Clinical Evaluation
With extensive experience conducting clinical evaluations across legal, correctional, regulatory, and occupational settings, I provide assessment services for individuals referred by courts, the Department of Corrections (probation and parole), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and employers, as well as those seeking Emotional Support Animal (ESA) documentation or an independent, self-referred evaluation.
What Is a Clinical Evaluation?
A clinical evaluation is distinct from therapy. Rather than an ongoing treatment relationship, an evaluation is a structured, time-limited process that may include a clinical interview, review of records and collateral documentation, psychometric testing and scoring, diagnostic formulation, and coordination with the requesting entity — culminating in a formal written report delivered to you and, where applicable, to the party that requested the evaluation.
Evaluations are appointment-based and do not constitute, nor initiate, an ongoing therapeutic relationship.
Who I Conduct Evaluations For
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Court-ordered and other Criminal Justice System Evaluations are available for individuals referred by circuit courts, municipal courts, and other judicial bodies (or perhaps they don't refer you but you are told you need to get an assessment of some sort). Court-ordered evaluations may address substance use, mental health, or co-occurring disorders and result in a formal written report submitted to the court and provided to the client.
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Department of Corrections — Probation and Parole Evaluations are available for individuals referred by DOC probation and parole agents. These evaluations assess substance use, mental health functioning, and treatment needs, and result in a written report provided to the supervising agent and the client.
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Employers and Occupational Referrals Evaluations are available for individuals referred by employers, occupational health programs, or employee assistance programs (EAPs) requiring an independent clinical evaluation as a condition of employment, return to duty, or fitness for duty determination.
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Self-Referred Independent Evaluations are available for individuals seeking an independent evaluation without a third-party referral. Self-referred evaluations are appropriate for those who want a thorough, professionally written clinical evaluation for personal, legal, or documentation purposes.
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Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) — Special Issuance. (See dedicated section below.)
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Emotional Support Animals (ESA). (See dedicated section below.)
The Assessment Process
Each evaluation follows a structured clinical process tailored to the purpose of the referral. The process typically includes:
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Pre-appointment review of referral documents, records, and collateral materials submitted prior to the appointment
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Clinical interview conducted via secure telehealth platform, generally 60 to 120 minutes, depending on the complexity of the case
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Psychometric testing and scoring using standardized, evidence-based instruments appropriate to the referral
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Diagnostic formulation based on DSM-5-TR criteria, psychometric findings, and clinical interview data
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Report preparation: A formal written report documenting findings, diagnostic impressions, and recommendations, delivered to the client and the requesting entity within the agreed-upon timeframe
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Coordination with courts, probation agents, the FAA, or other requesting entities as appropriate
All evaluations are conducted via secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth. Telehealth delivery of clinical evaluations is consistent with current evidence-based practice standards and is a recognized, valid modality for clinical interviewing, structured assessment, and the administration of standardized instruments.
Assessment Instruments
I am trained and experienced in using a variety of psychometric and other assessment tools. Evaluations may include one or more of the following standardized, evidence-based instruments, selected based on the nature and purpose of the referral (this is not an exhaustive list):
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Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST)
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Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST)
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Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
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Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)
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Clinical Anger Scale (CAS)
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Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)
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Addiction Severity Index (ASI)
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ASAM Criteria — American Society of Addiction Medicine level of care framework
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Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5)
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Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ)
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Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire (SLESQ)
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Clinician Adminstered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) (or another assessment if it is more suited for the assessment process, such as a PCL-5, STRESS, UCLA, and so on)
Instrument selection is individualized to the referral question and clinical presentation. Not all instruments are administered in every evaluation.
FAA Special Issuance Evaluations
Airmen seeking FAA medical certification or a Special Issuance Authorization who have a history of mental health treatment or substance use may be required to undergo a clinical evaluation as part of the certification process.
Regulatory Framework
FAA medical standards for airmen are governed by Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 67. Mental health and substance use standards are specifically addressed under:
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14 CFR §§ 67.107, 67.207, and 67.307 (First, Second, and Third Class medical certificates respectively), which identify substance dependence as a disqualifying condition, except where there is established clinical evidence, satisfactory to the Federal Air Surgeon, of recovery, including sustained total abstinence from the substance for not less than the preceding two years.
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14 CFR § 67.401, which defines the Authorization for Special Issuance (SI) of a medical certificate, allowing an airman to hold a medical certificate despite a disqualifying history, provided specific conditions are met, including ongoing monitoring, regular follow-up evaluations, and recovery program participation.
What the FAA Evaluation Process Involves
FAA evaluations are more complex; therefore, there is substantially more pre-appointment preparation and, typically, post-appointment follow-up than standard AODA or mental health evaluations.
The process typically includes:
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Request and review of your FAA airman file and submitted medical records before the appointment
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Structured clinical interview addressing history, treatment, recovery, and current functioning
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Psychometric evaluation using instruments appropriate to the FAA referral question
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A written report prepared to FAA standards, documenting findings, diagnostic impressions, and clinical opinion regarding recovery and fitness for flying
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Coordination with your Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) as appropriate
A non-refundable retainer is required to initiate file review and confirm your appointment.
Please contact me directly to discuss FAA evaluation fees, as the final fee is determined by case complexity, volume of records, and report requirements.
A Note for Airmen
The FAA's regulatory definitions of substance dependence and substance abuse differ significantly from the clinical definitions used in the DSM-5-TR. These distinctions have remained largely static for decades, while clinical diagnostic standards have continued to evolve. Navigating that gap requires an evaluator with direct, practical experience at the intersection of clinical practice and FAA regulatory requirements. That experience is what I bring to every FAA evaluation I conduct.
Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Evaluations
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is a companion animal that provides therapeutic benefit to an individual with a mental health or emotional disability. Under HUD's guidance, assistance animals, including ESAs, are not pets. They are animals that do work, perform tasks, assist, and/or provide therapeutic emotional support for individuals with disabilities. That last part, italicized for effect, is typically where clients who come to me for ESA evaluations fall. And this is an important distinction. ESA documentation is not a registration, certification, or online letter. It is a clinically grounded written determination issued by a licensed mental health professional following a proper evaluation.
How Federal Law Creates the Need for an ESA Evaluation
The legal foundation for ESA housing accommodations is rooted in federal civil rights and disability law. Understanding this framework explains why a proper clinical evaluation, not an online questionnaire, is required.
The Fair Housing Act (FHA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619, prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability. The FHA still uses the statutory term "handicap," a holdover from the 1980s, which courts and federal agencies treat as legally equivalent to "disability."
Under 42 U.S.C. § 3602(h), "handicap" is defined as a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits:
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One or more of a person's major life activities
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A record of having such an impairment
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And/or being regarded as having such an impairment
The reasonable accommodation requirement is specifically codified at 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B), which requires housing providers to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services when such accommodations may be necessary to afford a person with a disability equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., provides the parallel disability rights framework applicable to public accommodations.
Under 42 U.S.C. § 12102, disability is defined as:
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A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, with major life activities including, but not limited to:
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Caring for oneself
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Performing manual tasks
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Seeing
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Hearing
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Eating
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Sleeping
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Walking
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Learning
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Reading
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Concentrating
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Thinking
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Communicating
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Working.
The FHA and ADA disability definitions are substantively aligned, with courts regularly treating them as equivalent for purposes of housing accommodation analysis.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the federal agency responsible for enforcing the FHA. HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity issued Notice FHEO-2020-01 on January 28, 2020, replacing the prior 2013 guidance.
The notice has two parts: the first provides best practices for housing providers assessing ESA accommodation requests; the second guides what documentation an individual seeking an ESA accommodation may need to provide, including supporting information from a health care professional.
Under FHEO-2020-01, HUD has stated that documentation from the internet, such as certificates or registrations obtained without a genuine clinical relationship, is not, by itself, sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a non-observable disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal. HUD guidance further specifies that housing providers may seek information confirming whether a health care professional has an actual professional relationship with the client involving the provision of health care or disability-related services, whether the client has a physical or mental impairment, and whether that impairment substantially limits at least one major life activity.
Regarding air travel: The regulatory landscape changed materially in 2021 when the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a final rule revising the definition of a service animal under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), 49 U.S.C. § 41705. This rule removed emotional support animals from the category of service animals entirely, citing widespread abuse, safety concerns, and lack of standardized training. Airlines are no longer required to accommodate ESAs as service animals. ESA documentation does not currently provide air travel accommodation rights under federal law, and individuals traveling with ESAs should review individual airline pet policies directly.
What My ESA Evaluation Includes
My ESA evaluation process is designed to meet the clinical and legal standards established under the FHA and HUD Notice FHEO-2020-01.
It includes:
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A clinical interview addressing your mental health history, current symptoms, and functional impairment in daily life activities
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A review of relevant records, where applicable
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Clinical determination of whether your condition meets the FHA/ADA definition of disability
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Assessment of whether an ESA provides disability-related support that mitigates your symptoms or functional limitations
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A professionally written ESA letter on letterhead, documenting the clinical basis for the determination in terms consistent with HUD documentation standards
The letter will identify the established clinician-client relationship, confirm licensure in the state of Wisconsin, address the disability-related need for the animal, and reflect a current evaluation, as most housing providers require documentation issued within the preceding 12 months.
A Note on Online ESA Letters
Online registries and websites offering instant ESA letters without a genuine clinical evaluation do not meet FHA or HUD standards. HUD's experience, as stated in FHEO-2020-01, is that such documentation is not sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a non-observable disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal. A letter that cannot withstand scrutiny from a housing provider or in a fair housing proceeding does not protect you. A proper clinical evaluation does.
Lastly, it is worth noting that Wisconsin currently has legislation pending related, in part, to this practice, making it a crime for a person to misrepresent their ESA documentation (such as the instant ESA letters), and, likewise, not only a criminal act for a clinician to misrepresent, but also provides for penalties relative to the clinician's licensure.
A Note on Landlord Forms
Some landlords and housing providers use their own forms in lieu of requesting a traditional ESA letter, and they may indicate that a full evaluation or letter is not necessary. They might indicate that a signature from a licensed mental health professional is sufficient. While I understand this may seem like a simpler path, my ethical obligations and legal responsibilities as a licensed psychotherapist require that I conduct a thorough clinical assessment before signing any legally binding documentation that verifies disability status and establishes the necessity of an emotional support animal. My signature on any such document, whether a landlord's form or a formal ESA letter, constitutes a professional clinical attestation. Signing without a proper evaluation would be both ethically impermissible and legally indefensible. The assessment process protects you, ensures the documentation will withstand scrutiny, and ensures that my attestation is clinically sound and professionally defensible.
Confidentiality and Its Limits in Evaluation Contexts
Evaluations differ from therapy in an important respect: the requesting entity receives a copy of the written report. Before your evaluation, you will be asked to sign a release authorizing the report to be shared with the court, probation agent, FAA, employer, or other requesting party. The scope of what is disclosed will be explained to you prior to your appointment.
Standard confidentiality protections under Wisconsin law and HIPAA apply to all evaluation records, subject to the terms of any releases you sign and applicable mandatory reporting obligations.
Fees and Scheduling
Evaluation and assessment services are generally private pay. Most court-ordered, probation-referred, and regulatory evaluations are not covered by insurance. You are encouraged to verify your coverage before scheduling. All fees are reviewed and agreed upon before your appointment is confirmed. Payment is due at the time of service.
To request a fee schedule or to schedule an evaluation, please use the contact form on this site or reach out by phone or email. To navigate to my contact page, please click here: