For Lawyers
ClinPsych provides expert medico-legal assessment and comprehensive reports in a variety of areas. All expert Psychologists are Masters qualified with a background of proven experience in their field.
Our services for Lawyers include:
- Forensic Psychological Assessment and Reports
- Section 269 Assessments
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Neuropsychological Assessment
Forensic Psychological Assessment and Reports
Pre-trial or Pre-sentencing reports combining structured clinical interview with a range of validated Psychometric instruments. Our assessments and reports cover:
- Violent offences
- Sex offences
- Substance related offences (possession, manufacture)
- Driving related
- Fraud & deception
Reports follow a standard format which provides opinion on Psychological factors impacting on offending behaviour, risk of reoffending and recommended rehabilitation strategies to reduce future risk of reoffending. All Psychologists undertaking assessments and reports are Masters qualified in Forensic Psychology and have been or are employed with government departments directly related to working with offenders in institutions and court diversion.
Referrals for adults and adolescent individuals charged with criminal matters are accepted. All reports are reviewed by the Director, Forensic Services Luke Broomhall for quality & consistency. We generally aim to provide reports within 10 days of assessment, although this can be more expedient upon discussion.
Section 269 Assessments
Several ClinPsych staff have a background in working with people with intellectual disabilities or acquired brain injuries. In some criminal cases, it is important to determine whether the individual is fit to plead.
Assessment includes:
- Full background and structured clinical interview
- Collateral material from schools and carers
- Intellectual functioning (IQ Test)
- Screening for cognitive deficits
- Memory testing
Reports examine & provide opinion on the Psychometric results, offending behaviour and whether the individual is fit to plead under Section 269 of the SA Criminal Law Consolidation Act.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur following motor vehicle or industrial accidents. Our Psychologists provide expert reports which examine whether the individual meets the strict diagnostic threshold for this disorder. Further, we ensure that etiology is clearly defined; whether the PTSD symptoms are substantially related to the subject event. We provide comment on the impact of the subject event and symptoms on functional areas such as employment, psychosocial ability and relationships. Recommendations are made fro rehabilitation to address and treat symptoms to return the individual to pre-injury functioning.
Neuropsychological Assessment
Neuropsychological assessment involves a behavioural assessment using validated and widely used psychometric instruments in addition to a thorough structured clinical interview. The focus of this assessment is to ascertain the impact upon cognitive functioning of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) which may have been sustained in a motor vehicle accident or fall. Structured clinical interview considers background and pre-injury functioning levels, a history of the subject accident and subjective report of level of impairment.
Following structured clinical interview, the client undertakes a tailored battery of psychometric assessment instruments which include:
- General intellectual ability (IQ assessment)
- Pre-morbid intellectual ability (estimate)
- Literacy assessment
- Memory assessment
- verbal, non-verbal, immediate and delayed
- memory malingering
- Executive functioning
- Impulse control
- Planning, organization
- Selective attention
Individual scores on these behavioural psychometric measures are compared with an age matched control (non-injured) reference group and objective levels of functioning in these domains determined. The summary of the report uses the latest literature in addition to the information gathered to provide expert opinion on the level of indiviaual cognitive functioning and impairment along with likely causative factors to this impairment referencing the subject injury. Neuropsychological assessments are undertaken by Luke Broomhall (see bio page for CV and published journal article in the area).
Please contact Director, Forensic Services Luke Broomhall to discuss referral requirements.
