Forensic Assessments

• Sex Offense Risk Assessment
• Violence Risk Assessment
• Threat Assessment
• Parenting Capacity Assessment
• Cognitive / Intellectual Functioning Assessment
• Mental Health Assessment
• Section-34 Assessment
• Immigration Assessment

*Forensic assessments are conducted for adults, adolescents and children.

Sex Offense Risk Assessment

For individuals involved in sexual offenses, a risk assessment can answer specific questions related to the individual’s mental health status, sexual deviation, risk to reoffend and treatment amenability for the management of risk. This is a specialized assessment which may or may not include phallometric test. The assessments are conducted for adults facing or convicted of sexual offence. I also assess children and adolescents for such evaluations.

On request, assessments can be conducted on-site all over Ontario at the Detention Centres/ Jails, Correctional Facilities or Children’s Aid Societies.

Threat Assessment

Threat Assessment is the process of identifying and evaluating the risk of harm to a particular target. It also involves strategies to prevent and manage the threat. Threat Assessment is provided for school, university, campus and workplace situations where an individual has communicated a threat that can be a predecessor of violence.

Violence Risk Assessment

Violence risk assessment provides an opinion regarding the causal factors associated with the violent behaviour and recommendations for treatment and management to reduce the risk of re-offence or recidivism. These assessments are conducted at the time of sentencing, parole hearings and for case management purposes. Such assessment helps in answering a legal question and are generally completed within the context of the competing interests of public safety and the individual being assessed.

Parenting Capacity Assessment

There is a difference between parenting ability and parenting capacity. Parenting ability is defined as the child caretaker’s current parenting strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, parenting capacity refers to a child caretaker’s potential for parenting in future (i. e. the potential for improvement in parenting ability). The parenting capacity, then, includes the concept and assessment of parenting ability, as well as an estimate of the capacity for change in respect to parenting. This assessment is sometimes ordered by the court under Section-54.

Cognitive Assessment / Intellectual Functioning Assessment (IQ testing)

The intellectual functioning assessment is designed to measure cognitive capacities such as abstract reasoning, ability to solve problems, ability to acquire knowledge, and adaptive functioning. The IQ is the quantification of an individual’s intelligence relative to peers of a similar age. The cognitive testing may also include evaluating an individual’s academic achievement, executive functioning, attention, concentration and memory.

Mental Health Diagnostic Assessment

Psychological assessment uses a combination of strategies to help arrive at hypotheses about an individual’s behavior, personality and capabilities. It also identifies the deeper and pervasive personality characteristics underlying overt symptoms to help in treatment planning and rehabilitation of the individual being assessed

Fitness or Competence to Practice Assessment

These assessments are conducted for professionals (lawyers, physicians, etc.) under review by their regulatory body to determine issues of competence to practice or fitness issues.

Section- 34 Assessment for Youth (YCJA Section- 34)

Under Section-34 of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, a Judge may order an assessment to be prepared by a mental health professional before making a decision on sentencing. The assessment aids the court on the mental health status of a young person and assists in developing a plan to address the youth’s needs within the community.

Immigration Assessment

These assessments are conducted for individuals facing Immigration and Refugee Board review to determine eligibility to remain in Canada. The assessment requires assessing the risk of the individual based on his involvement with the law. The assessments also evaluate the potential psychological impact on the individual and their families of being denied residency in Canada. These reports are mainly used by legal professionals in immigration proceedings.