Psychological Assessment needed ! Can anyone help?.

The_President

Serious thread. And you lifers have been so helpful to others.!
And no, its not me that needs it ( despite what some of you might think).

Does anyone know if its possible to get a Psychological Assessment of someone remotely without the person in question having to visit a Psychologist based on historical actions?.

I wont bore you with the reasons why, but we need to obtain a psychological assessment of someone who is on the periphery of the family that is causing severe issues with unprovoked violent threats and abuse. The reason i wish to obtain said assessment is to bolster the legal case of a family member who is attempting to obtain custody of children who are involved with this person.

I have tried to use online assessments but they seem to be geared towards people with emotional/marital and sexual problems - not what i'm looking for.
I thought that there must be someone out there who is prepared to do this, but finding it increasingly hard.

Really appreciate your time in reading this- and any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Stig

I'd be surprised if any psychologist would consider it to be an ethical thing to do without it either being a criminal matter or a medical issue for someone that had been sectioned. Either way, you as a family member are not necessarily going to be able to get the results. I'd suggest the following:

1. If you feel you are in immediate danger, contact the police.
2. If you want guidance, speak to your gp.

The_President

Thanks Stig.
Already tried 1) - they are washing their hands of it because no crime has been committed as such (yet) - despite constant unprovoked threats of violence and abuse.
My next door neighbour is a GP and the 'ethical' issue seems to preclude that as you have suggested.

swords_alive

I'd call social services anonymously for advice to begin with or CAB. They should be able to point out some options.

The Prince-e-Paul

If children are involved and they are potentially in any danger, Social Services do have a duty of care to ensure that they are safe. If the person involved has access to the children and this is detrimental to the children, then it is possible for them to step in and restrict this, which could mean no contact, supervised contact or other restrictions. It would depend if the children are considered to be 'in need' or 'at risk'. Either way there are steps to be taken to ensure their safety. The Children Act is the law that provides instructions / guidance on how agencies should work to ensure that children are protected from harm and abuse, which can be, physical, emotional, etc.

Police are unlikely to get involved with 'minor' issues, like verbal abuse or threats without any actions, although harassment is a crime.

As for an assessment without the person being assessed, well that's a bit like giving your view of how Charlton played at Hillsborough, without having been there, but merely repeating what other's have said about their thoughts about the game and events seen through their own eyes. In other words heresay.

Nobody can be forced to have an assessment of their mental state without their agreement, but if someone is displaying behaviour which is viewed to be dangerous to a member of the public or indeed themselves, then an assessment of their mental state may be necessary. Which 'could' result in a Mental Health Act, assessment. If the behaviour increases in severity, continue to badger Social Services or for information about a mental health assessment, bend the ear of your local Crisis Team.

The_President

Thanks Paul.

I hear what you are saying about the assessment. Not only was it regarded as a way to bolster the legal case, it was also deemed as possibly a way of everyone involved understanding the 'condition' and using this information to potentially avoid certain scenarios that might trigger the outbursts.
One thing i omitted was that this isnt in the UK, although the country involved has laws based on the UK, and its concepts in law.
There has been a court 'facilitator' involved however, this has proved toothless , with a general remit of just trying to 'keep the peace' and nothing more.

Thanks for your input - its given me a couple of thoughts , especially around the harassment angle which i will persue - and i will search out the local Crisis Team to see if i can glean any further information/help.

The_President

For Prince-e-Paul....
FYI - i have managed to find a psychologist who is prepared to provide an 'assessment' as such based upon the (now substantial) documentary evidence that i have garnered over the past 4 years on this individual.
He has provided caveats suggesting that this would not be admissible in court, however, he will likely be able to determine any common conditions that will certainly help the family get this out in the open- or even create some awareness, which is a start.
Again, thanks for your help.

cabbles

Try MIND for legal help. I did some pro-bono on a help line for them once. They are good at giving advice on the legalities around the mental health act, if this is the route you want to go down