Pre-Employment & Forensic Evaluations

A forensic psychological evaluation is a specialized assessment designed to answer questions posed by the Court, or by a potential employer. Dr. Jessica Fritzges has had forensic training and supervised experience answering many types of forensic referral questions, including:

• Competency to stand trial
• Mental status at the time of the offense
• Pleas relating to mental illness, including Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) and Guilty But Mentally Ill (GBMI) pleas used in Delaware Courts
• Malingering
• Assessment of mental illness in custody-related issues (parental fitness)
• Fitness for duty
• Recommendations about staff who carry firearms in the line of duty

Forensic psychological evaluations differ from standard psychological evaluations because of their intended audience: the Court, or a potential employer.  Because of this, the results of these evaluations are not meant to be kept confidential—which would be the case in a typical psychological evaluation—and instead, the results are discussed in a report that is later read by an outside organization.

Court-Related Forensic Evaluations are typically requested as a result of existing Court proceedings. If you are a client of someone defending you in Court, or if you are an attorney inquiring about an evaluation for your client, please be prepared to provide Dr. Fritzges with copies of any and all paperwork pertaining to your case.  This includes any judicially-executed orders; police reports; evidence documents produced from both sides of the case; and released medical, school, and employment records from any and all sources pertinent to the case.  Record review is an important part of the forensic assessment process, as is interviewing collateral sources of information.  If you are involved in a forensic psychological evaluation, you will be asked to sign releases so that Dr. Fritzges can speak to various people who can answer questions about you and your case.

In addition to conducting testing and writing reports for the Courts, Dr. Fritzges has experience and training in being an expert witness for the Court.  Contact her directly for more information about her areas of expertise where having an expert witness may prove to be beneficial.  Her most expansive knowledge base is in the assessment and treatment of severe mental illness, PTSD, dissociative disorders, as well as developmental trauma and how it relates to healthy child development.

Fitness for Duty Evaluations are requested by employers before offering candidates a job.  Usually, a psychological evaluation is requested because the nature of the job involves safety, security, or protecting the public—and mental status is a key factor in performing the job effectively. 

Dr. Fritzges offers fitness for duty, also called pre-employment, psychological evaluations for a variety of employers.  She has assessed candidates for local police departments as well as for the State Police.  She has evaluated constables who protect area schools and hospitals.  Pilots, safety officers, security personnel, and any professional that requires staff to carry a weapon are other examples of populations who might be referred for a duty-related psychological evaluation.

Contact the office today to learn more about how a forensic psychological evaluation can help get your important mental health questions answered by a qualified clinical psychologist with training and experience in the practice of forensic psychology.