Medical-Legal Psychiatric Consultation
I serve as a consultant and psychiatric expert witness in civil litigation involving Traumatic Brain Injury, Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other psychiatric conditions.
I evaluate emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems resulting from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI.) I am available for consultations, and I also serve as an expert witness in TBI medical-legal cases.
I have consulted with TBI patients and their families in the hospital trauma unit, acute hospital, acute rehabilitation hospital, post-acute rehabilitation programs, residential supported living programs, community living programs, outpatient programs, and office settings.
I consult with patients, their families, healthcare providers, case managers, life care planners, attorneys, insurance companies, and brain injury rehabilitation programs. I review brain injury rehabilitation treatment plans, focusing on the appropriate use of individual psychotherapy, family counseling, psychiatric medications, supportive services, and other brain injury rehabilitation treatments to facilitate recovery from TBI.
As a consultant to attorneys, I help:
As an expert witness, I help to determine:
Early interventions often lead to improved long-term outcomes.
I evaluate emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems resulting from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI.) I am available for consultations, and I also serve as an expert witness in TBI medical-legal cases.
I have consulted with TBI patients and their families in the hospital trauma unit, acute hospital, acute rehabilitation hospital, post-acute rehabilitation programs, residential supported living programs, community living programs, outpatient programs, and office settings.
I consult with patients, their families, healthcare providers, case managers, life care planners, attorneys, insurance companies, and brain injury rehabilitation programs. I review brain injury rehabilitation treatment plans, focusing on the appropriate use of individual psychotherapy, family counseling, psychiatric medications, supportive services, and other brain injury rehabilitation treatments to facilitate recovery from TBI.
As a consultant to attorneys, I help:
- Screen potential TBI clients
- Perform early-stage bio-psycho-social assessments
- Provide recommendations for a range of evaluations and treatments
- Identify strengths and challenges of the legal case.
As an expert witness, I help to determine:
- Whether a brain injury has occurred
- What bio-psycho-social factors contribute to current post-TBI problems
- Which treatments and resources will promote recovery
- The likely long-term outlook for recovery
Early interventions often lead to improved long-term outcomes.
I believe that brain injury is best viewed from a biological, psychological, social perspective.
Injury occurs to a person with a particular physical status, particular life experiences and coping style, particular current relationships with individuals and organizations.
Every person is unique; so similar impacts may have dramatically different results.
The problems resulting from most concussions resolve in weeks or months after injury.
But in some cases of so-called "mild" TBI, the resulting problems may be significant and long-lasting.
Hopefully,our evaluation will take all these factors into account in carefully diagnosing and treating the causes of and contributors to a traumatic brain injury.
I can help identify and recommend treatments for the biological, psychological, and social factors that are causing and / or contributing to a patient's symptoms and impaired functioning.
For example, I consider the contributions of medical conditions, medications, brain injury, pain, depression, relationships, and current life stresses when evaluating and recommending treatment for problems resulting from Traumatic Brain Injury.
But in some cases of so-called "mild" TBI, the resulting problems may be significant and long-lasting.
Hopefully,our evaluation will take all these factors into account in carefully diagnosing and treating the causes of and contributors to a traumatic brain injury.
I can help identify and recommend treatments for the biological, psychological, and social factors that are causing and / or contributing to a patient's symptoms and impaired functioning.
For example, I consider the contributions of medical conditions, medications, brain injury, pain, depression, relationships, and current life stresses when evaluating and recommending treatment for problems resulting from Traumatic Brain Injury.
Experience: I am currently Medical Director of Hidden Valley Ranch Rehabilitation Services, a brain injury residential program in Ramona, California. I also consult with Learning Services, a brain injury residential program in Escondido, California and with Paradigm Management Services, which provides solutions for complex medical management. I am a member of the Professional Advisory Council, San Diego Brain Injury Foundation.
I was formerly Medical Director of NeuroCare's post-acute residential and community-based brain injury rehabilitation programs in Ramona and San Diego, California. I have also consulted with other brain injury rehabilitation and residential programs. I was Editor, Brain Injury Medication Update email newsletter and Associate Editor, Brain Injury Update newsletter.
I was a psychiatric consultant at Sharp Memorial Hospital and Sharp Rehabilitation Center, where I focused on the psychological aspects of acute and chronic physical illness, including physical disabilities resulting from traumatic brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury.
I was selected to the Honors Program in Medical Education at Northwestern University Medical School. I am a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association; Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; Voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UCSD School of Medicine; Faculty and Past Board member, San Diego Psychoanalytic Center; and Past Council member, San Diego Psychiatric Society.
I was selected by my physician peers as one of San Diego's Physicians of Exceptional Excellence (Top Doctors), San Diego Magazine, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015.
I was formerly Medical Director of NeuroCare's post-acute residential and community-based brain injury rehabilitation programs in Ramona and San Diego, California. I have also consulted with other brain injury rehabilitation and residential programs. I was Editor, Brain Injury Medication Update email newsletter and Associate Editor, Brain Injury Update newsletter.
I was a psychiatric consultant at Sharp Memorial Hospital and Sharp Rehabilitation Center, where I focused on the psychological aspects of acute and chronic physical illness, including physical disabilities resulting from traumatic brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury.
I was selected to the Honors Program in Medical Education at Northwestern University Medical School. I am a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association; Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; Voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UCSD School of Medicine; Faculty and Past Board member, San Diego Psychoanalytic Center; and Past Council member, San Diego Psychiatric Society.
I was selected by my physician peers as one of San Diego's Physicians of Exceptional Excellence (Top Doctors), San Diego Magazine, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015.
