Recommendation for Challenging Findings in Psychological IMEs

This course was approved for NOSSCR's Spring 2021 Virtual Conference. It is eligible for On-Demand credit, please check with karyn.reffsin@nosscr.org if you have questions about your states eligibility or check with your Bar Association for their rules and regulations.

Psychological IMEs are very often limited in terms of information they provide and these limitations tend to lean against individuals who are seeking disability. These limitations include, no (or very little) information about how much psychological symptoms impact on functioning, details about how the person presents during the evaluation (as opposed to just what they report) and minima consideration given to how much the person's psychological symptoms may have impacted on how well they cooperated during the evaluations. Details limited in these evaluations based on reviews of previous records include no consideration given to how limited therapy progress notes can be, no weight given to how much progress notes have to stress progress if the therapist expects to be paid, minimal recognition of limitations to psychological testing and the time limitations often associated with psychiatric visits. These are all issues that will be covered in this presentation along with recommendations about how to challenge them when fighting for a disability client who suffers from a psychological disorder. The presenters will provide correlation to the Mental Health Listings, and offer insight into ways to present Claimant testimony to supplement these challenges of the IMEs.