Clinical Psychologist – Diagnostic Analysis

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Richard P. Fleitas, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of experience in psychological assessment, trauma evaluation, disability analysis, and consultation. Licensed in Washington DC and Virginia, his forensic work focuses on civil emotional damages, psychological injury, diagnostic clarification under DSM-5-TR and ICD-10 criteria. Dr. Fleitas is an expert in trauma-related disorders, and functional and occupational impairment. He provides independent psychological evaluations for both plaintiff and defense counsel in complex litigation matters. Dr. Fleitas conducts comprehensive evaluations incorporating structured clinical interview, detailed records review, psychometric testing when indicated, and formal analysis of causation, nexus, symptom credibility, and degree of impairment. He is frequently retained in matters involving significant alleged psychological injury, complex comorbidity, employment-related emotional distress, long-term disability claims, and disputed diagnosis. He has conducted hundreds of formal psychological evaluations in high-stakes environments, including extensive work performing Compensation & Pension (C&P) examinations and DBQ documentation for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs through national contractors. This work has strengthened his expertise in occupational capacity analysis, service connection determinations, trauma presentations, mood and anxiety disorders, and differentiating clinical findings from unsupported or exaggerated claims. Earlier in his career, Dr. Fleitas trained and worked at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, DC, a large inpatient psychiatric facility serving civil and criminal populations, where he conducted comprehensive psychological assessments and participated in forensic case conferences and grand rounds. He also served at DeWitt Army Hospital at Fort Belvoir, providing diagnostic assessment, trauma treatment, security clearance-related evaluations, and psychological services to active-duty service members and their families. These experiences inform his understanding of high-acuity psychiatric conditions and structured documentation standards in complex systems. Dr. Fleitas is the Founder of Psychological Assessment Solutions (est. 2006) and Pivotal Psych Consultants (est. 2020). As President/COO of an international consulting firm, he led telehealth initiatives serving U.S. government personnel and international communities prior to mainstream telehealth adoption. His background includes fitness-for-duty evaluations, medical evaluation boards, crisis intervention, risk assessment, and consultation to government and commercial institutions operating in high-stress environments. In addition to his forensic practice, Dr. Fleitas consults with healthcare organizations on behavioral health systems design and responsible integration of artificial intelligence in clinical settings. He has completed advanced training in AI applications in healthcare, including Harvard Medical School’s “AI in Health Care: From Strategies to Implementation.” His consulting work focuses on improving assessment workflow, documentation quality, and decision-making processes in behavioral health systems. Dr. Fleitas maintains a neutral, independent role in all matters and provides opinions grounded in clinical evidence rather than advocacy. He is available for record review, independent psychological evaluation (IME/IPE), report writing, and deposition testimony.