Florence Clinical and Forensic Psychology Services

Based In Louisville, Kentucky But Able To Travel For Service

Florence Forensic Psychology is a subspecialty of Psychology that focuses on Florence legal issues wherein mental health is a potential contributing factor.

Dr. Kaplan has experience in Florence sex offender evaluations, violent risk assessment, competency to stand trial, capacity, mitigation of sentence, juvenile bindover, and more. Dr. Kaplan provides Florence forensic evaluation in guardianship cases, accident/injury cases, and other situations where there is a question about an individual's mental health, emotional harm, or ability to care for oneself. She also offers a variety of parenting evaluations.  Dr. Kaplan uses evidence-based assessment methods and Florence psychological tests to provide a wide variety of psychological evaluation services.

Florence Criminal Forensic Evaluations

Florence General Psychological: An attorney or judge may request a general psychological evaluation in a case in which a person’s mental health is in question. The resulting report includes the individual’s current mental status, diagnosis, and recommendations.

Florence Competency Test: An evaluation to determine if a defendant is competent to stand trial in Florence Kentucky, waive Miranda, plead guilty, confess or function adequately in the legal system. A forensic evaluation can determine if the defendant is able to cooperate with counsel, assist in his own defense, as well as make informed decisions about legal choices.

Florence Criminal Responsibility: Sophisticated Florence psychological testing is used to evaluate the presence of any psychological disorder, psychopathy, or personality characteristics that may have mediated rational decision making or interfered with judgment or perception.A comprehensive evaluation of the defendant’s mental state at the time of the offense can inform trial strategy and provide the judge or jury with critical information regarding legal responsibility.

Florence Mitigation of Sentencing: In the Florence sentencing phase of a trial, an attorney or judge may wish to know psychological information for the court to consider in sentencing, and in recommending probation or parole. Specifically, a comprehensive forensic report can affect sentencing to the extent that it addresses all relevant mitigating and aggravating circumstances. This can also include sentencing determinations in Florence Death Penalty Cases.

Florence Juvenile Bindover: In certain cases whereby an adolescent is accused of a crime(s), he or she may be tried in either a Florence juvenile court or in an Florence adult court. In such cases, the court can benefit from a forensic evaluation addressing the issue of amenability to the Florence juvenile justice system. The evaluation focuses on how likely the juvenile is to benefit from the added-services afforded by the juvenile system—aimed at rehabilitation and restoration—compared to the adult system, which overall is more punitively-oriented.

Florence Violence Risk Assessment: Aims to determine whether an individual has a mental disorder in Florence and the level of dangerousness, but not to determine whether an individual committed a specific offense.

Florence Psychosexual Testing: This is a complete psychological evaluation with an additional heavy emphasis on sexual development, values, thoughts, interests, and behaviors.

Florence KY Psychosexual with Risk Assessment: This examination is the same as a psychosexual evaluation in Florence with the addition of an assessment of the risk of committing a future sexual offense through the use of evidence-based actuarial risk assessment instruments.

Florence Civil Forensic Evaluations

Florence Parenting Evaluation: Due to a variety of circumstances, sometimes the court or a governmental organization (e.g., Children Services Agency) might question the type or amount of contact that a particular parent may have with his/her children. In those cases, a Florence forensic psychologist’s services may be secured in order to help answer specific referral questions related to parenting issues.

Florence Adoption Evaluation: Individuals or couples who are adopting in Florence need to have a psychological valuation to assess their emotional stability, and readiness to adopt and parent a child. Every Florence adoption agency has its own specific procedures surrounding the evaluation.  The psychological evaluation focuses on potential underlying psychopathology that might exist in either of the future parents (or the couple as a family system). Additionally, the quality of the marital relationship, intended child rearing practices, and motivations for adoption are explored.  This evaluation differs from a home study, which is typically conducted by a Florence social worker.

Florence Personal Injury: A psychologist’s expertise often is utilized by the Florence court in order to help determine whether mental injury exists and, if so, to what degree. An example includes Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (Florence PTSD), as a result of experiencing significant trauma. A personal injury evaluation may involve a clinical interview, record review, psychological testing, and contacting collateral sources in the case.

Florence Clinical Assessment

Florence ADHD Evaluation: These Florence Kentucky evaluations typically include the following:

• Florence IQ and/or achievement testing to rule out a learning disorder and to assess cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
• Florence Tests of attention and other aspects of executive functioning. 
• Florence Psychological tests to examine for other Florence mental health problems that may be causing or contributing to the symptoms.

Florence Diagnostic Evaluation: Evaluations pertaining to many diagnoses, such as Florence Bipolar Disorder, Florence Autism (as well as the former Asperger's Disorder), Major Depressive Disorder, PTSD, Florence Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders, and Florence Schizophrenia.

Florence Learning Disorders, IQ, and Achievement Testing:  Typically referred to as Florence psychoeducational evaluations. Used to evaluate the presence of a Florence learning disorder or an intellectual disability. Achievement testing can help identify academic achievement level in various subjects and any necessary academic accommodations.



Florence Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Evaluation: The Florence autism assessment and diagnostic process for Florence Autism involves a thorough clinical interview in Florence, review of outside medical and/or academic records, and a testing battery that may include parental interviews and forms (if applicable), intellectual, and personality assessments.

Additional Service Testing in Florence

Florence Psychological Consultant: Psychologists may be hired by Florence attorneys to consult on a case “behind the scenes”. Examples include educating the attorney about a client’s mental illness, assisting in Florence jury selection or Florence cross-examination, or critiquing another psychologist’s evaluation report.

Florence Expert Witness: A Florence psychologist may be asked to testify in court in Florence as an expert. The evaluation report may be read out loud in open court, and the expert must answer questions about the report and what transpired during conversations with the respondent and any other involved individual. The Florence, KY court expert may be asked to discuss their knowledge regarding the research in a specific area of psychology as it relates to the respondent. Psychological experts may also be asked to educate the court on a specific mental health-related topic.