Foster Care Expert Witnesses
Foster care expert witnesses and consultants listed here may be able to form expert opinions, draft expert witness reports, provide expert witness testimony at deposition and/or trial as or serve as consulting (non-testifying) experts on foster care. The foster care expert witness listings on this page are typically from fields/areas of expertise such as: Adoption, Behavioral and Social Sciences, Child Abuse, Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, and Social Work.
Mayola Miranda, DPA, LCSW, MSW
Newport Office Center, Inc.
Newport Beach, California
Social Work, Child Abuse
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Child protective services, public child welfare, foster care, child abuse & neglect, nonminor dependents, emergency removals, dependency court, CPS standards of care, CPS policies & practices, civil rights, CPS investigations, mandated reporting, reasonable services, reunification, .26 hearings
Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25+ years of diverse work experience including in the public sector, private sector, non-profit, academia, and military. A former Child Protective Services (CPS) social worker & supervisor of 15 years with insider knowledge about child welfare. Hands-on experience with hundreds of child welfare-involved families and children in all phases of a child dependency case. Supervised, trained, and taught CPS social workers, interns, and Master of Social Work students.
Specialized areas of knowledge include:
Certificates of Merits
Emergency Child Removals, warrants
Warrantless removals, exigent circumstances, imminent risk
Child Protective Services policies, practices, and procedures
Child abuse and neglect
Foster care, out of home care, congregate care
Case Plans: Reunification, family maintenance and transitional living plans
Standards of care
§ 1983 Civil rights, Monell Liability
AB12/Non-Minor dependents
Structured Decision-Making (SDM)
Risk asses...
Paula E. Rohde, MA
Mission Viejo, California
Social Work
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Social Worker Standard of Care, Child Welfare, Foster Care, Mandated Reporter, Juvenile Dependency, Placement, Warrants & Removals, Case Planning, Family Reunification, Foster Care Licensing, Group Homes, Child Abuse, Foster Homes, Shelter Care
I have extensive experience working in public child welfare and human resources for the County of Orange, Social Services Agency. Child Welfare areas of expertise include dependency intake and investigations, out of home placement including group home, foster home, relative and shelter care placement, foster parenting recruitment, training, licensing and relative family approval. Experience has been in both a Senior Social Worker, Senior Social Services Supervisor and leadership capacity (Program Manager I & II ). I am trained in Trauma Informed Practice & Safety Organized Practice, knowledgeable of and proficient in the Child Welfare Services/Case Management System.
Jessica Handelman, LCSW-BCD
QEW: Psychological Impact of Permanency Outcomes
Denver, Colorado
Child Abuse, Social Work
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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...
Stuart C Silverstein, MD, FAAP
Board Certified Pediatrician/ Author
Stamford , Connecticut
Pediatrics, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
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General Pediatrics, Child Abuse & neglect, Newborn Care, Foster Care, Pediatric Standard of Care, Pediatrics, Pediatric Urgent / Emergency Care, Sexual Abuse, Child Neglect, Custody Evaluation, Lead exposure, Lead toxicity, Lead Poisoning, Age assessment, Florida Expert Witness Certificate
Dr. Silverstein is an award-winning, Board-Certified pediatrician with over 30 years experience as a clinician and medical educator. His current practice includes providing pediatric emergency and urgent care in a highly populated urban setting. Dr. Silverstein has also supervised medical students, residents, and physician assistants in the pediatric emergency room. Served as a Preceptor for the Sacred Heart University Clinical APRN program and Assistant Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at the
New York Medical College.
Dr. Silverstein is the author of several books including a Board Review Study Guide used by Pediatric Residents preparing for their specialty certification.
Dr. Silverstein has experience providing medical consultation for plaintiffs, prosecutors, and defendants in civil, military and criminal cases. He is experienced in distinguishing between accidental and non – accidental injury, evaluating potential evidence of child neglect, and opining on the pedia...
Charles F Lorbeer, PhD, LCSW, LICSW, DABFC
National Child Abuse Expert - On CBS & NBC News
Jacksonville, Florida
Child Abuse, Social Work
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Child custody, child abuse & neglect, suicide, medical management, social work malpractice, child protective services, mandated reporters, abuse investigations, addictions counseling, substance abuse services, foster care, adoption, academic management, guardianships
● Call me now! (904) 287-8400! I am available to assist you immediately. You will love my genuine and empathetic style. I am able to present complex cases in a manner that is easy to understand and profound in their application to your case.
● NATIONAL EXPERT- Interviewed on CBS and NBC News. See: https://liebertindustries.com/
Work in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas, WV, and WI. Child removals, adoption, foster care, suicide, child abuse, sex abuse, social work malpractice, psychotherapy, guardianships, elder abuse, psychiatric management, psych hospitals, assisted living facilities, medical administration and custody related cases.
●Additional Information
Dr. Lorbeer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Counselors. He has been with The UF Health Academic Medical Center for 25 years; one of the largest and most prestigious hospitals in the nation, where he evaluated 1000s of psychiatric cases in the eme...
Charles F Lorbeer, PhD, LCSW, LICSW, DABFC
National Child Abuse Expert - On CBS & NBC News
Massachusetts
Child Abuse, Social Work
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Child custody, child abuse & neglect, suicide, medical management, social work malpractice, child protective services, mandated reporters, abuse investigations, addictions counseling, substance abuse services, foster care, adoption, academic management, guardianships
● Call me now! (904) 287-8400! I am available to assist you immediately. You will love my genuine and empathetic style. I am able to present complex cases in a manner that is easy to understand and profound in their application to your case.
● NATIONAL EXPERT- Interviewed on CBS and NBC News. See: https://liebertindustries.com/
Work in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas, WV, and WI. Child removals, adoption, foster care, suicide, child abuse, sex abuse, social work malpractice, psychotherapy, guardianships, elder abuse, psychiatric management, psych hospitals, assisted living facilities, medical administration and custody related cases.
●Additional Information
Dr. Lorbeer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Counselors. He has been with The UF Health Academic Medical Center for 25 years; one of the largest and most prestigious hospitals in the nation, where he evaluated 1000s of psychiatric cases in the eme...
Lisa Prock, MD, MPH
Boston Children's Hospital
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Developmental Disabilities, Adoption
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Adoption, Foster Care, Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Autism, ADHD, Prenatal Toxin/Substance Exposure, Trauma, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disabilities
Lisa Albers Prock, MD, MPH is a Board Certified Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician and Director of the Developmental Medicine Center at Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School as well as research experience. She has received awards for teaching and has extensive history of local and national teaching and leadership roles.
Positions include: Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School; Director, Adoption Program, and Associate Medical Director, Developmental Medicine Center, Boston Children's Hospital; former Chairperson, Section on Adoption and Foster Care and current Executive Council Member, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); co-author, Adoption Manual of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Clinical Director, Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital.
Her clinical practice includes extensive documentation review and frequent provision of 2nd/3rd/4th opinion.
She has a history of providing consultation for both plaintiff and defense cases.
Stuart C Silverstein, MD, FAAP
Board Certified Pediatrician/ Author
New York
Pediatrics, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
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General Pediatrics, Child Abuse & neglect, Newborn Care, Foster Care, Pediatric Standard of Care, Pediatrics, Pediatric Urgent / Emergency Care, Sexual Abuse, Child Neglect, Custody Evaluation, Lead exposure, Lead toxicity, Lead Poisoning, Age assessment, Florida Expert Witness Certificate
Dr. Silverstein is an award-winning, Board-Certified pediatrician with over 30 years experience as a clinician and medical educator. His current practice includes providing pediatric emergency and urgent care in a highly populated urban setting. Dr. Silverstein has also supervised medical students, residents, and physician assistants in the pediatric emergency room. Served as a Preceptor for the Sacred Heart University Clinical APRN program and Assistant Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at the
New York Medical College.
Dr. Silverstein is the author of several books including a Board Review Study Guide used by Pediatric Residents preparing for their specialty certification.
Dr. Silverstein has experience providing medical consultation for plaintiffs, prosecutors, and defendants in civil, military and criminal cases. He is experienced in distinguishing between accidental and non – accidental injury, evaluating potential evidence of child neglect, and opining on the pedia...
Andrea L. Dobrin
Gap Analysis LLC
Cleveland , Ohio
Developmental Disabilities, Behavioral and Social Sciences
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Non-profit, Government health and human services, Intellectual disabilities, Human services, Behavioral Health services, Foster Care, Medicaid services, Client Rights, Severe Mental Illness services, Residential Treatment, Intermediate Care Facilities, Group Homes
My forty-year career has largely been devoted to non-profit health and human services organizations. Starting as a direct service worker, I advanced to Director, Chief Officer (both Administrative Services and Operations) and Vice President in five separate organizations. What sets me apart is my ability to interpret the extensive rules and regulations that govern the social service and behavioral health industries and apply them to "real life" experiences. More importantly I am able to clearly explain both complex and nuanced information to jurors.
I am an experienced Expert. Over the last five years I have been selected by attorneys multiple times to support cases involving injuries, death, abuse and neglect. I am qualified with both depositions and trial testimony and have worked on cases across the USA.
My background, experience and relatability make me highly qualified to serve as an expert witness in cases involving behavioral health, developmental disabilities and other r...
Pamela J. Miller, JD, MSW, LISW-S, LCSW
Child Abuse, PTSD, Award-Winning Expert
Child Maltreatment Policy Resource Center (APSAC Policy Center)
Columbus, Ohio
Child Abuse, Mental Health
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child torture, child mental health, child maltreatment, Child Protective Services, child custody, child fatality, Intrafamilial Child Torture, sexual abuse, foster care, psychological trauma, Complex-PTSD, mandated reporting, social work & social services standards of care, professional ethics
*Physically located in Cincinnati, Ohio; have worked throughout the U.S. and internationally.
*Miller's work was highlighted in People Magazine, Fox News, and Daily Mail- UK (links at pamelajmiller.org)
*Body of work on Intrafamilial Child Torture at https://cmprc.org/intrafamilial-child-torture
Pamela J. Miller is a forensic and clinical social worker and an attorney. Miller has been with the APSAC Center for Child Policy (recently rebranded as the Child Maltreatment Policy Resource Center) since 2019. She is a highly trained trauma specialist and has led the Center’s multi-year Intrafamilial Child Torture (ICT) initiative since its inception. This includes authoring the Center’s policy white papers and case studies on ICT, writing and publishing articles, conducting trainings for professionals in multiple disciplines, speaking at conferences and events, preparing amicus briefs, and serving as counsel for the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) in state ...
Adiaha Spinks-Franklin, MD, MPH, FAAP
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician
DBP Doc, PLLC, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatric Education, Consultation, & Training
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Pediatrics, Developmental Disabilities
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Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, developmental delay, special education school services, premature infants, adoption, foster care, child trauma, racism, bullying, autism, intellectual disability, genetic disorders, learning problems, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, behavior problems
I am a board-certified Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician with 20 years of experience and expertise in developmental delays, developmental disabilites, behavioral health conditions, child trauma and adversity, racism, adoption and foster care.
Jessica Handelman, LCSW-BCD
QEW: Psychological Impact of Permanency Outcomes
Texas
Child Abuse, Social Work
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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...
Adiaha Spinks-Franklin, MD, MPH, FAAP
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician
DBP Doc, PLLC, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatric Education, Consultation, & Training
Texas
Pediatrics, Developmental Disabilities
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Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, developmental delay, special education school services, premature infants, adoption, foster care, child trauma, racism, bullying, autism, intellectual disability, genetic disorders, learning problems, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, behavior problems
I am a board-certified Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician with 20 years of experience and expertise in developmental delays, developmental disabilites, behavioral health conditions, child trauma and adversity, racism, adoption and foster care.
