Court Ordered Evaluations and Testimony
Dr. Seth King receives referrals from courts seeking professional analysis of the current functioning of individuals and families.
With extensive experience working across diverse cultural, social, and economic backgrounds, Dr. King approaches each evaluation with sensitivity and precision. He is adept at conveying a non-judgmental perspective while quickly building rapport and gathering important information from children, adolescents, and adults.
He utilizes the latest assessment tools and integrates relevant background information to assist courts in making critical determinations such as recommending services to support child-parent reunification or helping juvenile offenders successfully return to their communities.
Through conducting several thousand forensic evaluations, Dr. King has developed an expertise in applying accepted standards of psychological assessment while navigating the complex challenges faced by:
Abuse and Neglect
Juvenile Justice
Domestic Relations Courts.
His efficient and thorough approach ensures that reports are submitted in accordance with Court deadlines while fully responding to the specific referral questions. Dr. King’s reports minimize jargon and clearly communicate findings and conclusions. He collaborates closely with family members, attorneys, teachers, and treating professionals to deliver practical and comprehensive recommendations.
Since 2001, Dr. King has been qualified as an expert witness in hundreds of cases across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. He is well-versed in the demands of direct and cross-examination. He skillfully integrates clinical experience and assessment results when offering professional opinions. He presents testimony in a clear and accessible manner that supports the Court’s decision-making process. His explanations of technical concepts are accessible and easy to understand.
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Parenting Capacity Evaluations
When children come to the attention of the social services system for allegations of neglect and abuse, the parents are often ordered by the Court to be assessed in terms of their ability to work toward reunification.
In such cases, Dr. King conducts a psychological evaluation that is tailored toward assessing an individual’s parenting capacity.
A structured interview and testing measures are employed to determine a parent’s understanding of a child’s needs, recognition of safety risks, and ability to fulfill daily caregiving responsibilities.
Dr. King explores personal experiences that have influenced an individual’s parenting approach and principle as well as possible barriers (i.e., mental health symptoms, trauma exposure, substance abuse issues, domestic violence, maladaptive personality patterns, and cognitive deficits).
Dr. King’s reports offer strategies for capitalizing on a parent’s strengths while enhancing one’s ability to provide a sufficient balance of nurturance, advocacy, support, guidance, supervision, structure, positive reinforcement, firm boundaries, and appropriate discipline.
He also advises the Court regarding the prognosis for a parent becoming a stable caregiver and what interventions could be implemented to achieve this objective.
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Parent-Child Interaction Evaluations
Many parents possess the skills to care for their children but there are factors that are negatively impacting the parent-child dynamic.
Dr. King explores strengths and challenges in a caregiver’s interactions with a child based on knowledge of the literature pertaining to attachment theory and research.
He is trained in using the Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) which employs a systematic approach for observing and assessing the quality of a relationship between a parent and a child.
A series of tasks are completed by the parent and child that facilitate the appraisal of four primary skills: engaging, nurturing, challenging, and establishing structure for the youth.
Dr. King also evaluates a parent’s attunement to the child’s needs and preferred interpersonal style, ability to assist the youth in regulating emotions, and competence in serving as a “secure base” from which learning and exploration can occur.
The MIM assessment is a valuable tool in devising recommended interventions to enhance the parent-child relationship and helps develop a baseline and tactical steps for improvement over time.
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Transfer of Jurisdiction Evaluations
Dr. King has experience with conducting transfer/waiver evaluations for the Department of Juvenile Services and the Office of Public Defender and provides comprehensive, well-supported opinions to help courts determine the most appropriate system for youth offenders.
He is familiar with the five factors (age, mental and physical condition, amenability to treatment, nature of the alleged crime, and public safety) that are considered when determining whether placement in the juvenile or adult system is most appropriate after a youth has been charged with a crime as an adult.
Dr. King takes into account various aspects (i.e., risk factors/elements of the youth’s background making him/her susceptible to becoming involved with criminal activities and the gradual maturation of the areas of the brain responsible for judgment, decision-making, and impulse control) associated with transfer cases.
Furthermore, he is aware of the complex nature of considering the youth’s personal intervention needs while weighing the public’s best interests such as protection against gun violence.