Child Development Expert Witnesses

Richmond, California

Forensic Psychology, Neuropsychology - Independent Medical Examination, Disability Evaluation, Correctional Healthcare, Geriatrics, Neuropsychological Testing and Assessment, Child Development, Malingering Detection, Sex Offender Risk, Personal Injury, Head Trauma, Effects of Trauma, PTSD, Medical Malpractice, Depression, Anxiety

Dr. Dempsey is a Forensic Neuropsychologist licensed as a psychologist in 2006 by the California Board of Psychology; as a psychologist in 2022 by the Nevada and Alaska Boards of Psychology; Board Certified as a Forensic Psychologist through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in 2017; became a Qualified Medical Evaluator certified by the Worker’s Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) in 2014; certified as an Independent Practitioner by the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) in 2012; and was President of the Northern California Neuropsychology Forum (NCNF) 2015-16 and Chapter Chair of California Coalition on Sex Offending (CCOSO) 2016-17. She spent six years as a licensed psychologist working as Assessment Coordinator and supervisor for trainees at San Quentin State Prison and is currently CEO and Founder of Psychological Assessment, Inc., a corporation providing psychological testing and assessment in forensic and non-forensic domains, competency restora...

San Francisco, California

Psychiatry, Pediatrics - Traumatic Stress Disorders, PTSD, Neurobiology of Trauma, Memory, Child Development, Somatic Symptom Disorders, Functional Pain, Psychological Impact of Medical Illness, Capacity, Mitigation, Sentencing, Sex Abuse, Medical Complications

Holds a joint appointment as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics. Board Certified in general psychiatry and pediatrics, with additional training in pediatric gastroenterology. Teaching physician at Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, with specific interests in somatic manifestations of stress and long-term impacts of traumatic events on basic brain processes.

Denver, Colorado

Child Abuse, Social Work - child custody, child development, child abuse, child neglect, Family separation, Trauma, Best interest, Mental health, Tpr, family separation, Removal, Foster care, Reunification, Adoption, Attachment, PTSD, Kinship care, behavioral and social sciences, child protective services, child dependency

Jessica Handelman is a Board Certified Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Colorado, Utah, Texas, and Florida with nearly 20 years of experience. Holding certifications in Forensic Social Work and Multicultural and International Social Work Practice, other specialized expertise includes Adoption Trauma, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Complex Trauma, the Harm of Removal, TPR, and Forensic Evaluations. Jessica's primary focus of work is centered around dependent and neglected children and domestic relations matters. She has also worked on juvenile delinquency and guardianship cases. Jessica's scope of work routinely involves legal advocacy, conducting mental health evaluations, child-focused trauma assessments, Parent-Child Interactional Evaluations, facilitating therapeutic out-of-home placement transitions, and serving as an expert witness throughout the country. Jessica is a certified Child & Family Investigator and Parental Responsibilities Evaluator. Jessica’s e...

Texas

Child Abuse, Social Work - child custody, child development, child abuse, child neglect, Family separation, Trauma, Best interest, Mental health, Tpr, family separation, Removal, Foster care, Reunification, Adoption, Attachment, PTSD, Kinship care, behavioral and social sciences, child protective services, child dependency

Jessica Handelman is a Board Certified Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Colorado, Utah, Texas, and Florida with nearly 20 years of experience. Holding certifications in Forensic Social Work and Multicultural and International Social Work Practice, other specialized expertise includes Adoption Trauma, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Complex Trauma, the Harm of Removal, TPR, and Forensic Evaluations. Jessica's primary focus of work is centered around dependent and neglected children and domestic relations matters. She has also worked on juvenile delinquency and guardianship cases. Jessica's scope of work routinely involves legal advocacy, conducting mental health evaluations, child-focused trauma assessments, Parent-Child Interactional Evaluations, facilitating therapeutic out-of-home placement transitions, and serving as an expert witness throughout the country. Jessica is a certified Child & Family Investigator and Parental Responsibilities Evaluator. Jessica’s e...

McLean, Virginia

Psychology, Forensic Psychology - Trauma, injury, sexual abuse, violent extremism, PTSD, terrorism, informed consent, abortion, pregnancy loss, family, child development, post traumatic stress, white supremacism, violence, work place violence, sexual harassment, dissociative disorder, loss, wrongful death, grief

Anne Speckhard, Ph.D., is Director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism (ICSVE) and serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine. She is a seasoned expert witness and has testified internationally and nationally in Congress, federal courts, immigration and civil courts. As a researcher she has interviewed over 700 terrorists, violent extremists, their family members and supporters in various parts of the world including in Western Europe, the Balkans, Central Asia, the Former Soviet Union and the Middle East. In the past five years, she has in-depth psychologically interviewed over 270 ISIS defectors, returnees and prisoners as well as 16 al Shabaab cadres (and also interviewed their family members as well as ideologues) studying their trajectories into and out of terrorism, their experiences inside ISIS (and al Shabaab). She, with ICSVE, has also developed the Breaking the ISIS Brand Counter Narrative ...