Forensic Psychological Assessment and Evaluation
Forensic Assessment and Evaluation
All forensic evaluations include a review of pertinent legal, clinical, and medical documentation, a clinical interview examining psychosocial history, incorporation of collateral data, and the administration of psychological testing and/or specialized forensic instruments to evaluate the presence of any psychological disorder or personality characteristics that may impede rational decision making, judgment, or awareness. Dr. Lockard prepares a comprehensive written report that presents the most relevant facts and offers an opinion on the forensic issues assessed. Dr. Lockard is also available to testify about assessment methods, results, and conclusions of forensic evaluations.
Dr. Lockard has expertise in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health issues that can impact an individual’s legal proceedings. Dr. Lockard evaluates a wide range of psycholegal issues including; competency to stand trial, dangerousness, and diminished responsibility, such as the insanity defense. A comprehensive forensic report can affect sentencing by addressing important mitigating circumstances related to a case. In the sentencing phase of a trail, Dr. Lockard can assess and evaluate risk for future violence in order to provide extenuating factors for the judge or jury to consider.
Dr. Lockard can conduct the following criminal evaluations:
- Insanity / Criminal Responsibility
- Mens Rea / Diminished Capacity
- Competency to Stand Trial
- Domestic Violence Evaluations
- Violence Risk and Threat Assessment
- Sex Offender / Sexual Violence Risk Assessment
- Malingering evaluations
Dr. Lockard also determines various civil competencies through comprehensive evaluations including:
- Conservatorship
- Risk Assessment for Imminent Danger to Self or Others
- Termination of Parental Rights
- Testamentary Capacity
If you or your client has suffered a psychological injury, Dr. Lockard can conduct a personal injury evaluation to determine whether or not a person may qualify for compensation, including:
- Workers compensation
- Psychological Injury Due to Abuse
- Employment Discrimination / Harassment / Sexual Harassment
- Personal Injury
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
- Malingering of Emotional / Cognitive Impairments
- Workplace Threat Assessments
Dr. Lockard has experience working with immigrant populations from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. She provides psychological evaluation for immigration cases, including:
- Immigration Law
- Political Asylum
- Extreme Hardship
Dr. Lockard conducts sex offender risk evaluations for the state of South Carolina, in particularly as part of the Sexual Violent Predator Act. All sex offender evaluations or psychosexual evaluations include a detailed risk assessment that includes use of actuarial instruments (when appropriate) and other research based risk and protective factors. The sex offender evaluation outlines the individual’s mental disorder(s), a prognosis regarding the estimated risk to sexually re-offend (e.g., Low, Moderate or High), sexual deviancy issues, treatment amenability, possible mitigating factors, and other recommendations as appropriate.