Psych Evaluation

[bubbablu]

Hello Everyone,

Dose anyone know details about Psych Evaluations are good place to do some research.

they say, they were going to offer Reunification but they put a Psych Evaluation in the plan I'm reading and found in Family code that its the start of termination of Parental rights is this true?

[mommyofdyllon]

My only experience with one, was after we got it, we were told it wasn't the right thing. Bascially the doctor didn't have the answers the social worker wanted to hear. Good Luck!

[LondonMassey]

It is standard for them to require a psych evaluation - especially if there is a case where drugs - or obvious abuse/neglect aren't there. I don't know where you are located, but here in Nevada, they have their "evaluations" done by an MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist) who is an employee of DFS (Department of Family Services) - thus their checks are signed by the same person who signs the case worker's check. Also, an MFT does not have the LEGAL authority to make a diagnosis. If you have the financial ability or medical insurance, it would be in your best interest to have your own psychiatric evaluation done. A TRUE psychiatric evaluation can only be done after meeting with the doctor for a series of appointments, giving them a breakdown of your life - past, present, future plans - and THEN after a few appointments, you will be set down with a test that contains about 250 questions (many are the same question just rephrased). As for Children's Services, they will have you meet with an MFT for less than an hour and show up at the next hearing with some copy and paste job that the case worker probably put together themself and had the MFT sign.

Also, do you have an attorney? Your attorney can contest the necessity of the evaluation. Your attorney can also put on record that, if an evaluation is required, that it be done by an actual doctor of psychology/psychiatry and NOT and MFT! Also make sure that your attorney (or you if you are representing yourself) note in court and ON RECORD that a true psychiatric evaluation will take time, as you have to meet with the doctor a few times before taking the evaluation or it won't be legitimate. If you don't have insurance or the ability to pay for a true evaluation on your own (Also, you DO NOT have to sign a release for your medical records - YOU and/or YOUR ATTORNEY can give them the evaluation WITHOUT having to release your records - what you say to the doctor is YOUR business. Don't let the state pressure you into signing anything, the judge WILL NOT force you to sign a release - just that you provide them a copy of your evaluation results) - state FOR THE RECORD - IN COURT that you do not have the financial ability to pay for such an exam. That you are WILLING to be evaluated by a LICENSED Psychologist/Psychiatrist (not an MFT), but, since the state is making it a requirement, they should be responsible to pay for it. That they should provide you with a list of 3 to 5 LICENSED Psychologists/Psychiatrists that are INDEPENDENT from the state (3 to 5 that they choose [only if they're paying]) and that you will pick one from the list they provide you.

I hope this helps - PLEASE - from personal experience - don't get suckered in to meeting with their MFT - they will spend 30 minutes to an hour with you - then write down whatever the worker wants them to put - while diagnosing you with some ridiculous "personality disorder" that will "prove" that you're "unstable" and a "danger" to your child - and it's almost always a personality disorder since those are the ones that can't be taken care of with medication. Nevermind the fact that a MFT doesn't have the credentials to diagnose ANYONE with ANYTHING! Good luck!

[bubbablu]

Thank you for the reply,


Im in California I met with one Dr. He diagnose me as a Narcissist with anti-social behavior.

[MaggieC]

I would check his credentials. It has recently come to light that two therapists working with CPS in New York state actually obtained their diplomas from now defunct diploma mills.

Get another opinion.

[cambreenellie]

I was required to do an evaluation when CPS was requesting reunification. I was found to be non abusive and no dependency in drugs or alcohol. CPS obviously didn't like these answers so they used the part of the test I was borderline on against me....and that was I was to strict. CPS I guess didn't like that I gave my children rules and consequences for bad behavior. Go figure!

If at all possible always go with your own dr for the evaluation or someone who doesn't know anything about the case.

[Marina]

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There are various elements to consider:

What are the Standards for mental or behaviorial health? There is no right or wrong way to feel and act, other than the law. You can only have whatever insurance will pay for, which has codes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic ... _Disorders


What are the actual questions, and answers given by you in the evaluation?
What other information is given to them by the caseworker?
Can you write down everything you say, or record it? This has been used successfully in court. You can supoena your records of raw data from just the questions.

What are the interpretations of your answers? There is no right and wrong way to interpret your responses.

Is this a forensic evaluation or a clinical evaluation used for treatment? A forensic evaluation is for fact-finding and uses information from other sources. A forensic evaluator has to possess certain qualifications. A forensic evaluator is an agent of the court. A clinical evaluator who is treating you has a duty of care to the person being treated and is liable. A forensic evaluator is immune from liability and has no duty of care.

Is the test designed to be used for a forensic evaluation or a clinical evaluation, by the testing materials and the company who designed the test? In a clinical evaluation the test is supposed to be used frequntly as a treatment tool, not as a forensic tool to establish guilt.



.

[sandyhep10]

if you have to do physc. evluations thru CPS they CAN and WILL turn ur words around.. no JOKE! we went threw physc evaluations and mine was perfect but because they had already known my husband had ptsd they focused on that with him threw his evaluation.. so be careful of what u say and dont say anything u will have to defend later in court... also go thru your health insurance like thru like the behavioral health section thru ur insurance and get a second opinion trust me... we went thru this and still am going threw this crap! we are finally at the end tho...

[LondonMassey]

Bubbablu - narcissism and anti-social are strong diagnosis - how long did you meet with the doctor? Did you have numerous visits? Was it a "doctor" that you picked out on your own or that CPS sent you to? Are you SURE it wasn't an MFT? CPS tends to say they're going to have a "doctor" evaluate you and then you end up talking to an MFT which you're unaware of until you look at the bottom of the results, under their signature where it says MFT - Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I don't know the background of your case, but I will tell you from personal experience that I received a "diagnosis" of Narcissism with a borderline- personality disorder after 30 minute meeting with a MFT paid for by the Department of Family Services and my attorney had it thrown out after pointing out all the issues I stated before. I then had my own psychiatric evaluation done by a psychiatrist which said that I was pretty much flat across the board. My responses didn't tip in either direction and were consistent. They psychiatrist said that it was "rare" and that I could have either "studied" for the evaluation, which she said is pretty difficult and that she didn't believe I would do, or that I'm simply "normal" in every sense of the word. It also helped that I had met with her a few times before having the evaluation so she knew my personality and character before passing judgement on my results. DFS was PISSED - and I MEAN STEAMING MAD - that I refused to sign a medical release for them to harrass and attempt to manipulate the psychiatrist. My attorney presented them a copy of my evaluation and they DEMANDED a second opinion by some doctor they wanted to "send me to". My attorney put on record in court and addressed the judge that DFS wasn't satisfied with the results of the psychiatric evaluation that they had demanded I do - and that they would like a second opinion - but that he request that they provide us with a list of psychiatrists that we agree upon and I have the ability to choose one. I did this, and again was flat across the board. This doctor said in his results that the only "issue", being very minimal, is due to the way I was raised (my mother is extremely controlling and suffers from bi-polar as does my son) I often can not express my feelings "properly", such as if I am asked to do a favor for someone but don't want to, I will still do so to passify them because I try to prevent conflict. Big deal, right? I also told both psychiatrists what the MFT for DFS had "diagnosed" me as - and BOTH of them said, in pretty much the same words - "That is why she's an MFT and I'm a DOCTOR!" I was completely on the otherside of the spectrum from any time of personality disorder or narcissism. After that, the state tried to say (I was pregnant, being put through hell by DFS, and fighting my parents who were trying to take custody of my son who had a diagnosed mental illness - yet I was being personally attacked, blamed, and faulted for his behavior) because I cried (from being so hurt, mad, upset, etc over the whole situation) that I was now depressed and a danger to my child. First I was "narcissistic" and a "danger to my child" and once they were proved wrong, then I was "depressed" and a "danger to my child". Have you watched the news lately? Joran Van der Sloot - the man "suspected" of murdering Natalie Holloway in Aruba in 2005 and who was just recently arrested in Peru after murdering another girl is believed to have an anti-social personality disorder and suffer from Narcissism - the same as Casey Anthony - the 20 something year old that is awaiting trial for the murder of her 2 year old daughter. Those are some serious terms that hold a lot - and I mean A LOT - of stigma with them. If the test was done by an employee of CPS, YOU MUST HAVE YOUR OWN EVALUATION DONE! YOU NEED A SECOND OPINION! and if, by chance, you believe the diagnosis to be true - if you do have issues that you are dealing with, you NEED to open yourself up to every avenue of help - preferably without the assitance of CPS and without signing over access to your medical records to CPS - they WILL twist EVERYTHING against you. Do you happen to have the doctor's name? As Maggie said, check the doctor's credentials! Check with the California Medical Board - see if the doctor has any complaints against them - heck make sure he's actually a Psychologist/Psychiatrist and not a flippin' Podiatrist. You do NOT want those labels unless you legitimately suffer from them.

[Marina]

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Search: narcississtic personality disorder termination of parental rights

http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCA/2006/sv_070606.pdf

http://www.tsc.state.tn.us/OPINIONS/TCA ... elROPN.pdf

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