Heather Sheafer, Ph.D.
Dr. Heather Sheafer is a clinical psychologist, licensed in Oregon and Washington, and a certified forensic examiner in Oregon. She earned her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology prior to earning her Ph.D. from Fielding Graduate University. While completing an APA accredited internship at Oahu Community Corrections Center, she worked with incarcerated men and women with serious and persistent mental illness. She also has a strong background in both the treatment and assessment of domestic violence. Since she joined Dr. Grounds’ team in 2016, Dr. Sheafer has completed evaluations related to a wide range of matters including domestic violence, parental competency /child custody, trauma-related disorders, financial crimes, sexual assault, and murder. These experiences have strengthened her passion for forensic psychology and deepened her understanding of the importance of high-quality forensic evaluations.
Dr. Sheafer offers the following services:
Mitigation evaluations
Mitigation evaluations examine whether an individual’s developmental history, exposure to violence and/or trauma, or current intellectual and psychological functioning played a meaningful role in his or her alleged offense conduct and exactly how these factors are relevant to judicial decisions about case outcomes.
Comprehensive mitigation evaluations involve extensive interviews with the defendant, psychological testing, collateral interviews, and review of relevant records. In addition to offering an opinion, Dr. Sheafer’s mitigation evaluations include recommendations for treatment and/or other appropriate services.
Risk assessment evaluations
Risk assessment evaluations inform an opinion related to an individual’s risk of criminal recidivism.
Comprehensive risk assessment evaluations involve extensive interviews, actuarial risk measurements, psychological testing, collateral interviews, and review of relevant records. In addition to offering an opinion, Dr. Sheafer’s mitigation evaluations include recommendations for treatment and other services to potentially reduce or manage identified risk factors.
Competency evaluations
Competency evaluations examine and identify the ways in which a defendant’s intellectual and/or psychological functioning impact their ability to assist counsel and make critical and complicated decisions throughout criminal proceedings. The results of a competency evaluations allows the examiner an offer an opinion and make recommendations regarding whether the defendant can be restored to competency.
Comprehensive competency evaluations involve extensive interviews with the defendant, psychological testing, collateral interviews, and review of relevant records.
Criminal responsibility and insanity evaluations
Criminal responsibility and insanity evaluations examine a defendant’s state of mind at the time of an alleged offense.
Both criminal responsibility and insanity evaluations involve extensive interviews with the defendant, psychological testing, collateral interviews, and review of relevant records.
Domestic violence evaluations
Domestic violence evaluations examine patterns of abuse and control that may contribute to alleged or confirmed abusive behaviors.
Dr. Sheafer’s domestic violence evaluations involve extensive interviews with an alleged batterer, psychological testing, collateral interviews, and review of relevant records. In addition to case opinions, Dr. Sheafer offers treatment recommendations when appropriate.
Parental capacity evaluations
Parental capacity evaluations examine a parent’s history and risk of neglect and/or abuse.
Dr. Sheafer’s parental capacity evaluations involve extensive interviews with one or both parents, psychological testing, and review of relevant records. In addition to diagnoses and case opinions, Dr. Sheafer offers recommendations for treatment, supervision, visitation, and placement.
Child custody/parenting time evaluations
When parents are unable to agree on parenting time, child custody/parenting time evaluations examine the relevant strengths and needs of both parents to inform an opinion related to a parenting time plan that is in the best interests of the child/children.
Dr. Sheafer’s child-centered parenting evaluations involve extensive interviews with one or both parents, psychological testing, review of relevant records; and when appropriate, interviews and/or observations with the child/children. Dr. Sheafer carefully considers mental health concerns as well as patterns of abuse, neglect, and parental alientation when making parenting time recommendations.
Professional consultation, expert opinion, and expert witness services
Contact Dr. Sheafer directly to discuss professional consultation, expert opinion, and expert witness services.