Forensic and Disability Evaluations
Disability Insurer Referrals: A flat fee of $3000 is charged for all related work, with surcharges, as noted below.
Attorney-initiated Referrals: A retainer is required prior to initiation of any work ($1000 for record review only, $4000 for record review and examination). Any unused portion of the retainer is returned upon completion of the case. Depositions are preferably given locally or by teleconference. A fee of $300/hour is charged to the referring party for all tasks related to the evaluation (e.g. record review, testing, scoring, phone consultations, report preparation, trial preparation, depositions and trial testimony).
Excess records: A surcharge of $100/inch or $0.80 per page is applied when medical records that are relevant to the referral question exceed 3 inches or 375 pages.
All Referrals: A $700 fee will be charged to the referring party if the examinee fails to show for a scheduled appointment and fails to notify the examiner at least 48 hours prior to the appointment.
Evaluations Conducted within Washington, Chittenden and Orange Counties: These are scheduled Fridays at 2 S. Main St, Randolph VT, typically from 10AM-3PM. Ample free parking is available. Examinees are encouraged to bring their lunch, if they desire a lunch break.
Evaluations Conducted outside Washington, Chittenden and Orange Counties: Travel time is billed at $1.50/mile. Travel fees are charged for a no-show. The party requesting the work must provide suitable space (office or hotel conference room) from 9AM-4PM and hotel accommodations the night before any evaluation that is scheduled during December-March, to accommodate winter travel conditions.
Confidentiality: The examinee will be informed prior to the examination that there is a limited patient-psychologist relationship in this setting and that the examinee will not be receiving a report, feedback, treatment or recommendations from the examiner. A report will be sent only to the referral source. Requests for reports by other parties will be directed to the referral source.
Information may be released under any of the following circumstances:
1) if the examinee is considered a threat to harm self or another person,
2) if suspicion of child or elder abuse or neglect arises,
3) in response to a judge’s signed court order.
If release under any of these circumstances occurs, the referral source will be notified.
Test Security: The ethical principles of the American Psychological Association constrain release of test protocols, manuals and related material to anyone other than a licensed psychologist. The purpose is to prevent test content from entering the public domain and thus compromising the value of the tests themselves. Test results and protocols may be released to a licensed clinical psychologist designated by the referring party, when accompanied by a release of information signed by the examinee. Release under any other circumstances requires a signed judicial order that specifies methods for maintaining test security.
Third Party Observation: Third party observers may be present during the interview. No third party observation of testing is permitted, either directly or indirectly (e.g. via one-way mirror, videotape, audiotape, etc.). Valid interpretation of test results requires that they be administered in the dyadic, distraction-free environment in which they were developed to ensure appropriate interpretation of normative results.