Mitigation evaluations examine whether an individual’s developmental history, exposure to violence and/or trauma, or current intellectual and psychological functioning played a meaningful role in his or her alleged offense conduct and explore exactly how these factors are relevant to judicial decisions about case outcomes.
Comprehensive mitigation evaluations involve extensive interviews with the defendant, psychological testing, collateral interviews, and review of relevant records.
In addition to a psycholegal opinion, Dr. Sheafer’s mitigation evaluations include recommendations for treatment and/or other appropriate services.
Risk assessment evaluations inform an opinion related to an individual’s risk of criminal recidivism. Comprehensive risk assessment evaluations involve extensive interviews, actuarial risk measurements, psychological testing, collateral interviews, and review of relevant records. In addition to a psycholegal opinion, Dr. Sheafer’s mitigation evaluations include recommendations for treatment and other services to potentially reduce or manage identified risk factors.
Competency evaluations examine and identify the ways in which a defendant’s intellectual and/or psychological functioning impact their ability to assist counsel and make critical and complicated decisions throughout criminal proceedings.
Comprehensive competency evaluations involve extensive interviews with the defendant, psychological testing, collateral interviews, and review of relevant records.
The results of a competency evaluation allows the examiner an offer an opinion and make recommendations related to competency restoration.
Criminal responsibility and insanity evaluations examine a defendant’s state of mind at the time of an alleged offense. Both criminal responsibility and insanity evaluations involve extensive interviews with the defendant, psychological testing, collateral interviews, and review of relevant records.
Domestic violence evaluations examine patterns of abuse and control that may contribute to alleged or confirmed abusive behaviors and provide opinions related to risk of future violence. Dr. Sheafer’s domestic violence evaluations involve extensive interviews with an alleged batterer, psychological testing, collateral interviews, and review of relevant records. In addition to case opinions, Dr. Sheafer offers treatment recommendations when appropriate.
Parental capacity evaluations examine a parent’s history and risk of neglect and/or abuse. Dr. Sheafer’s parental capacity evaluations involve extensive interviews with one or both parents, psychological testing, and review of relevant records. In addition to diagnoses and case opinions, Dr. Sheafer offers recommendations for treatment, supervision, visitation, placement, and safe reunification.
When parents are unable to agree on parenting time, child custody/parenting time evaluations examine the relevant strengths and needs of both parents to inform an opinion related to a parenting time plan that is in the best interests of the child/children. Dr. Sheafer’s child-centered parenting evaluations involve extensive interviews with one or both parents, psychological testing, review of relevant records; and when appropriate, interviews and/or observations with the child. Dr. Sheafer carefully considers mental health concerns as well as patterns of abuse, neglect, and parental alienation when making parenting time recommendations.
