Crisis Intervention Expert Witnesses

Scotts Valley, California

Mental Health, Substance Abuse - Forensics, Homelessness, Chronic Mental Illness, Crisis Intervention, Dual Diagnosis, Substance Use Disorder, Psychosocial Assessments, LPS holds, Conservatorship, Coordinated Care, Jail Mental Health, Social Work, Treatment Planning, Multidisciplinary Teams, Hospital, Psychiatric Inpatient, Behavioral and Social Sciences

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) – Forensic & Community Mental Health Specialist I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 17 years of experience in behavioral health, homelessness, substance use, and forensic mental health, including 9 years of post-MSW clinical practice. My professional background spans high-acuity settings such as correctional facilities, psychiatric units, and community-based programs, where I’ve provided direct clinical services, crisis intervention, and care coordination for some of the most vulnerable populations. As a former Mental Health First Aid Instructor for Santa Cruz County Mental Health, I trained county agencies and community-based partners in identifying, understanding, and responding to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. This role highlights my dedication to community education and building mental health literacy across systems of care. My expertise includes: Crisis intervention and de-escalation Psychiatric risk ass...

Santa Clara, California

Mental Health, Social Work - Social Work, Triage, Lanterman Petris Short LPS, Involuntary Committment, Suicide, Crisis Intervention, Risk Assessment, Behavioral Health, Patient Rights, Standard of Care, Severe Mental Illness (SMI), Psychosis, Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Anosognosia, Emergency Care, Joint Commission (JHACO), HEDIS, CMS, EMTALA

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with extensive experience working in outpatient and acute inpatient psychiatric settings. I have treated a broad spectrum of complex psychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety, post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and co‑occurring substance‑use disorders. I have over a decade of experience working in acute inpatient psychiatric hospitals serving patients experiencing mental health crises. Many patients I worked with were admitted to the hospital on 72 hour involuntary psychiatric holds (5150). There, I provided direct care, safety planning, complex discharge coordination, and testified at involuntary (5250, 5260, 5270) certification hearings. I regularly represented the hospital at these hearings, testifying on the clinical criteria for Danger to Self (DTS), Danger to Others (DTO), and Grave Disability (GD). Furthermore, I have collaborated closely with numerous Cou...

Newport Beach, California

Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine - Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD, Crisis Intervention, Academic Medical Treatment, Functional Capacity, Disability Evaluation, IME, Standard of Care, Suicide Risk Assessment, Fitness for Duty, Severe Mental Health Disorders, Buprenorphine Treatment, Psychopharmacology, Personal Injury, Capacity Eval

Dr. Amr Beltagui is a highly accomplished psychiatrist with a distinguished career in both clinical practice and academia. A Diplomate of Psychiatry through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, he holds the title of Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Beltagui’s medical journey began at the University of Alexandria, where he earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree. He furthered his training with a residency in psychiatry at the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Beltagui's professional experience is extensive and diverse. He has served as an emergency psychiatrist with Traditions Behavioral Health and an interventional psychiatrist at Mindful Health Solutions. His roles have also included being a staff psychiatrist at Kern Medical and a core faculty member for the UCLA-Kern psychiatry residency program. Additionally, he has worked at the Norfolk Regional Center in t...

Denver, Colorado

Law Enf & Criminal Justice, Police Practices & Procedures - Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice, Police Practice & Procedure, Legal, Use of Force, Police Training, Police Academies, Crisis Intervention, Field Training Program, Police Use of Firearms, Baton, Taser Discipline, Internal Affairs, Jail Operations, Gangs

Chief Alan C. Youngs retired after 33 years with the Lakewood Colorado Police Department, a suburb of Denver. He held command positions within every division of the department. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, 166th Session. He is currently a technical compliance adviser to the Department of Justice consent decree in Puerto Rico. Chief Youngs is a practicing attorney, and is a law enforcement expert witness in police policies, procedures and police academies. Mr. Youngs is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Investigative Operations Committee and the IACP Professional Standards Committee. He is a certified instructor for the recognition of Excited Delirium and Agitated Chaotic episodes, by the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, Inc. He is also certified in Fraud Prevention. He is an Americans for Effective Law Enforcement (AELE) certified Litigation Specialist and a member of the Board of Directors for AELE.

Auburndale, Massachusetts

Psychiatry - psychiatric emergencies, risk assessments, suicide, violence, substance use, standard of care, involuntary commitment, chart documentation, medical clearance, supervision of trainees and non-physician staff, restraints, crisis intervention, anxiety and depression, psychosis, involuntary holds, wrongful admission/discharge

Dr. Suzanne A. Bird is a board-certified psychiatrist with over 25 years of clinical, teaching and leadership experience in emergency psychiatry. She served as director of Psychiatric Emergency Services at Cambridge Hospital (a Harvard-affiliated community teaching hospital in Cambridge MA) for 16 years and ran the Acute Psychiatry Service in the Emergency Department at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for nearly 12 years. In addition to her clinical leadership roles, she is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, with extensive experience as an educator; training and supervising psychiatric residents, nurse practitioners and social workers, as well as medical students and junior faculty members. She has managed and overseen the management of thousands of patients in acute crisis and is recognized for her expertise in suicide and violence risk assessment, medical clearance of patients with acute psychiatric presentations, decisions around involuntary commitment, ...

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Police Practices & Procedures, Law Enf & Criminal Justice - Criminal Justice, Police Policies, Domestic Violence, Crowd Control, Use of Force, Excessive Force, Sexual Assault, Drug Enforcement, Surveillance, School Safety, Crisis Intervention, Baton, Taser, Firearm, Electronic Control Device

Award-Winning Police Officer. 25+ Years Experience including undercover operations, SWAT Team, and School Resource Officer. Certified Firearms Trainer. Graduate of the FBI National Academy, 272th Session. Law Enforcement Highlights • Trained and deployed multiple times in "Mobile Field Force / Civil Disturbances" • Undercover operations, drug buys, surveillance and preparation of over 400 search warrants • Specialized training in Barricaded gunman situation resolution • Member of D.P.D. Pistol Team • Executive Protection, and advanced driving techniques. • Served on Multi-jurisdictional SWAT Team • Patrol Rifle Operator / Designated Marksman Certification • Certified Firearms Trainer • Field Training Officer and Supervisor • Police Honor Guard 2004 through 2015 • Additional command capacities: • New World Reporting System Build Team / Training of supervisors and Officers, Mobile Field Force Unit Commander Career Accolades With Sterling Heights Police Department • (6) Merit Ci...

Seattle, Washington

Law Enf & Criminal Justice, Police Practices & Procedures - Law Enforcement, Police pursuits, Use of force, Less lethal weapons, De-escalation, Crisis intervention, Rapid intervention, Police supervision, Early intervention, Police training, Civil rights, US 1983, Legal standards for police, Best practices for police, EEO, EVOC, Discrimination, Harassment

Seattle Police Lieutenant (ret.) with 34 years of experience. I am easy to reach, and I return calls and email promptly. I will provide you with an unbiased review of the evidence and then we can determine how I can best help you with your case. I enjoy helping both defense and plaintiff attorneys. Currently, I have assisted attorneys 51 times, (19 defense, 32 plaintiff). This mix comes from my ability to examine the evidence and provide you with an honest assessment so that I can help you with your needs, whether it be an evaluation, a report, testimony, advice, etc.