Forensic Mental Health Evaluation (FMHE)
Dr. Scott A. Whitmer, Psy.D.
CFMHE, ABVE/D, IPEC, CRC, LMHC
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Forensic Mental Health Evaluation (FMHE) is a structured and objective measurement of a person’s mental health functioning. Mental health functioning can be accurately measured through testing one’s beliefs, behaviors, emotions, and thinking patterns. Some examples of mental health factors that may be included in the FMHE are one’s personality type or patterns, parenting skills, emotional response patterns, thought process, thought content, ability to manage one’s emotions, communication style, and whether there is a mental health disorder or not.
Dr. Whitmer uses the term
Forensic Mental Health Evaluation (FMHE), consistent with his national board certifications and licensure as Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Washington State.
The FMHE is commonly referred to using different names by individual court jurisdictions and/or judges such as Psychological Evaluation, Psychological Assessment, Cognitive Competency Assessment, Mental Health Evaluation, Risk Assessment, Fit-for-Duty Evaluation, Mental Health Assessment, or Neurocognitive Testing or Evaluation.
Regardless, if the term Forensic Mental Health Evaluation or some other evaluation term is used, the methodology is typically the same.
It is important to know the term “Forensic” is applied when any evaluation or assessment provides opinions and recommendations that are intended to be used in a court of law. The FMHE is designed to interpret scientific results so a judge or jury has the most reliable and valid findings and recommendations to make legal informed decisions.
The FMHE measures human functioning and/or pathology in the context of a parental custody dispute, and other factual or alleged problems such as aggression, substance abuse issues, domestic violence, or neurocognitive problems to name a few.
The FMHE seeks to determine what, if any, mental health factors interfere with one’s functioning to include parenting, communication, intimate relationships, academics, employment, psycho-social functioning, and financial management to name a few. If there are barriers to the extent they interfere with functioning, then treatment and intervention will be recommended in the pursuit of improving functioning.
A general Mental Health Evaluation that is not intended for forensic (legal) purposes will likely include similar testing methods but may not have historical facts, legal evidence, or collateral data (court documents, interviews, Guardian Ad Litum (GAL) Reports, etc.) to rely upon.
The general Mental Health Evaluation will utilize the findings, opinions, and recommendations in a clinical setting as opposed to a legal setting.
*Spanish services available for evaluation and assesment
Uses Impeccable and Verifiable Methods
The combined methods of quantitative and qualitative measures allow the expert/evaluator to accurately describe why and how the converging or diverging responses and data scaffold the outcome of the evaluation. To make sure outcomes reach a higher level of reliability and validity, such methods should be backed up with:
Standards of Practice
Peer Review Verification
Wide Acceptance in the Profession
A Known Specialized Knowledge
A Known Scientific Approach
An Expert Clinical Judgment
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