educational questions, particularly if the parents disagree about the child’s mental health or treatment. A child evaluation usually includes diagnostic interviews, testing, and collateral contacts (with third parties like therapists and teachers). This assessment will provide a summary of the child and any psychological diagnosis as well as treatment recommendations.
  • Custody evaluations
    A custody evaluation is perhaps the most comprehensive of all psychological evaluations, as it involves the assessment of all family members, including the parents, stepparents, children, and stepchildren. The goal of a custody evaluation is to consider the best interests of the children – in terms of a custody schedule, visitation, and treatment needs. This evaluation includes diagnostic interviews with all parents and significant others, psychological testing of all parents and children, parent-child observations, record review, and collateral interviews with third parties. It also includes specific parenting interviews and measures to examine parental capacity. These evaluations focus on the specific needs of the children, including their health, developmental, psychological, and academic needs, and considers how those needs can best be met. Because they are so comprehensive, custody evaluations allow an evaluator to make recommendations about custody and visitation as well as other interventions for all family members. The court utilizes this evaluation when making decisions for the family, or parents may come to an agreement on their own after being able to review the results.
  • Guardian Ad Litem (GAL)
    This is often referred to as an abbreviated custody evaluation. A GAL evaluation does not have to be completed by a psychologist, and therefore does not include psychological testing. However, it has all of the other relevant components related to custody recommendations. Treatment recommendations cannot be made other than to refer for therapy or a psychological evaluation.


Criminal Evaluation Services

  • Mental Status
  • Mitigation
    Mitigation evaluations are assessments of mitigating factors that may affect sentencing. They are conducted before a defendant enters a plea or prior to sentencing, and the goal is to help the court understand any factors (multigenerational, biological, and/or environmental) that influenced the defendant or may have predisposed them to commit a crime.
  • Competency To Stand Trial
    A competency evaluation is an assessment of the ability of a defendant to understand and rationally participate in a court proceeding. A psychologist or psychiatrist will evaluate whether a defendant is capable of consulting with their attorney to help with their own defense and whether they have a factual understanding of the charges against them. These evaluations usually include structured interviews and screening measures and may include testing. These evaluations may be conducted to see if a defendant is competent to stand trial, plead guilty, or waive their right to counsel.
  • Juvenile competency
  • Juvenile transfer
    Transfer evaluations assess whether a defendant should be tried in juvenile or adult court. They are usually comprehensive and include the investigation of several factors, such as the young person’s cognitive development, psychological functioning, maturity, mental health history, criminal history, academic functioning, family dynamics, social support, and amenability to treatment. They involve diagnostic and structured interviews, testing, record reviews, and collateral contacts.
  • Competency to waive Miranda rights
    A competency evaluation is an assessment of the ability of a defendant to understand and rationally participate in a court proceeding. A psychologist or psychiatrist will evaluate whether a defendant is capable of consulting with their attorney to help with their own defense and whether they have a factual understanding of the charges against them. These evaluations usually include structured interviews and screening measures and may include testing. These evaluations may be conducted to see if a defendant is competent to stand trial, plead guilty, or waive their right to counsel.
  • Diminished Capacity
    In a diminished capacity evaluation, our psychologists assess if a defendant lacks the ability to intentionally make and carry out plans due to a mental illness, substance use, or mental defect (i.e., intellectual disability). These evaluations are comprehensive and typically include structured interviews, record reviews, and collateral contacts.
  • Risk Assessment
    What are risk assessments?

We know it's not always easy to ask for help.
But sometimes talking with a compassionate, insightful professional can provide answers and clarity.

We know it's not always easy to ask for help. But sometimes talking with a compassionate, insightful professional can provide answers and clarity.

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