Forensic Evaluation Center
Overview
The Forensic Evaluation Center (FEC; formerly known as the Court Psychiatric Clinic), established in 1925, is a specifically designated department of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. It is also one of 10 sites designated as a Certified Forensic Center by the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, Office of Forensic Services. The FEC’s primary function is to provide high quality, community-based forensic evaluation services to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and Probation Department, and the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health. The forensic evaluation services are provided to assist the respective entities in answering various pretrial, presentence, and postsentence psycholegal questions for felony-level defendants in Cuyahoga County.
The Forensic Evaluation Center also has a longstanding history as an educational institution, providing supervised training experiences to forensic psychiatry fellows and social work Master’s students from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), predoctoral psychology practicum students from local universities, and postdoctoral psychology trainees.
Center Mission and Goals
In conjunction with the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and pursuant to Rule 5122-32-01(I)(b) and in consideration of services rendered for the Probation Department and the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health, the Mission of the Forensic Evaluation Center is as follows:
To provide the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and Probation Department and the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health with community-based forensic evaluation services as prescribed by the relevant statutes of the Ohio Revised Code.
Overarching goals of the Forensic Evaluation Center include:
- Providing the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and Probation Department, and the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health with high-quality community-based forensic evaluations.
- Providing forensic opinions and treatment recommendations via evaluations, consultation, and testimony in a timely, unbiased, and accurate manner.
- Providing education/training experiences for a variety of individuals including but not limited to mental health professionals, court personnel, and student trainees.
Staff
The FEC is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and support staff.
Dylan Songer, Psy.D., is the Director of the Forensic Evaluation Center and a licensed psychologist. As Director, he provides oversight of all FEC operations, administrative supervision of all FEC personnel, and direct consultation to Court Administration. In addition to these responsibilities, he carries a caseload of criminal forensic evaluations and supervises predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees. He also provides trainings on various forensic mental health topics to audiences throughout the Court system and community.
Tatiana Matlasz, Ph.D., ABPP, is a licensed psychologist and board-certified specialist in forensic psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology). She is the Forensic Evaluation Center’s Associate Director and Director of Training and Education. As the Associate Director, she works alongside Dr. Songer providing oversight of assessment services and day-to-day operations, as well as administrative supervision to FEC staff and consultation to the Court, as needed. As Director of Training and Education, she provides direct clinical supervision to trainees, conducts didactics for the postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology, and oversees the FEC’s educational activities. She also provides trainings for mental health, legal, law enforcement, and other professionals locally and nationally on forensic mental health topics.
Please click the Job Opportunities link below for information on employment opportunities, including for the postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology position.
Employment Opportunities
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology
The Forensic Evaluation Center’s Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology is a 12-month, 2,000-hour training program designed to prepare doctoral-level practitioners for independent practice in forensic psychology. Over the course of the training year, the fellow will engage in practical and educational activities to develop the foundational and functional competencies necessary for work in the field of forensic psychology. Such training activities have been thoughtfully structured around the Postdoctoral Training in Forensic Psychology Guidelines outlined by the American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABFP).
Under the supervision of licensed, qualified psychologists, the fellow will conduct criminal forensic evaluations for a variety of psycholegal questions, including (but not limited to): competence to stand trial, mental condition at the time of the offense charged (sanity), mitigation/pre-sentencing, and risk assessment. While all fellows receive comprehensive training in the ethics, legal standards, research, and skills that provide the foundation for best practices in forensic mental health assessment, each individual fellow may also choose to engage in elective opportunities to gain deeper understanding of—or even simply exposure to—specialized areas of interest within the forensic specialty.
Upon completion of the program, fellows will have gained the competencies necessary to conduct ethical, evidence-based, objective forensic evaluations. Fellowship graduates will also have developed the requisite conceptual and practical foundations to pursue board certification in forensic psychology four years after fellowship, should they aspire to do so. Yet, we are confident that the well-rounded knowledge, skills, and experience acquired will prepare our graduates to flourish in a variety of employment settings.
If you are interested in the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Forensic Psychology, please contact the Training Director, Tatiana Matlasz, Ph.D., ABPP, at tmatlasz@cuyahogacounty.gov.
Please click the Job Opportunities link for information on employment opportunities within the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
Forensic Services
Criminal Forensic Evaluations
The FEC’s primary function is to complete comprehensive, data-driven, unbiased forensic mental health assessments. All forensic evaluations we conduct are pursuant to court order and in accordance with the relevant statute(s) or rule(s). The types of evaluations we perform include:
- Competence to Stand Trial (ORC §371)
- Mental Condition at the Time of the Offense Charged (ORC §371)
- Civil Commitment after Acquittal by Reason of Insanity (Post-NGRI) (ORC §40)
- Reports for the Purpose of Determining the Disposition of a Case (ORC §06)
- Battered Woman Syndrome (ORC §392)
- Intervention in Lieu of Conviction (ORC §041)
- Movement to Non-Secured Status (ORC §401)
- Sex Offender Risk Assessment (ORC §06)
- Clinical Eligibility for Mental Health/Developmental Disability (MHDD) Programming (Local Rule 30.1)
Please note, the FEC does not conduct juvenile forensic evaluations nor evaluations for capital cases. Click on the Forensic Evaluations link at the bottom of the page for more information on each evaluation type. For more information, you may refer to the Courtroom FAQ, “What should I do if the Court is seeking a type of evaluation that is not listed on the referral form?”
Expert Testimony
At the Court’s request, FEC forensic examiners are available to testify on a forensic evaluation they completed or provide expert testimony on specialized topics to aid the trier of fact. Collectively, our examiners have been qualified as forensic experts countless times, in both criminal and civil matters, across multiple state and federal jurisdictions. We provide unbiased testimony rooted in current scientific evidence.
Consultation
The FEC is dedicated to enhancing our stakeholders’ abilities to make sound, reliable, evidence-based decisions. Beyond provision of forensic evaluations and expert testimony, FEC personnel may provide consultation to attorneys, judges, bailiffs, policymakers, organizations, and other entities and stakeholders on a variety of topics relevant to forensic mental health. Recipients of our services can be confident that consultation we provide is based on the most up-to-date clinical and scientific information.
Training and Education
We believe that, at their core, forensic examiners are educators—through their forensic evaluations, expert testimony, research, consultation, teaching, and other activities. Indeed, FEC personnel have a wealth of experience presenting on mental health and forensic topics to diverse audiences locally and nationally. Moreover, a large portion of our evaluators currently hold professorship positions or previously held such positions, and/or engage in formal supervision of learners in their respective fields.
Examples of topics on which our staff have presented in the past:
- Adjudicative Competency
- Criminal Responsibility
- Violence Risk Assessment; Sex Offender Risk Assessment
- Best Practices in Forensic Mental Health Assessment
- Psychological Testing
- Psychopathy and Antisocial Personality Disorder
- Forensic Report Writing
- Neurocognitive Disorders
If you are looking for a presenter to provide trainings on any specialized forensic mental health topics, please reach out to Dr. Matlasz, Director of Training and Education (tmatlasz@cuyahogacounty.gov).
Contact Information
1200 Ontario Street, 6th Floor, Justice Center Courts Tower
Cleveland, Ohio, 44113
Tel: (216) 443-7330 | Fax: (216) 443-7332
