We are FAST
Meet the Team
Claire S. Ashbaugh, Ph.D.
Dr. Ashbaugh is a co-founder and co-director of FAST. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Ottawa, followed by her Master's and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Forensic Psychology from Sam Houston State University.
Dr. Ashbaugh is a licensed psychologist in Washington State and New Mexico and holds mobility authorization through Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which enables her to practice telepsychology across an expanding number of U.S. states and territories.
Dr. Ashbaugh has over a decade of experience as a forensic evaluator for criminal courts throughout Washington State. She is fluent in French and has significant experience collaborating with language interpreters. Through her independent practice, Dr. Ashbaugh provides neutral, fact-based expert opinions while considering the unique characteristics, experiences, culture, and societal context of each individual.
Julia E. McLawsen, Ph.D., R.Psych.
Dr. McLawsen serves as a co-founder and co-director of FAST. Dr. McLawsen earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Stanford University, a master's degree in Psychology from Seattle University, followed by a second master's degree and doctoral degree in clinical psychology, with an emphasis in forensic assessment, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Dr. McLawsen is a licensed psychologist (#60249064) in Washington State, a licensed psychologist (#243340) in Alaska, a Registered Psychologist (#2121) in British Columbia (Canada), holds a Full Psychology Certificate (#3630-20-32-088) to practice in Yukon (Canada), and maintains mobility authorization through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which grants Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) and Temporary Authority to Practice (TAP) in a growing number of U.S. states and territories.
Dr. McLawsen holds a clinical faculty appointment at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine, and previously, served as a clinical associate at Simon Fraser University. Through their roles on Seattle University’s Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, Dr. McLawsen and Dr. Ashbaugh advance FAST’s social justice mission. In her independent practice, Dr. McLawsen provides psychological evaluations that guide legal decisions in immigration, criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings. Dr. McLawsen recently published an article highlighting a problematic loophole in Washington State discovery rules as they apply to criminal responsibility evaluations.
Jolene Simpson, Ph.D.
Dr. Simpson earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Washington, and a master’s degree and doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Psychology and the Law, from the University of Alabama. Dr. Simpson completed a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology through a partnership between the University of Washington and the Western State Hospital Center for Forensic Services (now the Gage Center for Forensic Excellence).
Dr. Simpson is a licensed psychologist with over fourteen years of experience conducting psychological evaluations for criminal courts across the State of Washington. Dr. Simpson’s work focuses on providing objective, high-quality, and evidence-driven assessments that guide psycholegal decision-making.
Michelle Brandon, Ph.D.
Dr. Michelle Brandon is a licensed psychologist in Washington (PY 60339093) and Nevada (PY1279) with extensive experience in forensic and clinical psychology, spanning more than a decade. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology with a forensic emphasis from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and a Master of Legal Studies from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Law. She completed a primarily forensic doctoral internship at Western State Hospital in Lakewood, Washington, followed by a juvenile forensic postdoctoral fellowship through the University of Washington at Child Study and Treatment Center (CSTC).
Dr. Brandon was with CSTC for 13 years. She began her work there conducting forensic evaluations, spent 11 years providing supportive and therapeutic services, and has recently resumed undertaking juvenile forensic psychological evaluations. Her areas of specialization include competency to stand trial and legal capacity evaluations. Her work is grounded in objective analysis, clinical rigor, and clear communication with legal professionals, ensuring thorough and reliable evaluations for the courts and legal community.
Christopher D. Cadle, Ph.D.
Dr. Cadle has over 30 years of experience in the mental health field, including 15 years of postdoctoral experience, and ten years as a forensic evaluator. He serves as an expert witness, providing forensic psychological evaluations in criminal and civil matters.
Dr. Cadle earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Southwestern University and a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. He later earned a second master’s and doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Louisville and completed a pre-doctoral internship at Western State Hospital in Tacoma, WA. He then completed a forensic psychology fellowship through the University of Washington School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry.
After training, Dr. Cadle worked as a civilian psychologist with the Department of Defense through Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) at Madigan Army Medical Center. He returned to civilian employment and worked as a forensic evaluator for Washington State. He now works independently and exclusively as a forensic evaluator.
Dr. Cadle is licensed as a psychologist in Washington State and Texas and maintains authorization through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which grants Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) and Temporary Authority to Practice (TAP) in over 40 U.S. states and territories.
Carol Crane, Ph.D.
Dr. Crane is a licensed psychologist in Missouri and Kansas, and holds authorization to practice through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which allows her to practice telepsychology in over 40 U.S. states and territories. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto in 2002, and completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical forensic psychology from Simon Fraser University in 2007 and 2012, respectively. Additionally, she completed a postdoctoral residency in forensic psychology at the Center for Behavioral Medicine, which is affiliated with the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Department of Psychiatry and the Missouri Department of Mental Health.
Since 2013, Dr. Crane has served as a contracted forensic psychologist with the Kansas Department of Corrections, where she currently holds the position of Director of Forensic Evaluations. She has completed over 1,500 risk assessments under the Kansas Commitment of Sexually Violent Predators statutes and at the request of the Kansas Prisoner Review Board. She has been qualified as an expert witness in multiple state courts, and she has been invited to present at leadership conferences. In her part-time private practice, she has been retained as an expert in criminal, civil, and juvenile cases. She previously served on the Psychology Advisory Committee of the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board. Her professional involvement also extends to being an active member of various professional organizations, including the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (ATSA). Dr. Crane is deeply committed to professional growth and advancing the field of forensic psychology.
Kendra Crowell, Ph.D.
Dr. Crowell earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Music Performance from the University of Evansville, and her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Forensic Psychology from Palo Alto University. She completed a post-doctoral forensic psychology fellowship through the University of Washington School of Medicine at Western State Hospital.
Dr. Crowell is a licensed psychologist in Washington State and maintains authorization through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which grants Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) and Temporary Authority to Practice (TAP) in a growing number of U.S. states and territories.
Dr. Crowell has over a decade of experience as a forensic evaluator, conducting psychological evaluations for criminal courts throughout Washington State. Through her private practice, she undertakes psychological evaluations for adults involved in criminal and civil proceedings.
Jessica R. Hart, Ph.D., ABPP
Dr. Hart earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Forensic Psychology from Sam Houston State University. She completed her doctoral internship at the Oregon State Hospital and her postdoctoral fellowship at the Northwest Forensic Institute. She is board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. This specialty certification attests to her high level of professional competence within the area of forensic psychology.
Dr. Hart is a licensed psychologist and forensic evaluator in both Washington and Oregon. She has experience conducting hundreds of forensic evaluations and has testified as an expert witness in numerous counties across both Washington and Oregon. She was previously employed for four years as a forensic evaluator with the Washington State Office of Forensic Mental Health Services (OFMHS) and for two years with the Oregon State Hospital (OSH) Forensic Evaluation Service. In addition to her clinical training and expertise, Dr. Hart has experience teaching undergraduate psychology courses and has mentored/supervised trainees at the practicum, internship, and postdoctoral levels of training. Dr. Hart currently maintains a private practice in which she provides criminal forensic evaluations and consultation for attorneys and courts in Oregon, Washington, and federal jurisdictions.
Katelyn Hernandez, Ph.D.
Dr. Hernandez is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist in Colorado and Florida. She also maintains authorization through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which allows her to provide telepsychology and temporary in-person psychological services across 43 participating US states. She earned her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Forensic Psychology from Nova Southeastern University. She completed her doctoral internship at Eastern State Hospital and her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Denver’s Forensic Institute for Research, Service, and Training (Denver FIRST).
Since becoming licensed in 2021, Dr. Hernandez has held several affiliate and contract roles conducting a wide range of forensic and police/public-safety evaluations, which include: the Colorado Department of Human Services, completing competency and sanity evaluations with adult and juvenile defendants; an affiliate of Denver FIRST; an associate with Walker and Associates, LLC; and a contractor with Psychological Dimensions, where she conducts pre-employment evaluations for first responders. She founded and owns Forensic Psychological Solutions, Inc., a private practice that provides forensic assessment and consultation services.
Dr. Hernandez’s professional expertise includes criminal and civil forensic evaluations involving adults and juveniles, with specialized experience in trauma and mitigation, juvenile transfer, competency to proceed, mental state at the time of the offense, and risk assessment. She has also taught and supervised graduate-level forensic psychology students at the University of Denver.
Samantha Litt, Ph.D.
Dr. Litt earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, with a minor in Criminal Justice, from Long Island University-C.W. Post. She earned a Master's in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Lastly, she earned her Master's and Doctoral Degrees in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Forensic Psychology from Palo Alto University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Oregon State Hospital.
Dr. Litt is licensed to practice psychology in the states of Washington and Oregon. She has been employed as a forensic evaluator for the Office of Forensic Mental Health Services (OFMHS) in Washington State for four years. In her role at OFMHS, she has conducted numerous forensic evaluations and provided expert testimony, mainly conducting competency to stand trial evaluations for adult defendants. While employed at Western State Hospital, she conducted civil commitment evaluations and violence risk assessments.
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Kelcey Puszkiewicz, Ph.D.
Dr. Puszkiewicz graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago in Psychology and Criminal Justice. She then earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Ball State University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from East Tennessee State University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Arkansas State Hospital/Arkansas Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services (DAABHS) and then her postdoctoral fellowship at the Arkansas State Hospital/University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) with an emphasis on the treatment and assessment of individuals with serious mental illness and legal involvement in a forensic inpatient setting.
Dr. Puszkiewicz is a licensed psychologist in the States of Arkansas, Minnesota, and New York. She also maintains authorization through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which grants Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) and Temporary Authority to Practice (TAP) in at least 43 U.S. states and territories.
Dr. Puszkiewicz has extensive experience in the psychological assessment of adults and children across forensic and clinical settings with a variety of presenting concerns, such as serious mental illness, neurodevelopmental disorders, trauma-related disorders, personality disorders, and substance-related disorders. She has completed forensic evaluations, violence risk assessments, and sexual offense risk assessments for justice-involved adults and juveniles for multiple years. Additionally, she has experience in conducting Independent Medical Evaluations (IMEs) and fitness for duty evaluations. She also has experience testifying as an expert witness in criminal and civil cases.
Kristen Otte, Psy.D., L.P., ABPP
Dr. Otte obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned a Master of Science degree in Forensic Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. During her graduate training, she completed clinical rotations in a variety of inpatient and community-based settings, including experience with forensic evaluation and sex offender risk assessment at Patton State Hospital in California. Dr. Otte completed her pre-doctoral internship with the Bureau of Prisons at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri and received additional specialized training in forensic evaluation during a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center in Minnesota.
Dr. Otte has nearly ten years of post-licensure experience conducting forensic evaluations and providing expert witness testimony. She has been board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology since 2021. She serves on the examination faculty for the American Board of Forensic Psychology, which evaluates forensic psychologists under consideration for board certification. Dr. Otte is licensed as a psychologist in Minnesota, and her Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) authorization allows her to practice telepsychology in various jurisdictions across the country. She maintains a part-time private practice conducting violence and sexual violence risk assessments, federal pre-employment screenings, and determinations for social security eligibility. She is also appointed to Minnesota’s Special Review Board, where she serves as a panel member and reviews petitions for reductions in custody of individuals placed under indeterminate civil commitment. Additionally, she is employed as a clinical forensic psychologist with the Minnesota Judicial Branch, where she has served in supervisory and clinical roles both within the division and the Fourth Judicial District Psychological Services Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology.
Jill Rogstad, Ph.D., L.P., ABPP
Dr. Rogstad obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Science degree in Psychology and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Texas. During her graduate training, she worked on programmatic research focused on the development and validation of forensic assessment instruments and received clinical training in forensic evaluation through the Federal Bureau of Prisons at a medical center in Texas. Dr. Rogstad completed her predoctoral internship at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, and received additional specialized training in forensic assessment during a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at Mendota Mental Health Institute and Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center in Wisconsin.
Dr. Rogstad has more than ten years of experience conducting forensic evaluations. She has been board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology since 2020. She serves on the examination faculty for the American Board of Forensic Psychology, which evaluates forensic psychologists under consideration for board certification. Dr. Rogstad is licensed as a psychologist in Minnesota, and her Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) authorization allows her to practice telepsychology in various jurisdictions across the country. She maintains a part-time private practice conducting evaluations of court-involved adults and providing forensic training and consultation services. Additionally, she is employed as a clinical forensic psychologist with the Minnesota Judicial Branch, where she also serves as the Training Director of the Fourth Judicial District Psychological Services Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology and supervises and trains postdoctoral fellows in forensic assessment.
Lauren Rubenstein, Ph.D.
Dr. Rubenstein obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Forensic Psychology from Sam Houston State University. She completed her doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Washington State’s Western State Hospital/Office of Forensic Mental Health Services (OFMHS).
Dr. Rubenstein is a licensed psychologist and forensic evaluator in Washington and has experience conducting various forensic evaluations, such as competency to stand trial (CST), not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI), diminished capacity, violence and sexual violence risk, personal injury, and immigration evaluations. Dr. Rubenstein currently works as a forensic evaluator with the Washington State Special Commitment Center (SCC).
Amber H. Simpler, Ph.D., ABPP
Dr. Simpler earned a master’s degree in applied psychology from the University of South Alabama and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Sam Houston State University. She completed a predoctoral psychology internship at Western State Hospital in Tacoma, Washington and a post-doctoral fellowship in forensic psychology through the University of Washington School of Medicine. She was board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology in 2016.
Dr. Simpler maintains a part-time private practice where she completes forensic evaluations of justice-involved adults. In addition, she is the Executive Director of Behavioral Health Research at the NaphCare Charitable Foundation, Inc., which is a non-profit research entity focused on improving correctional healthcare by leveraging big data and advanced machine learning. She is licensed as a clinical psychologist in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, and New York. She holds mobility authorization through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which allows her to practice temporarily in-person (TAP credential) and via telepsychology (APIT credential) in numerous jurisdictions within the United States.
Krissie Fernandez Smith, Ph.D., ABPP
Dr. Smith has over 15 years of experience conducting forensic evaluations with court-involved youth and adults. She received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology with a forensic emphasis from Sam Houston State University and was board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology in 2017. As a bilingual psychologist, Dr. Smith has worked with individuals who speak either English or Spanish.
Dr. Smith maintains a part-time private practice where she completes forensic evaluations of adults involved in criminal court and youth involved in the juvenile justice system. In addition, she is the Associate Director of the Cook County Juvenile Court Clinic, which is run through a partnership between Northwestern University and Cook County. She is licensed as a Clinical Psychologist in Illinois and holds mobility authorization through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) which allows her to practice telepsychology in numerous jurisdictions within the United States.
Meredith Veltri, Ph.D., ABPP
Dr. Veltri is board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. She earned a Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a forensic emphasis from Sam Houston State University. She completed her predoctoral training at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, after which she worked as a psychologist for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. She is the Director of Forensic and Specialized Assessment Services for Netcare Access in Columbus, Ohio, and directs Expert Evaluations, an independent practice.
Dr. Veltri conducts criminal forensic assessments, behavioral health evaluations, pre-employment assessments, evaluations regarding immigration matters (namely, N-648 certifications), pre-surgical evaluations (bariatric and transplant), consultation, and work product review. Her previous experience in the Bureau of Prisons lends specialized perspective in non-capital mitigation evaluations. Her testimony before the Ohio General Assembly facilitated legislation which she proposed and helped to develop. She is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, and trains school districts, corporations, and mental health agencies in best practices in threat assessment. She served on a competency and sanity workgroup for the Ohio Supreme Court’s sentencing commission.
Dr. Veltri practices in Washington State and other Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT)-participating states through her PSYPACT authorization. She also maintains licensure in Ohio and Colorado. To ensure best practices in telepsychology, she maintains a Telepsychology Competencies Credential (TCC) offered through The Trust and the National Register of Health Service Psychologists.
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Emily Weber, Ph.D.
Dr. Weber is a clinical psychologist licensed in both Washington State and Ohio. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lake Forest College and completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, outside of Chicago, Illinois.
She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Medical Center Devens, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology at Netcare Forensic Center. During her fellowship, she received excellent mentorship and specialized training in criminal forensic evaluations, and was subsequently hired as a full-time forensic examiner. She also has experience supervising fellows and particularly enjoys engaging in discussions related to cultural competency, critical thinking, and reducing bias in forensic mental health evaluations.
Since 2019, Dr. Weber has served as a full-time forensic examiner at Netcare Forensic Center, where she conducts criminal forensic evaluations, primarily related to questions of competency and mental state at the time of the offense, as well as risk assessments and treatment amenability evaluations. In addition, she previously worked as a contract evaluator for Expert Evaluations in Columbus, Ohio, where she conducted psychological evaluations for immigrant populations, including disability waiver evaluations for individuals applying for U.S. citizenship.
Dr. Weber has been qualified as an expert witness in Ohio and is passionate about navigating the complex, nuanced questions that forensic evaluations present.
FAST Affiliates Lend Collaborative Expertise
FAST is honored to collaborate with specialist affiliates whose expertise ensures that our services align with the highest professional standards. These partnerships enhance FAST’s ability to address complex forensic questions and provide comprehensive, evidence-driven psycholegal evaluations.
Jude Bergkamp, Psy.D.
Dr. Bergkamp consults with FAST evaluators to ensure that they, and the methods they rely on, are culturally responsive.
Dr. Bergkamp is the Chair of the clinical psychology program at Antioch University Seattle, as well as clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. He serves as President of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP), which includes almost one hundred professional psychology programs across the country. In addition, he serves on the American Psychological Association (APA) BEA/BPA Task Force on Doctoral Competencies in Health Service Psychology. He was trained in forensic and neuropsychology and has worked in the Washington State Department of Corrections, and currently as a forensic evaluator in the Office of Forensic Mental Health Services in Washington State. He is the recipient of the Psychologist of the Year 2019 from the Washington State Psychological Association and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Antioch University for his work on immigration reform in 2018. His current research interests include forensic cultural responsiveness, the exploration of social privilege as the flip side of oppression, and the role social privilege plays in psychotherapy.
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Megan Carter, Psy.D., ABPP
Dr. Carter, a forensic psychologist and nationally-recognized expert in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), provides consultation to FAST evaluators on topics pertaining to FASD.
Since 2014, Dr. Megan Carter has been board certified in forensic psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology, and is a diplomate of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP). Additionally, Dr. Carter holds a faculty appointment at the University of Washington. Dr. Carter offers training to help mental health professionals understand how FASD affects individuals and their social support networks.
Dr. Carter graduated with her master’s degree in applied social psychology from Portland State University before completing another master’s degree and a doctorate in clinical psychology, with an emphasis on forensics, at Pacific University. In 2018, the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) recognized her contributions by designating her as an ATSA Fellow. Dr. Carter maintains a private practice dedicated to forensic psychological evaluations and child welfare issues.
Julie Gallagher, Psy.D., ABPP
Dr. Gallagher consults with FAST evaluators to ensure they comprehensively consider an examinee’s developmental maturity, sometimes termed “youthfulness.”
Dr. Gallagher is a board-certified forensic psychologist and nationally recognized expert in developmental maturity in the juvenile and adult legal systems. She provides expert consultation to FAST evaluators, offering critical insights into the complexities of developmental maturity and neurodevelopmental disorders in forensic assessments.
Dr. Gallagher holds board certification in forensic psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) and is a diplomate of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP). She is licensed as a psychologist in Tennessee and maintains authorizations for interstate practice through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), including the Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) and Temporary Authority to Practice (TAP), which allow practice in a growing number of U.S. states and territories.
Dr. Gallagher has served in multiple national and state leadership roles in forensic psychology, including as a past president of AAFP and President-Elect and National Chair of Examinations for the American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABFP). Additionally, she consults for the Tennessee Board of Examiners of Psychology and serves on the Tennessee Psychological Association’s Ethics Committee. She currently runs an independent practice based in Nashville, Tennessee, where she evaluates adults and juveniles involved in the legal system, provides consultation to attorneys and other psychologists, and supervises students in Vanderbilt University’s doctoral program in clinical psychological science.
Dr. Gallagher earned her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and her master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Baylor University. She completed her clinical internship and forensic postdoctoral training at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, DC. She previously served as the Director of Forensic Services at Child Study and Treatment Center, the state hospital for children in Washington State, where she also directed the forensic psychology fellowship program at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Brett Parmenter, Ph.D., ABPP-CN
Dr. Brett Parmenter is pleased to provide neuropsychological consultation to FAST, which supports FAST's mission to deliver high-quality, timely forensic evaluations. Through this collaboration, Dr. Parmenter helps FAST evaluators comprehensively consider examinees' neuropsychological concerns. When examinees present with potential neuropsychological impairment, Dr. Parmenter consults with the FAST evaluators to identify pertinent domains of concern, develop tailored assessment strategies to explore clinical hypotheses, and interpret test results. This partnership helps FAST evaluators clarify how neuropsychological impairment may affect the examinee’s relevant psycholegal abilities, which enhances the utility and precision of FAST’s forensic evaluations.
Dr. Parmenter received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The University of Kansas after completing her internship at Yale University School of Medicine. She also completed a two-year fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at The University at Buffalo, State University of New York School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Parmenter has been board-certified in Clinical Neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology/American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABPP/ABCN) since 2009. She is on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) and its Foundation, and is a Fellow in Division 40 (Clinical Neuropsychology) of the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Parmenter's clinical experience includes psychological and neuropsychological assessment, including working with people who have questions of cognitive difficulties associated with neurodegenerative, autoimmune, medical, and psychiatric conditions. She has worked extensively with individuals with traumatic brain injuries, having published and presented on this topic. She also has an interest in forensics, with experience in both civil and criminal cases. In addition to her work at Mt. Tahoma Psychological Services, Dr. Parmenter is a Clinical Professor at The University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, as well as the official team neuropsychologist for Seattle's professional rugby team, the Seawolves. In her free time, Dr. Parmenter enjoys spending time with her family, running, reading, and meeting every dog with whom she comes in contact.
Forensic Psychiatry
FAST’s forensic psychiatry affiliate consults with FAST evaluators about topics that include psychotropic medication, medication-related prognosis, and potential medication-substance interactions. FAST’s forensic psychiatrist maintains board certification in Forensic Psychiatry, General Psychiatry, Brain Injury Medicine, and Sports and Performance Psychiatry. In addition to their role at FAST, they teach university courses, provide training and supervision, and serve as an expert in matters that include — but are by no means limited to — criminal and civil competencies, mental state at the time of an alleged criminal offense, standard of care, harassment, and fitness for duty.