Dr. Lukens currently provides forensic psychological evaluations and testimony related to care and protection (C&P) cases. In particular, she specializes in assessing parental capacity when there are concerns that a parent has been abusive or neglectful.

 

Dr. Lukens has specialized parental capacity related evaluations and expert testimony since 2018. Prior to moving to Massachusetts, she worked as an independent contractor with 12 counties across the state of Colorado providing psychological evaluations of parents and children involved in the child welfare system, including providing expert testimony and consultation related to child placement and parental rights and conducting psychological and parental capacity evaluations.

 

Dr. Lukens completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Rocky Mountain Psychology in Denver, CO, where she received advanced training on completed evaluations related to parental capacity and the provision of expert testimony. As part of her doctoral training, Dr. Lukens completed a year-long practicum assisting a licensed psychologist in completing 42 parental capacity evaluations in Colorado. She also had the opportunity to learn from an integrative team of psychologists, lawyers, doctors, and social workers at the Kempe Center who were experts in child abuse and neglect as they consulted with child protection agencies throughout the country on difficult cases.

 

Dr. Lukens has advanced training and expertise in assessing parent-child interactions (including conducting interactional evaluations), personality disorders, child development, dynamics related to child abuse and neglect, parenting dynamics, domestic violence, the relationship between developmental disabilities and parenting, and trauma. When assessing parental capacity, Dr. Lukens uses a robust, multi-method, and evidence based approach.

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Notes:

Dr. Lukens also has training in conducting evaluations related to child custody and conservatorship/guardianship of vulnerable adults; she accepts these type of cases on an individual, case-by-case basis.

Dr. Lukens was also trained to conduct Competency to Stand Trial Evaluations, and conducted these type of evaluations from 2018-2024; however, she is no longer accepting these cases.