Psycholegal Services

A: The term “psycholegal” simply means the interface between psychological and legal issues. There are many areas in which qualified psychologists provide psycholegal services. Highly specialized psycholegal services are often performed by our Forensic Psychologists, who have formal training in mental-health related legal issues.

The Arroyos provides a wide variety of psycholegal services, include working with criminal defense, immigration, business, and other types of attorneys, providing forensic assessments of patients, giving expert witness testimony in state and federal court, providing Alternative Sentencing, and completing LPS Conservatorships. For a complete list and descriptions of the psycholegal services that we offer, follow this link: Psycholegal Services.

A: Forensic Psychologists are clinical psychologists who have completed advanced, specialized training in the interface between the mental health and legal systems. The Arroyos has two Forensic Psychologists on our staff.

Our Forensic Psychologists offer a wide variety of psycholegal services such as: Forensic Psychological Evaluations, Competency to Stand Trial, Competency to Undergo Immigration Hearing, Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, Risk Assessment for Violence or Sexual Offending, Fitness for Duty, Academic Accommodations, Expert Witness Testimony, and Privately Contracted Workers’ Compensation Assessments. Our Forensic Psychologists also work closely with your attorney to help him or her best respond to your legal concerns.

A: When a patient has been found guilty of commission of a crime, and their mental or psychological condition is seen as instrumental in the commission of the crime, it may be possible for the patient’s criminal defense attorney to arrange with the court for the patient to receive treatment rather than serving time in jail or prison. Such an arrangement is called Alternative Sentencing.

The Arroyos psychologists are experts in Alternative Sentencing and have extensive experience in this field. We can work with your criminal defense attorney or provide one for you with our preferred attorney network. Our Forensic Psychologists will complete a complex and detailed Forensic Psychological Evaluation in which the connection between the patient’s mental condition at the time of the crime, and the crime itself, is established. Once this is completed, our treatment team will create an Alternative Sentencing Proposal in which a highly structured treatment plan is outlined which follows the Forensic Psychological Evaluation report. Working with your criminal defense attorney, this proposal is presented in court for consideration by the prosecuting attorney and ultimately by the judge. If the proposal is approved, you or your loved one is mandated for treatment to The Arroyos and we work with you to complete your sentence at our treatment facilities. We report regularly to the court system as we are required to do so. At the successful completion of your treatment with us, we will assist you and your attorney as you address the resolution of your legal concerns with the court system.