Massachusetts General Hospital | Psychiatry

Children and the Law provides mental health and legal expertise to organizations serving families with children and adolescents involved with the law, including the courts, and to individuals and families through their attorneys. Our Approach

The Children and the Law Program (CLP) of the Massachusetts General Hospital is a consultation, teaching, and research unit within the MGH Department of Psychiatry and the Harvard Medical School. CLP provides comprehensive mental health expertise to organizations serving families with children and adolescents involved with the law, including the courts, and to individuals and families through their attorneys.

CLP provides consultation and litigation support services to attorneys, the courts, government agencies and other organizations which confront issues at the intersection of the legal system and mental health professions. As part of a world renowned academic medical center, the CLP has the resources to provide state of the art evaluations and consultations.

Our Specialties

Drawing on professionals with a broad and multidisciplinary range of experience, Children and the Law offers consultation, assessment, education, expert testimony, dispute resolution, and training in the following areas:

Aid in Sentencing Assessment of severe forms of maltreatment Assessment of mental illness in court Dangerousness of juveniles Delinquency, youthful offender & status offense proceedings Divorce and visitation disputes Domestic Violence Ethical issues and boundary violations Fatal child abuse and infanticide Forensic assessment of Latino and Hispanic clients Foster care, permanency planning and adoption Juvenile sex offenses Malpractice claims Medical and legal risk management

Munchausen by Proxy On-going post-divorce disputes Parent Coordination Parenting Evaluations and Consultations Psychological damages and personal injury Psychological and neuro-psychological testing in the context of legal proceedings Psychotropic medication and psychiatric diagnosis Relocation issues School related issues and conflicts Sexual abuse allegations arising in the context of high conflict divorce Termination of Parental Rights Trauma and its long term impact on children Violence Risk Assessment

 

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