Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

To address specific medico-legal referral questions from a variety of referral sources, our complex evaluations may include interviews and mental status examinations with an individual, collateral information from others about the individual, psychological and neuropsychological testing, review of relevant background records, and sometimes medical laboratory testing and focused medical examination.

No, health insurance companies do not provide coverage for medico-legal evaluations. 

Due to our level of training and experience in both psychology and medicine, we do not accept referrals for complex evaluations for reduced fees or provide evaluation services under managed care or subcontractor arrangements.

Competent psychological evaluations are warranted when clients are involved in some medico-legal context in which the health or mental health of the client is a likely or potential issue.

There are multiple services we can provide at this point for your client including evaluation of treatment needs and identification of possible mitigating factors.

Our team routinely travels to conduct psychological evaluations in a multitude of settings, including detention centers and prisons.

Depending on the type of evaluation, clients may be seen virtually, in-person at a predetermined NC location, or in a detention or correctional facility if warranted.

Following interviews, testing, and records review, the CPE team staffs the case together, and the primary examiner crafts the final report.

The work is not what is depicted on television and in the movies. You must first be trained as a psychologist (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) to further specialize in forensic or other specialty areas in psychology.  There are around 400 board-certified forensic psychologists in the nation.

We welcome you to use our site to learn more about the specialized field of forensic psychology. We recommend avoiding forensic and other psychology programs that don’t allow for licensure in your state. Also, websites that promote forensic psychology as profiling and criminal case investigation. Be critical of sensational books written about this specialized field by non-psychologists.

Due to our workload, we are unable to commit to classroom presentations or telephone interviews. Good luck, and we encourage you to follow your interests!

Based upon our experiences in psychology and medicine (PA-C), we believe there are many opportunities:

  1. For psychologists with specialty training and experience.
  2. Psychologists with specialty training and experience in primary care settings and clinical health psychology.
  3. For PA-Cs and NP-Cs with training and experience in behavioral health challenges.

 

Forensic psychology is a unique field that continues to expand, combining clinical, counseling, assessment, and I-O psychology skills to support the legal system referral parties. 

In our opinion, both neuroscience and the gut microbiome will continue to be rapidly expanding frontiers impacting clinical and research medicine and behavioral health over the next decade. When asked about choosing a major, we suggest considering a double major in biology and psychology and then finding an area of interest and passion that fits you!

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