Forensic Psychiatric Associates, LP
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“I Hurt but They Think I’m Faking!” What Are Somatic Symptom & Related Disorders & What Is Their Importance in Civil Litigation?
/in News, Newsletters, SomatizationA passenger vehicle is rear-ended by a commercial vehicle traveling at 30 mph on a state road. The driver of the passenger vehicle is seat belted. The airbags deployed, and the vehicle suffered moderate rear end damage. Ambulance personnel note that the driver exited the vehicle without assistance, is awake, standing by the roadside and talking […]
6-13-18 NARTC Webinar – mTBI Claims in Litigation
/in Articles, Publications & Quotes, TelepsychiatryTopics To Be Covered: 1. Asessing Emotional Disorders 1. Definitions – what is a TBI? – what makes a mild TBI “mild?” 2. 3-legged stool assessment: neurology, neuropsychology & psychiatry. 3. Neurology – Imaging Studies and Structural Assessment. • MRI. • DTI. • Tractography. 4. Problems with correlating imaging studies with mTBI studies. 5. Neuropsychology […]
mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) and Imaging Studies in Forensic Psychiatry
/in Neuroimaging, MRI, News, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)By Forensic Psychiatrist Mark I Levy, MD, DLFAPA Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (“mTBI” or “concussion”) is a frequent claim in civil litigation where the plaintiff has sustained a head injury. The best evaluation of these claims is performed by a 3-part team of forensic neurologist, neuropsychologist and psychiatrist. The neurologist addresses and structural damage to […]
Addiction and Mental Health
/in AddictionThe cannabis landscape changed in 2016 with the passage of Proposition 64 in California, which legalized recreational use of cannabis and possession of less than an ounce, as Prop 215 legalized medicinal use in 1996. Dr. Kan noted that experience has shown that medicinal use of cannabis decreased opioid mortality among patients, dropping by 5% […]
The Problem of Wearing Two Hats: 10 Reasons Why Using the Treating Doctor as a Forensic Psychiatric Expert May Be a Bad Idea
/in Newsletters, NewsMany attorneys, when working on a case in which the mental health status of one of the parties is a significant issue, consider relying solely on a treating psychiatrist to serve as an independent expert psychiatric witness. Engaging the treating psychiatrist may seem efficient, cost-effective, and simply seeking expertise from the professional who knows the individual […]
Substance Use Disorders: It’s a Tough Row to Hoe
/in Addiction, News, Newsletters, Opioids, Substance Abuse, UCSF PsychiatryThis is a slide show presentation and subsequent webinar presented to NARTC by David Kan, M.D., D.F.A.S.A.M., a Diplomate Am. Bd. Psychiatry & Neurology in Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, Associate Clinical Professor Psychiatry, UCSF School of Medicine, an original member of Forensic Psychiatric Associates, LP and current President of the California Society of Addiction Medicine. Click […]
7 Bullet Points to Remember about PTSD Claims in Litigation
/in Newsletters, News1. Authentic PTSD can, and usually does, produce severe disability of a person’s psychological functioning: It is important to remember that “impairment of psychosocial functioning” is a sine qua non for every psychiatric diagnosis listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5 ). Thus, although genuine PTSD is usually severely disabling, in the absence of marked […]
Testimony Before the Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health
/in AddictionOpioid addiction is taking a devastating toll on our families, friends, and neighbors across the country, but there is hope when patients can access effective treatment services. ASAM is honored today to offer its thoughts and expertise on how we can close the treatment gap, improve the quality of care, and ultimately save lives.
One Force Lacking In Fight Against Opioid Addiction In Rural California: Doctors
/in ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine), Newsfpamed Forensic Psychiatrist and President of the California Society for Addiction Medicine, David Y. Kan, MD DFASAM, was quoted in this recent article published in California Healthline By Pauline Bartolone July 12, 2017 Dr. Mark Satterfield sees a patient in recovery from heroin addiction at the Plumas County public health offices. Local officials say Satterfield […]
A Medical Student-Run Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic: One Institution’s Experience
/in Articles, Publications & QuotesThis report describes a student-run psychiatry clinic with a dual mission of education and service, and the challenges associated with these sometimes competing goals. This clinic serves a vital need within our community and may be an example of the role that student-run clinics can have in fostering interdisciplinary care, psychiatric recruitment, and training for […]
U.S. drug crisis is now pushing up death rates for almost all groups of Americans
/in Addiction, ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine), NewsThe Opioid Crisis Continues to Grow by David Kan MD DFASAM (Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine) forensic psychiatrist, fpamed The opioid crisis continues to grow. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control show that overdose death rates have risen in every ethnic group. The most recent CDC data show that […]
Bright Heart Health
/in Video, AddictionBright Heart Health’s Medical Director, David Kan, MD, discusses the history of the opioid epidemic, opioid affects on the body, opioid treatment using medication, and more.
David Kan MD Webinar to NARTC on Substance Use Disorders
/in News, ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine), Railroad litigation, Substance AbuseOn January 25, 2017, Forensic Psychiatrist and Substance Abuse Expert, David Kan, MD,DFASAM, the current President-Elect of the California Society of Addiction Medicine, gave a national, interactive webinar to members of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel (NARTC) on the subject of Substance Use Disorders, focusing particularly on opioid abuse and its place in […]
Staying on Track: PTSD
/in Railroad litigation, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Resiliency Factors, Vulnerability Factors, WebinarsPDF of slide show accompanying Mark Levy MD’s 12-7-16 NARTC webinar on PTSD.
Two’s Company, Three’s A Crowd: The Problem of Third Party Presence in Forensic Psychiatric Examinations.
/in News, Case Law, Forensic Psychiatry, Forensic PsychologyYears ago, the distinguished and esteemed George Washington University forensic psychiatrist Robert I Simon MD, who sadly died earlier this year, wrote a wonderful monograph entitled “Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd,” outlining the scientific and ethical problems posed by the presence of a third party during a forensic psychiatric examination. In 2003, a California Appellate […]
Staying on Track: Differentiating Between Genuine and False PTSD Claims in Railroad Litigation – Including Both Individual and Mass Tort Cases
/in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Mass Torts, Multi-Plaintiff Litigation, News, Personal Injury & Emotional Damages ClaimsThese are the slides accompanying a presentation on “PTSD” given by forensic psychiatrist Mark I Levy MD, DLFAPA to the Association of American Railroads Claims Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee on October 12, 2016. Click here to view
Dementia Prevalence in United States Falls Between 2000 to 2012, Report Finds
/in Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia, NewsPsychiatric News Alert The Voice of the American Psychiatric Association and the Psychiatric Community Dementia Prevalence in United States Falls Between 2000 to 2012, Report Finds Between 2000 and 2012, the proportion of U.S. adults 65 and older with dementia decreased significantly, from 11.6% to 8.8%, reported a study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine. […]
fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist Charles Saldanha, MD Assumes New Leadership Position
/in NewsCharles Saldanha, MD has been appointed Interim Chair of Psychiatry for Alameda Health System. In this role, he will be the physician leader for an integrated public health care system that includes psychiatric emergency, inpatient psychiatry, partial hospitalization, substance use services, ambulatory and inpatient consultation and liaison psychiatry, and mental health services in a skilled […]
Minimum Insurance Benefits for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders
/in AddictionCSAM Releases Results of Survey on Insurance Barriers to Medication-Assisted Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders. The California Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM) conducted a statewide survey during the September 2016 to assess insurance barriers in California to the treatment of patients with opioid use disorders.
Mental Disorders and Other Limited Conditions – Tackling the Challenges of Handling Mental/Nervous Claims and Establishing Objective Proof of Subjective, “Non-Visible” Disorders
/in Mental IllnessForensic Psychiatrist, Mark I Levy, MD and Forensic Neuropsychologist, Ronald H. Roberts, PhD have presented to the American Conference Institute program on “Disability Litigation” on September 15, 2016 in Boston, MA. Click here to download pdf sides from the presentation.
Staying On Track: PTSD – American Association of Railroads General Claims Meeting
/in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Railroad litigationClick here to download a pdf of the Powerpoint presentation “Staying On Track: Differentiating Between Genuine and False PTSD Claims in Railroad Litigation” given by Mark I Levy MD at the October 12, 2016 the General Claims Meeting of the American Association of Railroads in Nashville, TN.
DID THE BATON ROUGE KILLER HAVE PTSD?
/in Violence, News, Posttraumatic Stress DisorderForensic Psychiatrist Mark I. Levy MD was interviewed on July 20, 2016 for the following television news story: By KTVU Reporter Tom Vacar There are reports that the man who killed three Baton Rouge law enforcement officers told friends he was suffering from PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder. So, I spoke with two of the […]
Staying on Track: Differentiating Between Genuine and False PTSD Claims in Railroad Litigation
/in Posttraumatic Stress DisorderSlide show for Mark I Levy MD DLFAPA and Ronald H. Roberts PhD, AAPP, presenters at NARTC Annual Meeting, Westin St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, CA July 25, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Click here to download pdf of slides
Blast TBI May Do Distinct Damage in Brain
/in News, Blast Trauma, Brain Physiology, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)—Mark I Levy, MD An article featured on 6-29-16 in the online medical journal MedPage Today reports recent neurological studies on post-mortem examinations of the brains of soldiers who survived blast trauma in combat. The study highlights “Specific astroglial scar pattern seen in postmortem exams” of these soldiers that appear to be unique to blast […]
How Should Scientific Research be Presented to Judges and Juries?
/in Daubert, Evidence, Frye, News, Schizophrenia, Scientific Evidenceby Mark Levy MD I recently read an interesting Blogpost by psychologist-attorney Christina Marinakis, J.D., Psy.D. who is the Director of Jury Research, at the website Litigation Insights. The post was entitled “How Should Scientific Research be Presented to Judges and Juries?” The author reviews that “In 1923, the federal courts adopted a general acceptance […]