Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology Evaluations & Expert Witness Services
Experts in forensic psychiatry and forensic psychology, forensic psychiatrist Ryan Shugarman, M.D. and forensic psychologist Shilpa Krishnan, Ph.D. have been performing high quality forensic psychiatric and psychological assessments since 2009 and 2013, respectively. Both providers have a wealth of experience in conducting evaluations, preparing reports, testifying as an expert witness, teaching, and performing clinical work.
Drs. Shugarman and Krishnan are presently available for consultation throughout the United States for civil, administrative, and criminal matters. Subject matters include a variety of mental health-related issues, state of mind, capacity, fitness for duty, disability, psychological harm, and malpractice, amongst others.
Services offered include performing independent medical examinations (IME’s), conducting psychological testing (Dr. Krishnan only), assisting in a consulting capacity, preparing expert reports or rebuttal reports, and testifying at trial as an expert witness. Fee schedules are available upon request.
Civil Evaluations:
Records review / Consultative services / Expert witness rebuttal reports
Medical and psychological malpractice
Breach of confidentiality
Assessments for substance-related issues
Need for, and appropriateness of, civil commitment
Expert opinions and independent medical evaluations (IMEs) for cases involving:
- Disability (private polices, Federal Disability Retirement / OPM, SSI / SSDI)
- Evaluation for impairment under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993
- Workers’ compensation
- United States military discharge status change and service-related disability assessments
- Divorce and custody-related proceedings
- Sexual harassment / Sexual assault
- Discrimination
- Retaliation, including “whistleblower” (qui tam) cases
- Wrongful termination
- Defamation
- Emotional injury (psychological harm) due to intentional or unintentional cause, including physical injury or police brutality
- Wrongful conviction / Wrongful incarceration
- Other matters
Testamentary capacity, including issue of undue influence
Competency to testify
Competency to make medical and financial decisions / Need for guardianship
Competency to consent to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
Medical board and attorney bar association reviews concerning physicians and attorneys
United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reviews for physician misprescribing
United States security clearance denial and revocation cases
Fitness-for-duty assessments for:
- Pilots and air traffic controllers, including assessments for commercial airlines and for the FAA / HIMS Program (Dr. Shugarman only)
- Flight attendants
- Physicians, medical residents, and medical students
- Engineers, software developers, and I.T. specialists
- Police officers, FBI applicants, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agents, and other law enforcement personnel
- United States Foreign Service Officers
- United States Peace Corps Volunteers
- Other occupations
Additional matters upon request
Criminal Evaluations:
Prosecutorial and defense consultation
Adjudicative competence / Competency to stand trial
(current and retrospective assessments) / Competency to proceed pro se / Jackson hearings / Competency to waive the insanity defense / Competency to be sentenced
Criminal responsibility / Insanity defense evaluations
(NGRI/NGBRI)
District of Columbia Bolton hearings
Appropriateness for unconditional release for insanity acquitees
Aid-in-sentencing assessments
Death penalty mitigation
Psychiatric assessments for the Federal Bureau of Probation
Additional matters upon request
Other Evaluations:
Diagnostic clarification / Assessment of personality
Psychological testing, including assessment of cognitive and adaptive functioning (Dr. Krishnan only)
Evaluation for malingering
Violence risk assessment
Stalking risk assessment (Dr. Shugarman only)
Sex offender risk assessment (Dr. Krishnan only)
Our Experts:
Ryan Shugarman, M.D.
Board-Certified General and Forensic Psychiatrist
Dr. Shugarman is a board-certified general and forensic psychiatrist who established his practice in 2010. He is available for forensic psychiatric consulting, psychiatric assessments and IME evaluations, and expert witness services for civil, administrative, and criminal matters involving adults.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cornell University, Dr. Shugarman earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He then completed a general psychiatry residency and forensic psychiatry fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine/Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.
Dr. Shugarman is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), a member of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL), the committee chair of AAPL’s Civil Forensic Psychiatry Committee, a member of AAPL’s Peer Review of Psychiatric Testimony Committee, and a member of the American Medical Association (AMA). He is also an instructor with Saint Elizabeths Hospital’s forensic psychiatry fellowship program in Washington, D.C. and a former Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University Hospital. For his teaching work as a forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Shugarman received the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law’s “Award for Outstanding Teaching in a Forensic Fellowship Program” in 2016. Dr. Shugarman has presented at both national and regional conferences on a variety of topics.
Retained by both plaintiff and defense counsels, Dr. Shugarman has testified in various jurisdictions (including federal court) for civil, administrative, and criminal matters. In addition to conducting assessments for individuals, companies, hospital systems, and boards of medicine, Dr. Shugarman performs fitness for duty and security clearance evaluations, including for several federal agencies.
Shilpa Krishnan, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist
Dr. Krishnan is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist. She conducts forensic psychological evaluations and provides consultation and expert witness services for civil, administrative, and criminal matters involving psychological issues.
After receiving her master’s degree in forensic psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Dr. Krishnan earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from George Mason University in 2012. Next, she completed an APA-accredited, pre-doctoral internship at NYU School of Medicine/Bellevue Hospital Center, followed by a postdoctoral residency in forensic psychology at Saint Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Krishnan is a faculty member and instructor for the Saint Elizabeths Hospital’s psychology pre-doctoral internship, externship, and postdoctoral residency programs, as well as the hospital’s forensic psychiatry fellowship program. In addition to serving as a research consultant for George Mason University, Dr. Krishnan has previously taught undergraduate forensic psychology courses at George Mason University and Marymount University. She has also presented at both national and international conferences on a variety of forensic psychological topics such as violence risk assessment and psychopathy.
Dr. Krishnan has provided expert witness testimony in several jurisdictions and serves as a qualified examiner through the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) Office of Forensic Services. Additionally, she serves as the Deputy Director of the Forensic Services Division for the District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health. In this capacity, she assists in the direction and administration of mental health services for persons involved with the criminal justice system, helps to develop policy, and performs court-ordered forensic psychological assessments.
Interested in retaining our services?
Please call us at (703) 596-1024 or complete our contact form.