Forensic Psychiatry
Dr. Pia Quimson-Guevarra
Board-Certified Physician in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry
Legal Consequences and Considerations
Psychiatric conditions can impact judgment, clarity of thought, even criminal responsibility.
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra presents a clear, concise, and accessible report of her forensic findings. She testifies and acts as a private consultant about mental health questions in a case.
A medical opinion is useful whether a case settles or goes to trial. Â
Dr. Pia Quimson-Gueverra is a physician practicing in the greater Portland area. She is a treating Psychiatrist and Forensic Psychiatrist. She consults to attorneys, courts and employers.
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra is dual Board-Certified in Forensic Psychiatry and Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is among a unique group of doctors. Only 4% of all Board-Certified Psychiatrists are also Board-Certified in Forensic Psychiatry. This reflects completing a rigorous Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship and passing Board-Certification examination.
Psychiatry
Forensic Psychiatry
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra is available to consult and serve as a disclosed Expert Witness about diagnosis of psychiatric conditions, emotional distress damages, contributing medical and mental health factors in employment and most legal matters . She is based in Portland, Oregon, and serves the Pacific Northwest. She is available to travel and testify in other locales and jurisdictions by video as needed.
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra is an Oregon Certified Forensic Evaluator.
Private Forensic Practice
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra’s private forensic psychiatric practice is based in Portland though she is available to opine in cases and testify nationally.
Civil Litigation and Criminal Law
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra works with civil plaintiff and defense attorneys, criminal defense attorneys, and prosecution. She prides herself on her objectivity and ability to render an unbiased opinion.
Occupational and Fitness for Duty
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra also conducts psychiatric occupational evaluations including Fitness for Duty and return to work assessments.
Forensic Psychiatry and Medical Education
Education
After obtaining a BS from UC Berkeley, graduating in the top 10% of her class, Dr. Quimson-Guevarra attended Medical School followed by her Psychiatry residency at OHSU.
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra then pursued her interests in the intersection of law and psychiatry.
Forensic Psychiatry Training
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra was accepted to the Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship at OHSU, one of fewer than 50 such programs nationwide. OHSU is the singular program in the entire Pacific Northwest.
After completing Fellowship and passing her Forensic Psychiatry Boards, Dr. Quimson-Guevarra opened her forensic practice alongside her clinical work. She has conducted forensic evaluations for Oregon agencies and courts as well as her work with private attorneys in civil and criminal matters as an expert witness and/or consultant. See her CV for a complete review of her experience.
Active Clinical Practice: Quimson Behavioral Health
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra provides patient care in her clinical practice, Quimson Behavioral Health. She treats patients for medication management and psychotherapy. In the past, she has treated patients at Cascadia Behavioral Health and the Portland Veteran’s Administration.
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra is a contributor to the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law.
Services that drive a thorough opinion all the way to Court.
SERVICES
- Case review, case merit
- Review of medical and legal records. Review of personnel records (FFD)
- Independent Medical Examinations (aka Independent Medical Evaluations) or IMEs in person and by video
- Analysis of other Expert Witness Reports in complementary medical mental health fields
- Written reports of findings by report, Declaration, Affidavit, Certificate of Merit
- Expert Testimony in deposition or trial
- Competency Evaluations, CTST, Testamentary Capacity in a living Testator, or posthumous evaluation in Will Contest and Undue Influence cases
Areas of Practice
Malpractice or Negligence Allegations
Breach of Standard of Care in mental health treatment: Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Counselor, LCSW, Nurse
Medical Negligence or Medical Malpractice
Psychiatric Inpatient Treatment
Civil Litigation Psychiatric Damages
Emotional Distress
Catastrophic Psychiatric Injury
Malingering
Pain and Suffering
Prognosis and Treatment plans
Testamentary Capacity, Competency
Decision-Making
Mental Status and lucidity, cognitive impairment
Undue Influence and Susceptible Testators
Psychiatric Disability
Diagnosis and Prognosis
Mental Health History
Fitness for Duty
Criminal Cases
Competency to Stand Trial
Criminal Responsibility
Guilty Except for Insane (GEI) or NGRI
Insanity Plea – Mens Rea
Review of Expert Witness Reports
Assessing the reports of other mental health experts
Examining reliability and qualifications of the person opining
Examining findings with scrutiny
If you are an attorney or employer interested in consulting about Psychiatric issues in a case, please contact us.
NOTE: If you personally are a party to an action, or a family member, but not the retained attorney, please have your attorney contact us directly.
A Psychiatrist's Independent Medical Examination (IME)
Perspective starts with the forensic lens.
The forensic IME is not treatment and there is no expectation of patient-physician confidentiality.
In fact, features of a forensic psychiatric IME are not in the training of a clinical psychiatrist, and are markedly distinct from a clinical medical examination.Â
For example, assessing malingering (lying for secondary gain) requires techniques and tools unique to forensic psychiatric assessment.
Legal history and social history may be features of a forensic IME.
They could be relevant where a person has claimed psychiatric elements are relevant to a legal matter.
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra explains more in her article What is an Independent Medical Examination (IME) as conducted by a Forensic Psychiatrist.
The Role of Records Review
Medical and legal records can reveal much about an examinee’s medical history, including conditions that are new or pre-existing.
The legal and personal narrative of events provided by plaintiff or defense is contextual.
Records provide valuable data and demand close review when evaluating the narrative as a Forensic Psychiatrist.
How is the information divulged and from whom? Is there a conflict of interest between record-makers?
Clues like these can assist the forensic psychiatric investigation.
Unlike psychologists or nurses, Dr. Quimson-Guevarra is a licensed physician and thus medically qualified to interpret most medical records, provider and hospital chart notes, pharmacological and lab reports, and medical Expert reports.
The Report
A well-written report of conclusions can drive the trajectory of a case.
Dr. Quimson-Guevarra’s reports are founded in medical science and written in a manner useful to the trier of fact or attorney.
The Expert Witness report can be a preface to deposition, trial testimony, or a settlement conference.
Outside the justice system, the Forensic Psychiatrist’s findings are helpful to decision-makers in matters of Fitness for Duty, Work Accommodations, Return to Work, and Competency.
A Forensic Psychiatrist’s opinions are sometimes needed in VA and private Disability Insurance Claims.
Venues and reasons are diverse.
Objective, unbiased opinion, however, is the hallmark of Dr. Quimson-Guevarra’s report of conclusions.
Contact Dr. Quimson-Guevarra now.
Contact Info
Portland, OR 97229
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