How Assessments Work

Mental health assessments or forensic psychiatric assessments are a key part of understanding the needs, limitations, and overall mental fitness of individuals as it relates to legal matters. 

Forensic mental health assessments are carefully structured, operating within the bounds of the question at hand. With our evaluations, we guide all parties involved through the process and simplify each step so it is easy to understand.

Each mental health assessment involves reviewing background information, including medical, psychiatric, criminal, and social history, to build a full picture of the individual’s mental health. This step often includes analyzing prior records, interviewing relevant parties, and conducting a clinical interview to assess current mental functioning, personality, and behavior. 

Once the data is gathered, the next part of the mental health assessment is creating a detailed report, summarizing findings and answering the legal question. This report may be used in court or shared with legal professionals, helping to clarify mental health issues from fitness for trial to sentencing or treatment needs. These mental health assessments ultimately guide fair, informed decisions that account for mental health within the justice system.