Annie Steinberg, M.D.
The Bridge
P.O. Box 531
Narberth, PA 19072
June, 2010.
DearAttorney:
Thank you for your interest in working together on behalf of your client. Obtaining a forensic psychiatric evaluation can be a fairly lengthy process. This is how you can help speed up this process:
1.Gather all of the information that may be of help in answering your questions and achieving your goals for the evaluation.
a.Obtain copies of any medical, neurological, psychological, educational, or psychiatric evaluations performed within the past several years.
b.Obtain all legal documents, including the original charges, investigative reports, child welfare agency records, court transcripts, court orders, records from detention facilities, etc.
2.If enclosed, please obtain:
a.Signed Release of Information Forms and send to relevant hospitals, school district, therapists, etc. Signed Consent for Treatment by legal guardian if included in packet.
b.Completed checklists (your client and his/her parents should fill these forms out) or other questionnaires that are enclosed or will be mailed separately.
3.Write a cover letter describing your goals and objectives, as well as the specific questions to be addressed in this evaluation.
a. Your client (and his/her parents if relevant) should include an understanding of the current problem, and their sense of what has resulted in and could help to improve the current situation.
- Parents should describe positive aspects, strengths and challenges of their son/daughter, current obstacles, and their hopes for his/her future.
c.Please explain this appointment and the goals for the meeting.
d.If there are parents, stepparents, or other caregivers involved (grandparents, aunts or uncles, close friends who have different concerns), please ask them to write their own letter.
4. In addition to the formal reports, please enclose any other written material that you feel would be helpful in understanding and addressing your questions. This may include drawings, stories, poems, photographs or other items that you feel capture essential aspects of your son, daughter or student.
Please gather all of this information and send it in a single package when completed. It is important that this information be returned at least one week before the scheduled evaluation so that I can review it before we meet. Please mail this information to me at:
Annie Steinberg, M.D.
P.O. Box 531
Narberth, PA 19072
The evaluation session will likely be more than three hours in duration, mostoften it is all day. All relevant parties, e.g., family members and close relatives/friends may be invited to join for a portion of the interview. If your client is traveling a great distance, please consider rest stops and mealtimes.
In order to complete the full evaluation, more than one meeting date may be necessary. Recommendations will be discussed before a final report is completed, if one is necessary.
Sincerely,
______
Annie Steinberg, M.D.
Enclosures