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PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES  |
ASSESSMENT,
PSYCHOTHERAPY
&
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY |
| Sometimes it’s more important
to know what kind of person has the disease than what
kind of disease the person has. -- Sir William Osler |
| PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AND CONSULTATIVE SERVICES |
Psychological assessment refers to: (a) the collection of data from a variety of sources (e.g., interviews, psychological testing, school records, and legal records), (b) the interpretation of this data, and, oftentimes, (c) the development of documents and/or consultative services to support decisions in a variety of settings. This documentation may be used in pre-trial negotiations, at trial, or at sentencing.
Child custody, competency to stand trial, and sanity at the time of the offense evaluations constitute the bulk of the assessment services offered at Oyster Point Psychological.
A child custody evaluation may be ordered by the court if one parent’s ability and/or motivation to serve as a custodial parent has been questioned, or a parent may self-refer for a child custody evaluation if the parent believes that allegations are without merit. Courts may order that both parents be evaluated if the spouses are making allegations against one another – especially if there is a special needs child who requires a particularly high level of parental competency.
Competency to stand trial refers to a defendant’s ability to assist the attorney in the development and implementation of a defense. The court, the prosecution, and/or defense counsel can raise the question of whether a particular defendant is competent to stand trial.Sanity at the time of the offense has to do with whether the defendant suffered from a mental disease or defect at the time of the offense, which would render the defendant insane.An attorney who believes that a psychological evaluation may cause a jury or judge to view a defendant with leniency may develop a diminished capacity defense in which mitigating factors are introduced at trial and/or at sentencing.
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| FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY |
| Forensic psychology refers to assessment and consultative services provided by psychologists at the request of courts, attorneys, or their clients. |
| PSYCHOTHERAPY |
| Psychotherapy and counseling services are, generally speaking, a particular form of conversation in which a patient or patients (in the case of couples counseling or family therapy) come to identify and address irrational beliefs that contribute to unhappiness and build skills that contribute to a higher level of functioning. People who have been abused and/or neglected (e.g., adults abused as children, children of alcoholics, and trauma victims) constitute the largest number of clients served at Oyster Point Psychological). |
| MINI-COURSES ON SELECTED TOPICS |
| Oyster Point Psychological provides in-service training to Court Appointed Special Advocates and, in cooperation with PESI, continuing education training for mental health professionals at various sites throughout the country. |
| FEES FOR ASSESSMENT SERVICES AND
THE ROLE OF INSURANCE |
Assessment
services will be billed to your insurance carrier for
payment so long as the assessment is driven by medical
necessity. “Medically Necessary” or “Medical
Necessity” describes services that are required
to identify or treat a covered person’s illness
or injury.
Assessment services which are associated with actual or
possible litigation (e.g., family law, criminal law, or
school law), employment decisions (e.g., “fitness
for duty”), readmission to school following an expulsion
or suspension, and other assessments which are primarily
administrative and/or consultative in nature will not
be filed with or paid by your insurance carrier, and you
will be notified, in writing, of this fact. In such cases,
a deposit is required prior to any further assessment,
and any balances owed are due and payable upon presentation. |
| MISSION STATEMENT |
| Oyster Point Psychological is committed
to providing cost-effective assessment, intervention,
and consultative services to patients, clients, and referral
sources. |
| SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT |
Referral sources, patients, and clients
are invited to call Oyster Point Psychological Practice
at 804.435.6777 to discuss the possibility of our working
together.
In most instances, an appointment can be arranged within
ten days> |
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