Psycho-Legal (Forensic) Evaluations

Forensic Evaluations are done for legal purposes and are usually requested by attorneys, judges, and agencies such as WorkSafeBC, etc. 

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The Phoenix Centre is committed to providing expert psychological evaluations to attorneys, courts, and insurance companies along with expert witness testimony in a variety of forensic psychology specialty areas.  Written psychological and psychosexual evaluations are comprehensive and focus on the psycho-legal issues at question.

Purposes of Forensic Evaluations

The purpose of a forensic evaluation is to provide a medical, psychiatric, or psychological assessment to assist the Court in its deliberations. While treatment issues may emerge in the assessment process, the primary purpose is legal and not medical or psychological.

Forensic evaluations are used when a psychologist is hired to answer a specific legal question (i.e. competency, insanity, etc.). Depending on the specific question, the psychologist will conduct a clinical interview, collateral interviews (e.g. with witnesses, family, friends, attorneys, police officers, etc.), review records (i.e. medical, psychological, criminal, school, etc.), administer psychological tests, and form an opinion to answer the legal question.

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There are several types of forensic evaluations depending on the type of legal case, whether civil or criminal. The Phoenix Centre provides the following types of forensic evaluations:

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• Medico-Legal Evaluations (IME) - Personal Injury Psychological Evaluations

• Immigration Evaluations

• Disability Evaluations

• Workers Comp. Evaluations

• Custody Evaluations

• Threat and Violence Risk Assessments

• Malingering and Deception Evaluations

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