Court-Ordered Mental Health Evaluation in NYC?

November 27, 2019 12:59 PM

I'm involved with an abuse case out of state, and slapped the abuser who pressed charges. I admitted everything immediately, and was charged with a misdemeanor. My penance is a small fine. But the prosecutor's office also require me to get a two-session mental health evaluation to prove I'm not nuts. Where can I find someone to provide me with one in NYC, relatively quickly, and preferably low cost or paid by Medicaid?

It's pretty much what it says above the fold. I've been able to figure out what I need is called either a "mental health evaluation" or a "psychiatric evaluation," and that these are typically provided by a licensed social worker. This is very much out of my wheelhouse, and I will be grateful for any names or leads, as I've yet to be able to source anyone on Google. My hope is to source someone reasonable, able to keep an open mind before they write the evaluation.

(For anyone feeling judgmental, please resist. The larger context is much more complicated than described here, and the abuser has a history of pressing assault charges.)

posted by Puppetry for Privacy to Law & Government (4 answers total)

Did you have a public defender? If so, they probably work with social workers. Those social workers probably do not do psych evals but can do the casework part of helping you find someone to do it. I know a billion years ago there were plenty of Medicaid clinics throughout the city run by Catholic Charities and Jewish Family and Children's Services and stuff but I don't know the details or the referral process anymore.
posted by less of course at 4:09 PM on November 27, 2019

And actually, if you had a public defender through Legal Aid I thiiiiiiiink they may have a psychiatric social worker. Whether psych evals are part of their job, I don't know.
posted by less of course at 4:10 PM on November 27, 2019

Your local domestic abuse agency may be able to help you with this. If they can’t do it, they can probably refer you to someone. You can find one at DomesticShelters.org.
posted by MexicanYenta at 5:50 PM on November 27, 2019 [1 favorite]

Bellevue or Metropolitan hospitals have walk-in psych clinics that can do this or if they can’t give as detailed an evaluation as you need they will refer you somewhere that can (like their regular outpatient behavioral health clinic.) These are public hospitals and definitely take Medicaid though they may not take a few specific managed care plans. You can also call 1800NYCWELL and ask this question and they can refer you to lots of options.
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 4:25 AM on November 28, 2019