Thursday, January 31, 2008

Judge sends list of shrinks

I just got this from the local court:
I have just received notification that Dr. Elizabeth Lee will be unable to serve as appointed by the court. Enclosed is a four page listing including professionals qualified to conduct a psychological/custody evaluation. The list includes a number of individuals in Santa Clara County.

You are urged to agree upon a professional promptly so the process can begin. Please advise the Court by letter when you have reached agreement.

Thank you.
Very truly yours,
IRWIN H. JOSEPH
Superior Court Commissioner
Enclosure
There are only three in our county, but a lot in the next county. The list is headed by this paragraph:
Attached is a list of mental health professionals who have completed the basic domestic violence training required of individuals who want to conduct custody evaluations or assessments. The individuals on this list have indicated that they do custody evaluations, assessments, or counseling for families and children in separating families. Those marked with the symbol (A) also attended a seminar on private assessments and those with an (S) have indicated that they are willing to take cases on a sliding fee basis. The Santa Clara County Superior Court maintains this list for information purposes only. Litigants and attorneys are responsible for interviewing potential evaluators or assessors regarding their qualifications, including updates on the domestic violence training as required by rule. The superior Court neither approves nor recommends the services provided by any person on this list.
So I guess that's what qualifies these folks to micromanage people's lives -- they completed some basic domestic violence training and maybe attended a seminar on private assessments. It sounds pitiful to me.

The document is from 2004 and it says that an updated list is kept here, but that web site has been abandoned.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you have nothing to lose by getting a good evaluator. There exist a few. I won't name any because your wife would just nix them, but they can be found through any competent divorce attorney. For me, a good evaluator made all the difference. I would also polish the blog at places where you say shrinks are crazy. Even though it's true, I think you still should try and ingratiate yourself to them for the sake of your children.
I also think it helps to read up on custody evaluations. Even they are largely bogus, it helps to understand the lingo and criteria, none of which is obvious to normal, sane individuals. What can I say... you have to play the game!

George said...

You could send me the names by private email. My email address is on the blog. I tried calling a bunch of them, and left messages. If the evaluator is really objective, then he would not influenced by my opinions on shrinks any more than he would be influenced by my opinion of Pres. Bush.

optimist said...

George,
My heart goes out to you. I don't know if I have the same kind of fight in me. I have to ask, do you have some well of money somewhere? Where are you finding the resources to keep paying off these government lackeys?