Psychological Evaluations

Whatever the reason a psychological evaluation is required for a court case, having a trusted and experienced professional is essential. Dr. Schwartz has performed hundreds of evaluations throughout the past 20 years of her career and has come to understand the nuances of the criminal justice system and how the psychological elements are unique to each case.

Dr. Schwartz provides expert evaluations for families, schools, attorneys, and courts, primarily located in the Kansas City metropolitan area and specializes in the forensic diagnosis of mental health conditions. All her findings are accurately compiled into extremely thorough reports, which are provided to the requesting party in a timely manner, so that they may build a compelling case. With a solid evaluation report, attorneys can eliminate unnecessary weaknesses from their case.

Dr. Schwartz also provides risk assessments for children, adolescents, and adults, in which she thoroughly examines numerous different factors, such as cognitive functioning, social support, previous mental health diagnoses, personality functioning, impulsivity, and more so she may compile accurate reports and recommendations.

Dr. Schwartz also regularly provides expert witness testimony in court, where she is just as comfortable on the stand as she is in her office. Her detailed reporting provides a solid foundation for her testimony and makes her a valuable asset for any legal team.

Dr. Schwartz has completed well over 1,000 evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults, where she has provided valuable insight for attorneys and judges, many of which were in relation to parental responsibilities, parental rights, parenting time, and other child custody cases. All evaluations completed by Dr. Schwartz are acutely thorough so as to help attorneys build powerful and compelling cases for their clients. Her in-depth psychological analyses of parent-child relationships are compiled into extremely detailed reports so attorneys may have a clear understanding of the role psychological elements play in their cases. Furthermore, Dr. Schwartz’s sex therapy certification overlaps with her assessment of family dynamics, assisting her with diagnosing and understanding the parenting implications of problematic sexual behavior in custody cases.

While many psychologists working on custody cases are quick to jump to extremes, Dr. Schwartz is known for closely analyzing each factor and providing reasonable and practical recommendations for her evidence-backed findings. At the end of the day, Dr. Schwartz performs these evaluations so that she may help families and legal representatives determine the best possible solution for the child.

Beyond her first-rate reporting, Dr. Schwartz is a seasoned expert witness and will provide her professional opinion testimony in court. She has provided expert witness testimony for cases with a wide range of concerns, including adaptive functioning and treatment recommendations for various diagnostic complexities. This includes aiding the courts with developing parenting plans outlining parent-child contact and decision making, often relating to the allocation of parental responsibilities and recommendations for the frequency and duration of contact between parents and children.

Psycho-educational evaluations are extremely valuable tools when it comes to helping individuals who find themselves or their children struggling in academic settings, or with social, emotional, or behavioral issues. Dr. Schwartz tailors each evaluation to fit the needs of the client so that together they can determine where support is needed and the best way to provide that support.

Through her evaluations, Dr. Schwartz pulls together information from a number of different sources so that she may be able to make an accurate diagnosis. From there, she provides practical recommendations and reasonable treatment options. Dr. Schwartz provides psycho-evaluations for children ages 6 and up, adolescents, and adults. All findings are clearly and accurately compiled into a report provided at the end of the evaluation.