GPS consults to lawyers and other professionals, insurers, agencies, corporations, and governments.

Some of the most frequently requested services are as follows:

1. assessment of the aftermath of trauma
2. assessment of psychological injury
3. assessment of malingering, exaggeration or denial, minimization
4. review of prior psychological assessments and case files
5. expert opinion and testimony concerning adjustment and injury
6. analysis of workplace problems

Options for Provision of Assessment Services

• an interview of 1.5 to 2 hours and a letter or brief report based on the interview, or
• a full assessment based on interview and testing, usually comprising 1.5 to 2 days, or
• paper review of case file for expert opinion

Interview Only

It is possible to interview a client, review the diagnostic criteria, and write a report of a few pages indicating whether or not the client meets those criteria

Full Assessment

Through testing, we can determine traits, such has honesty or the tendency to over-report or under-report symptoms, and current state of a client.

Testing adds more information, allowing us to elaborate on the severity of a problem, in addition to diagnosis.

Testing gives weight to opinion.

Validity testing informs us about the reliability of our data and gives more weight to opinion.

One needs to be able to do a sufficiently thorough evaluation to be able to rule out, as well as rule in, diagnoses. Sometimes this can be complex and a brief interview may not always suffice.

In some cases, we can begin with an interview and if the situation appears complex and the stakes are high enough to warrant the cost, we may recommend further testing.

Dr. Genest's Legal Consulting / Assessment CV is available in PDF format.

Consultation Concerning Psychological Evidence For Legal Cases

• Review of psychological reports
• Review of background material
• Consultation concerning strengths and weaknesses in psychological information for legal cases and for courtroom examination
• Consultation for counsel for plaintiff or defendant
• Information concerning reliability and validity issues related to psychological assessments
• Expert opinion concerning any of the above

Dr. Genest's Legal Consulting / Assessment CV is available in PDF format .

Consultation Concerning Insurance Services

• Review of files to provide opinion concerning presence or absence of psychological bases for disability claims, evaluation of current treatment, treatment options or issues related to return to work.

Dr. Genest's Legal Consulting / Assessment CV is available in PDF format.

Individuals in the Workplace

Psychological placement assessments provide objective information concerning intellectual abilities, personality characteristics, and interpersonal styles, in order to better match potential candidates to positions.

Individualized coaching assessments can provide valuable information to guide leadership coaching. Strengths and areas for further development are identified, and the means to develop them further are highlighted

Personal Injury and Trauma, Including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Psychological consequences are common sequellae to personal injuries (work-related accidents, automobile accidents, etc.). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), for example, is estimated to occur in between 10 and 20% of individuals following motor vehicle accidents. Other individuals commonly experience Depression, Anxiety Disorders or other consequences. Assessment can provide evidence concerning presence or absence of PTSD, Depression, Anxiety Disorders, and other psychological problems following personal injuries. For more information on PTSD, please visit our page on How To Recognize PTSD.

Aftermath of Abuse or Assault

Chronic or acute abuse or assault in childhood or adulthood may result in immediate or delayed psychological consequences. One estimate suggests that 80% of individuals who experience rape or life-threatening physical injury develop Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Assessment can provide evidence to establish the presence or absence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Anxiety Disorders or other consequences. Evaluation of presence and severity of pre-abuse or pre-assault problems may be possible. For more information on PTSD, please visit our page on How To Recognize PTSD and for more information on depression, please visit our page on How To Recognize Clinical Depression.

Neuropsychological Assessments

Complete neuropsychological assessment for adults experiencing cognitive difficulties, behavioural changes, and/or emotional distress after stroke, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological or medical conditions. Neuropsychological evaluation can determine the presence and degree of cognitive impairments in concentration, organization, reasoning, memory, language, perception, coordination, or personality. Assessment results can help differentiate among illnesses or identify specific weaknesses that may lead to occupational or psychosocial disability.

Assessment includes

• Determination of current subjective level of cognitive, physical, and emotional functioning; including changes in psychosocial or occupational functioning
• Review of medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial history
• Standardized testing with instruments that have established validity and reliability and have been accepted in expert evidence testimony
• Feedback regarding neuropsychological findings
• Recommendations for further treatment, if appropriate, such as cognitive rehabilitation, behavior management, or psychotherapy.

Dr. Beverly Butler is our neuropsychologist. Her CV is available for download in PDF form.

For more information, please go to the Clinical Neuropsychology Division of the American Psychological Association: A Guide for Patients and Their Families.

Work-Related Disability

Individuals who are on short- or long-term disability may have claims related to psychological disability or pain. Assessment can provide information related to presence or absence of psychological bases for disability claims, evaluation of current treatment, treatment options or issues related to return to work.

Pain

Chronic pain following injury at work, in motor-vehicle accidents, or other situations, can be difficult to evaluate when it appears to be disproportionate to or unrelated to objective, medical data. Frequently, the presence of pain, from moderate to severe, cannot be linked specifically to objective medical findings. In the face of a tendency to discount such pain, psychological assessment can provide findings that help evaluate pain-related claims for insurance and legal purposes. Psychological assessment of pain includes measures that are the best available means for establishing severity and impact of pain on functioning, and are widely accepted in the research literature. Assessment includes evaluation of pre-morbid influences on functioning, degree of disruption in the individual's life, and impact of psychological factors on level of pain.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

For specific information about auto accidents and PTSD visit All About PTSD and Motor Vehicle Accidents

Psychological Disability

Complete psychological assessments can establish the presence or absence of psychological disability. Interview and standardized testing are combined to determine formal diagnoses, as well as any resulting limitations to functioning. Any tendencies to minimize or exaggerate disability are routinely assessed. Recommendations for treatment are included in psychological reports.

Forensic Assessments

• Assessment of violent offenders
• Assessment of sexual offenders
• Prediction of risk of re-offending
• Forensic assessments related to disability or other civil, legal claims

Corporate Consultation and Workplace Assessments

Clinical Interview

• Discussion with referring party and with client of purpose of assessment, extent of conflidentiality, and obtaining of informed consent for participation and reporting to referral agency
• Review of current symptoms, complaints, and problem areas
• Review of history of current problems

Review of Information from other sources

• Documentation of prior health history is obtained through the referral source, health-care providers, and others, as necessary, to understand the history and context of the current problems.
• This may include medical records and reports, insurance documents, school records, or such other sources of information as are relevant.
• Thorough information review helps avoid unnecessary duplication of testing and may point toward questions that need to be addressed.
• When it is possible and approp[riate, and with permission of the client, a spouse or significant other may also be interviewed during the assessment.

Diagnosis

• Formal DSM-IV-TR diagnoses
• Summary of diagnostic criteria and presence or absence of them for each diagnosis
• Standardized testing with instruments that have established validity and reliability and have been accepted in expert evidence testimony

Validity and Malingering

• Consideration of attitudes toward assessment, including
  • exaggeration, malingering or fabrication of symptoms
  • minimizing or denial of problems that exist
  • insufficient effort in cognitive testing
  • help in establishing legitimacy of client's reports or providing basis for challenging suspect information
• Use of tests with established validity for detecting falsified information
  • For clients who are responding straightforwardly, this assessment helps establish the legitimacy of the assessment information
    

Upon Request, Assessments May Include

• Evaluation of cognitive problems, including concentration difficulties and memory deficits
• Evaluation of possibility that a client is feigning severe psychological problems, such as psychosis or severe memory deficits

Individuals request assessments for a variety of needs. Schools and hospitals generally have long waiting lists for psycho-ed assesments and neuropsychological assessments, for example. Assessments for education or workplace purposes can be done GPS psychologists within a few weeks and a written report is prepared and provided directly to you. First, an interview is booked so that we can determine exactly what is needed in an individual circumstance. We prepare a cost estimate and a time estimate. Payment is due, in full, for an assessment (being paid for by an individual rather than an agency), one week prior to the testing.

In many instances, individuals contact GPS and come for an initial interview to determine what is needed and then take the information to their insurance agency, or lawyer, or school and, in many cases, an agency takes over payment.

GPS provides the following to individual clients:

• educational assessments
• vocational assessments
• career assessments
• psychological/psychosocial assessments
• attention deficit disorder
• neuropsychological assessments
• assessements related to legal claims

Educational Assessments

• ability testing
• achievement testing
• learning disability assessment
• attention deficit disorder
• reading tests
• memory tests
• academic preparedness for Return-to-School determinations
• aptitude testing - general or job specific

Vocational Assessments

• vocational/academic interest and skills assessments
• transferable skills analyses
• vocational preparedness for Return-to-Work

Career Assessments

• leadership style
• personality scales
• conflict scales
• team development scales
• emotional intelligence quotient
• career interest and strength analyses

Psychological/Psycho-social Assessments

• personality testing
• emotional adjustment evaluations
• family environment rating scales
• motivation to return to work/school evaluations
• social/family/community resource determination

Assessments related to legal cases

Individuals may have need of assessments to help establish the legitimacy of disability or other legal claims. Our impartial assessments can document psychological injuries that are found or help rule out psychological problems, using an array of testing and interview, appropriate for the circumstances. See Dr. Myles Genest's CV for his related background and training.

• Clinical interview (Approximately 1 hour)
• Tests
• Followup with psychologist
• Report

Attention Deficit Disorder

Full assessment for Adult Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADD or ADHD) includes:

• Clinical interview (Approximately 1 hour)
• Tests
• Followup with psychologist
• Report

Neuropsychological Assessments

Complete neuropsychological assessment for adults experiencing cognitive difficulties, behavioural changes, and/or emotional distress after stroke, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological or medical conditions. Neuropsychological evaluation can determine the presence and degree of cognitive impairments in concentration, organization, reasoning, memory, language, perception, coordination, or personality. Assessment results can help differentiate among illnesses or identify specific weaknesses that may lead to occupational or psychosocial disability.

Assessment includes

• Determination of current subjective level of cognitive, physical, and emotional functioning; including changes in psychosocial or occupational functioning
• Review of medical, psychiatric, and psychosocial history
• Standardized testing with instruments that have established validity and reliability and have been accepted in expert evidence testimony
• Feedback regarding neuropsychological findings
• Recommendations for further treatment, if appropriate, such as cognitive rehabilitation, behavior management, or psychotherapy.

Dr. Beverly Butler is our neuropsychologist.

For more information, please go to the Clinical Neuropsychology Division of the American Psychological Association: A Guide for Patients and Their Families.