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Forensic Psychiatry Service

Contact Name: Richard Blanks, JD, MD

Contact Phone: 202/ 741-2862

Services Provided

The Forensic Psychiatry Service offers a wide range of services in civil, criminal, clinical, and consultative forensic psychiatry. Richard C. Blanks, J.D., M.D. , who has both an active law and medical license in the District of Columbia, is the Director of the Forensic Psychiatry Service. Dr. Blanks is a Harvard-trained adult psychiatrist who completed his Fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts.

Professional services are available to attorneys, judges, government organizations, law enforcement, business organizations, disability and general liability insurers, professional licensing entities, and individuals with professional licensing issues. The Forensic Psychiatry Service offers sophisticated and unbiased professional opinions across a wide range of legal questions.

Psychiatric civil evaluations could include the following:

    * Independent Medical Examinations (Psychiatric)

    * Fitness for Duty Evaluations

    * Return to Work Evaluations

    * Psychiatric Disability

    * Worker's Compensation

    * Social Security Administration Disability.

    * Americans with Disabilities Act

    * Personal Injury

    * Psychiatric Malpractice

    * Testamentary Capacity

    * Guardianships

    * Suicide Risk Assessments

    * Violence Risk Assessments

    * Employment Cases

    * Medical Ethics

    * Capacity to Make Medical Treatment Decisions

    * Sexual Harassment

    * Substance Abuse

    * Civil Commitments

Psychiatric criminal evaluations could include the following:

    * Competency to Stand Trial

    * Criminal Responsibility

    * Sentencing Evaluations

    * Competency to Waive Miranda rights

As an additional resource for Forensic Service clients, consultations will be available as necessary with neuropsychologist, Robert Jenkins, PhD, Chief Psychologist in the GWU Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.