Correctional (Jails /Prisons) Facilities Healthcare Expert Witnesses: 11

Dr. Steven Helfand, PsyD, is a licensed Psychologist with over 25 years of direct Correctional Mental Health and Health Leadership experience. He has overseen the mental health and health service delivery in over 50 small, mid-size, and large scale jail, prison, and juvenile systems in accordance with national and local standards as well as multiple consent decrees and settlement agreements. 

Dr. Helfand holds long term certification as a Certified Correctional Health Professional through the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) where he was a contributor to the inaugural Mental Health Standards and a long standing presenter of those standards. He is a former Board Chair for the Academy of Correctional Health Professionals and has published book chapters and articles related to behavioral treatment (self-injury and management of the disruptive inmate) and management plans, and serves as a consultant and expert witness to address those challenges.

Dr. Helfand has served as Executive Director of Bleuler Psychotherapy Center since 2015 overseeing both the licensed OMH and OASAS programs. He currently consults to NCCHC Resources Inc providing evaluation and technical assistance to several jail systems. He has held the position of Senior Vice President of Operations for Correct Care Solutions, overseeing mental health and health services in city and county jails throughout the east coast. Dr. Helfand is the former: Statewide Director of Mental Health for all Connecticut jails and prisons, Deputy Director / Acting Director of Mental Health at Rikers Island jails, Director of Forensic Mental Health at Nassau County Correctional Center, and Director of Mental Health / Health Service Administrator at the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice.

Litigation Support - Dr. Helfand serves as an expert witness on jail suicide, death, neglect, segregation, and other issues for individual and class action matter. Dr. Helfand also actively consults to several jail systems providing contract monitoring, accreditation preparation, and risk reduction recommendations. He also consults to DHS related to conditions of confinement. He is well respected within the NCCHC community and his approach to case review draws upon his experience and familiarity with national standards and best practices. 

Areas of Expertise:

Jail Suicide Review Wrongful Death Review Deliberate Indifference Review Management of Self-Injurious Inmates Accreditation Preparation Correctional Healthcare Deadly Force / Excessive Force

Forensic Psychology Jails & Prisons Malingering Mental Health Staffing Medical Staffing Segregation

View Dr. Steven J. Helfand's Consulting Profile.

John B. Everlove, MS, NRP has over 25 years of experience providing Emergency Medical Services. Currently licensed and practicing in California, Mr. Everlove has the following licenses and credentials:

• National Paramedic Certification
• State of California Paramedic License
• State of Michigan and State of Florida Paramedic License
• Ventura County Paramedic Certificate of Accreditation
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support Provider
• Basic Life Support Healthcare Instructor
• Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider
• Drug Abuse Recognition Evaluator
• Federal Emergency Management Agency Emergency Response Team Member
• National Association of Emergency Medical Services Association of Education Instructor
• National Incident Management Systems Provider
• Emergency Vehicle Operations Course Instructor

Litigation Support - Mr. Everlove provides dependable and professional litigation and support services for both plaintiffs and defendants. As a Supervisor and Clinical Manager for an organization of 150 employees, he conducted numerous investigations related to all aspects of Pre-Hospital Emergency Care from inception, to final review and root cause analysis. Mr. Everlove has participated in the research, development and implementation of clinical care equipment, policy and procedure design and implementation, as well as clinical educational services for Paramedics and EMTs. 

Areas of Expertise:

Pre-hospital Standard of Care EMT / Paramedic Standard of Care EMT / Paramedic Misconduct Ambulance Driving & Operations Patient Transportation Patient Care Documentation Patient Drop Moving Patient

Patient Reports Medical Legal Consent EMT / Paramedic Training & Education CPR / AED Wheelchair Securement Wheelchair Patient Stretcher Accident Gurney Accident

View John Everlove's Consulting Profile.

Paul M. Adler, DO, FACEP, MBA, Medical Director for the Ventura County, California, Department of Corrections, has worked in Correctional / Jail / Prison Medicine & COVID-19 Preparation & Response. He has overseen the care of inmates in Jails in California and New York, as well as Prison inmates who have been transferred to county facilities to serve their terms for years in county jails in California. He has also overseen Correctional health car in locked units in Hospitals . Dr. Adler is the President-Elect of The American Correctional Health Services Association of California / Nevada, which represents all clinicians and administrators in Jails/Prisons in California and Nevada. He previously oversaw a County Hospital, County Nursing Home and ran a County Health Department and oversaw Correctional healthcare for the Westchester, New York Jail.

Litigation Support - Dr. Adler has defended Jails and Prisons in Southern California, Idaho, Texas, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, etc. He has been involved in Plaintiff litigation in many states including against Rikers Island, NY and Cook County Jail. Dr. Adler still works as a full-time practicing physician and has helped attorneys and insurance companies in Emergency Medicine, Nursing Home Medicine, Public Health and Hospital Administration since 1985. Dr. Adler is available to review and consult on clinical Correctional/Jail/Prison cases for attorneys for both Plaintiff and Defense.

Services:

• COVID-19 Preparation & Response
• Screen Cases for Merit
• Review, Analyze and interpret Medical Records
• Provide Basic or Comprehensive Written Reports
• Interpret Standards of Care, Deviation and Adherences as they Relate to Correctional Health Care
• Develop Chronological Time Lines
• Policy and Procedure Development

Donald L. Leach, II, is a Jail / Corrections Management expert with over 30 years of experience. He has 20 years of consulting experience on jail management issues nationally, focusing on Risk Management for Jails and Jail Operational Methodology. 

Mr. Leach has extensive supervisory experience, having overseen up to 402 employees (indirectly). He also supervised internal affairs investigations, experienced in interviewing, hiring, training, scheduling, motivating, evaluating, and dismissing personnel. He is experienced in administering and managing a large detention facility, developing and administering programs, budgeting, contract development and monitoring, conducting research, monitoring compliance with policies and procedures, community relations, public speaking, controlling costs, problem-solving, and preparing reports.

Litigation Support - Mr. Leach has served as an expert witness for 5 years, in both State and Federal court. His services are available to counsel for both Plaintiff and Defense and include case review, testimony, and consultation for jail and prison issues.

Areas of Expertise:

Jail Management Use of Force In-custody Death Security / Operations Medical and Mental Health Services

Classification Contract Management for Privatized Services Management Information Systems Strip Search Gang and STG

View Donald Leach's Consulting Profile.

Wayne H. Grant, PharmD, is a Clinical Pharmacist with over 30 years of pharmacy experience working in or within various practice settings—retail, long-term care, home infusion, sterile products, corrections, hospice, specialty, and hospitals.  

Dr. Grant has prepared and delivered educational programs to physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals based on his extensive experience in multiple disease states. Programs include topics such as Pain Management, COPD, and Motor Neuron Diseases.

Serving as an integral member of multiple pharmacy and therapeutics committees, he has promoted evidence-based interventions while driving quality initiatives and building a highly collaborative consortium among healthcare professionals.  

Earning his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Florida, his Master of Business Administration for Kent State University, and his Bachelor of Science from Ohio Northern University highlights Dr. Grant's drive for education, understanding, and application of pharmacy services.  

Dr. Wayne Grant on Consulting with Attorneys

Litigation Support - Dr. Grant is an expert in pharmacy practice. His expertise in long-term, institutional, infusion, and retail practice allow for an extensive understanding of the various pharmacy sectors. He is responsible for pharmacotherapeutic management, medication safety and efficacy and drug information all which follow federal, state, and local laws. He has provided a variety of expert witness services on behalf of legal professionals, including attorney consultation, case review, case opinion, and written case opinion. 

Areas of Medication Expertise:

Adverse Drug Reactions Chronic Pain Drugs and Narcotics Geriatrics Hospice / Palliative Care Hospital Pharmacy Infusion Pharmacy

Long Term Care Medical-Legal Issues Nursing Homes Overdosages Pain Management Pharmaceutical Care Pharmacology

View Dr. Grant's Consulting Profile.

James Tyler Carpenter, PhD, FAACP, is a Board Certified (Clinical) Licensed Psychologist Provider. Dr. Carpenter’s training began with latency age children, adolescents, and their families. It has evolved over almost 30 years of professional practice to include assessment, treatment, teaching, supervision, consultation, and research.

Dr. Carpenter specializes in psychosis, character disorder, trauma, offending behavior, suicidal patients, personality, forensics, disability, and integrating the full spectrum of temporal and modality specific psychological treatments across inpatient, outpatient, milieu, residential, and correctional settings.

Dr. Carpenter has held academic, research, and teaching appointments at Harvard University, Medical School, and Extension Schools, as well as Boston, Lesley, Roger Williams Universities, Massachusetts School for Professional Psychology, and the China American Psychoanalytic Alliance. He has published, taught, supervised, served as an editorial consultant, and presented on the topics of subliminal stimulation, meditation based psychotherapies, group psychotherapy, integrating techniques, the use of translators in forensic assessments and treatment, group treatment of violent offenders, assessment of suicidal patients, psychopathology, theories of psychotherapy, personality, and the recidivism of released inmates.

Litigation Support - Dr. Carpenter has received forensic expert witness training and experience. He has performed Risk Evaluations and testified for both the defense and the prosecution on Psychosis, Treatment, and Homicide. His assessment skills extend to the full range of psychometric instruments involved in assessing personality, psychopathology, risk, impairment, and cognitive compromise as applied to forensic-clinical and disability assessment.

View Dr. Carpenter's Consulting Profile.

Mustafa A. Mufti, MD, is a board certified general Adult Psychiatrist and Forensic Psychiatrist.  Presently, he serves as the Director of the Psychiatry Residency Training Program at Chrisitiana Care.  Prior to this he served as the Clinical Director of Forensic Services at Delaware Psychiatric Center.   During his time as the Clinical Director of Forensic Services, he oversaw Delaware’s only maximum-security forensic psychiatric service center. 

After graduating from medical school, Dr. Mufti worked as a clinical researcher at Emory University School of Medicine. As a researcher he worked on studies related to post traumatic stress disorder, depression and cardiovascular disease, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and deep brain stimulation. 

Dr. Mufti completed his residency training at the Delaware Psychiatric Center and went on to complete a fellowship in forensic psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. His work has been published in numerous reputable journals and he has presented at conferences nationally and internationally. In addition to his clinical and administrative responsibilities, Dr. Mufti is actively involved in the teaching of medical students, future psychiatrists, and forensic fellows in training.

Litigation Support - Dr. Mufti provides expert witness services for attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant. His services include medical record review, thorough reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

• Competency to Stand Trial
• Mental State at the Time of the Offense
• Mental State for Death Penalty
• Disability
• Malpractice
• Testamentary Capacity
• Terrorism / Radicalization

View Dr. Mustafa A. Mufti's Consulting Profile.

Leonard J. Weiss, MD, is a Forensic Psychiatrist with unparalleled qualifications, Board-Certified physician in 5 distinct and complementary disciplines applied to Medical-Legal questions:

Psychiatry Forensic Psychiatry  Addiction Psychiatry

Internal Medicine Nutrition Medicine

Dr. Weiss has more than 40 years of experience as a physician. He has been in practice for more than 20 years as a Board-Certified Psychiatrist, Forensic Psychiatrist and Addiction Psychiatry specialist, preceded by more than 2 decades in Internal Medicine.

As an Addiction Psychiatry specialist, Dr. Weiss developed and served as Chief of the first Dual Diagnosis (Addiction) program at Michael Reese Hospital of the University of Chicago. He has served as Medical Director of Austin Lakes Hospital.

Before pursuing his interest in psychiatry, Dr. Weiss practiced Internal Medicine in Michigan where he maintains a Medical License. He has treated patients in psychiatric practice in Chicago and Atlanta. In 2013 he relocated to Austin, Texas where he has a private clinical psychiatric practice, Psychiatry Austin.

Dr. Weiss graduated from Wayne State University Medical School and MIT (Mathematics), with residency training in Internal Medicine, Fellowship in Clinical Nutrition, and Psychiatry at, respectively, the University of Michigan Henry Ford Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York (Fellow) and Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago.

Litigation Support: Dr. Weiss has special training and experience in the application of psychiatric knowledge to legal issues, and works in areas where Mental Health and the Legal System overlap, such as Medical Malpractice and Standard of Care. He offers objective evaluations and psychiatric consultation in a wide variety of legal matters, including expert testimony, as well as clinical work with perpetrators and victims.

Dr. Weiss provides IMEs and expert opinions on mental health questions via written report, deposition, or courtroom testimony. He works with attorneys, courts, and other parties involved in actual or potential litigation. His research and assessment and his clinical practice cover areas such as:

Areas of Expertise:

Psychiatric Treatment Standard of Care Addiction Treatment Standard of Care Private Practitioner Standard of Care Detox Facility Standard of Care Internal Medicine and Psychiatry Overlap Medication and Drug Interactions Pain Management Malpractice DUI / DWI Physician Competency Employer Fitness for Duty Assessment

Mental Disability Competency to Stand Trial Competency to Waive Rights / Legal Representation General Competency (Wills, Medical Consent, etc.) Criminal Responsibility Confidentiality Involuntary Treatment Correctional Psychiatry Juvenile Justice Violence and Abuse

Dr. Pia Quimson-Guevarra is Board-Certified in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She opines about psychiatric issues in civil litigation, employment matters, and criminal cases. She has extensive experience with diagnosis and treatment of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD and other factors of emotional distress, both as a treating physician and in medical-legal cases. She serves as a forensic consultant, and/or disclosed Expert Witness. She assesses competency and undue influence,  standard of care, and mental status re judgment and clarity of thinking. Applies to civil, probate and CTST criminal matters including criminal responsibility. She is also experienced in treatment of psychotic disorders,  hallucinations, and delusions.

She opines about medication or drug impact on behavior.

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra conducts IMEs and review of medical and legal records. Her assessments are thorough and inform thoughtful and objective expert opinions issued by verbal and written report and testimony. She conducts Independent Medical Evaluations face-to-face in person and by video.

She is a Certified Forensic Evaluator in Oregon.

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra's clinical practice in Portland is Quimson Behavioral Health, providing psychiatric patient care, medication management, and psychotherapy, for patients who suffer from mental disorders, e.g., Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disord & PTSD and medication management. She continues to use her expertise in psychopharmacology to treat mental health conditions in the context of medicolegal medically complex cases.

Prior to expanding her private practice, she was a psychiatrist at Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare, in an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team, a method to deliver an intensive level of services to patients in the local community. Her patients consisted of individuals who suffer from severe and persistent mental illness.  At Cascadia, she also treated patients with a history that includes forensic medical-legal issues.

Previously, Dr. Quimson-Guevarra treated patients who suffered from anxiety, mood, and psychotic disorders at Cedar Hills Hospital, Multnomah County Detention Center, Washington County Jail, Snake River Correctional Institute, and the Portland Veteran's Administration. 

Dr. Quimson-Guevarra has served as a forensic consultant for the Washington County Mental Health Court in Oregon. She also has worked in the forensic evaluation service department at the Oregon State Hospital where she performed forensic evaluations.

Sanjay Adhia, MD, MRO, is triple-Board-Certified in Psychiatry, Brain Injury Medicine, and Forensic Psychiatry. In addition to forensic/expert witness practice, Dr. Adhia treats patients at renowned TIRR Memorial Hermann hospital. His forensic practice focuses on the psychiatric impact of personal injury, medical malpractice, Multi-Plaintiff and Toxic Tort cases, testamentary capacity, undue influence and Dementia, TBI Brain injuries, competency, mental illness and complicating medical conditions. 

Dr. Adhia is among one of a select few Forensic Psychiatrists co-Board-Certified in Brain Injury Medicine. 

Dr. Adhia treats and opines about Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in litigation as it can result in psychiatric or neurocognitive impairments. He always assesses for Malingering.

In addition, Dr. Adhia works with Physicians for Human Rights to assess victims of kidnapping and false imprisonment, human trafficking, undue influence, physical and sexual abuse, rape, and fear of imminent death. 

In all populations, he assesses PTSD, Anxiety, Depressive Disorders, risk of suicide, and malingering. 

He is experienced in the treatment and impact of drug and alcohol abuse on decision-making. Dr. Adhia has also treated severe psychosis (Schizophrenia, hallucinations) and psychopathology. He formerly treated patients at a Maximum Security Prison and prison psychiatric hospital. He has treated Opioid Use Disorders. 

Dr. Adhia’s findings consider complicating factors, e.g., emotional distress worsened by active physical and mental conditions, and pre-existing mental and physical illness (e.g. depression, PTSD, Dementia, Alzheimer's, medication.) 

As a physician, Dr. Adhia is uniquely qualified to review and examine and incorporate medical records and doctor reports in his reports. This is especially important in medical-malpractice and standard of care cases in treaters, and inpatient rehab, hospital, government, corrections and psychiatric hospitals. Dr. Adhia is skilled in these med-legal issues. 

He conducts Independent Medical Examinations, review of records, and reports his med-legal findings and opinions. He is available to testify in civil, criminal, probate, Federal, Immigration, military, and administrative jurisdictions.

Violence Sexual abuse Malpractice and Standard of Care Alcohol and Drug Abuse Dementia and IDD Psychopharmacology Competency

PTSD Suicide Psychiatric Injury Will Contest Correctional Fitness for Duty Brain Injury

Emin Gharibian, PsyD, is a Clinical Psychologist specializing in Forensic Psychology and Neuropsychology with over 10 years of experience in assessing, treating, and consulting on psychological disorders.

Dr. Gharibian's training and experience have been in psychological and neuropsychological assessments in a variety of clinical settings including private practice, outpatient mental health clinics, psychiatric hospitals, forensic hospitals, and correctional facilities. 

He specializes in providing comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological evaluations for various conditions including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, complications from a stroke, traumatic brain injury, concussions, learning disabilities, ADHD, and PTSD.

He also specializes in forensic psychological and neuropsychological evaluations for immigration hearings, mental health diversion and mitigation, testamentary capacity, competency to stand trial, personal injury, worker's compensation, and fitness for duty. He provides consultation services to personal injury and worker's compensation attorneys on psychological and neuropsychological-related matters.  He has also testified as an expert and served as a consultant for the defense and prosecution in state and federal court.

In addition to his private practice, he is a forensic psychologist for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He conducts psychological evaluations to evaluate patients for violence risk and determine if they meet the criteria to be committed to a state hospital, write court reports, and testify in court as an expert witness.

Dr. Gharibian is appointed to the Los Angeles Juvenile Court Expert Witness Panel and Adult Criminal Court Expert Witness Panel. He is also a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology.

Areas of Forensic Expertise:

Personal Injury Independent Medical Evaluations Worker's Compensation Fitness for Duty Police Officer Pre-Employment Evaluations Immigration Evaluation Diminished Capacity Violence Risk Assessments Mitigating Factors in Criminal Cases Civil Capacity (Testamentary Capacity, Undue Influence, Contractual Capacity) Symptom Validity/ Malingering Mitigation in Criminal Cases Alcohol-Induced Blackout Alcohol Myopia

Forensic Psychology Forensic Neuropsychology Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Concussions Neurocognitive Impairment from Substance Use Complications from stroke Dementia Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Learning Disabilities ADHD Sexual Harassment Discrimination Mental Health Diversion