It is common to experience a whole range of emotions when you have to take a disability leave and potentially apply for any short-term or long-term disability benefits you may have. It can add a lot more frustration on top of that if you have been working with a treatment provider for a while but they then refuse to complete the forms or other paperwork you need to support taking time off work and/or submitting a disability claim to your disability insurance company. Sometimes your treatment provider may not feel comfortable completing the forms or other disability paperwork you need; truthfully it is a common occurrence and I can understand where they are coming from.
Not all professionals have expertise related to disability issues. In addition, your treatment provider may have reasonable ethical concerns about their role as a treatment provider versus offering forensic opinions. Dr. Finnerty is available to help fill in the gaps when this happens so that your case does not fall through the cracks. Dr. Finnerty will discuss your case with you and address your unique needs; we’ll make it clear what Dr. Finnerty’s role is at the outset (whether that is as a forensic practitioner, treatment provider or a hybrid of the two). However, whenever Dr. Finnerty offers any opinion his goal is to offer an independent, evidence-based opinion. Dr. Finnerty does his best to act ethically and within relevant professional guidelines. For example, the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology Guideline 1.02 notes forensic practitioners “strive for accuracy, impartiality, fairness, and independence.” It notes “forensic practitioners recognize the adversarial nature of the legal system and strive to treat all participants and weigh all data, opinions, and rival hypotheses impartially. When conducting forensic examinations, forensic practitioners strive to be unbiased and impartial, and avoid partisan presentation of unrepresentative, incomplete, or inaccurate evidence that might mislead finders of fact.” Dr. Finnerty’s practices are also consistent with the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.
Dr. Finnerty has performed file reviews on hundreds of STD & LTD claims for multiple disability insurance companies and understands the process. He continues to provide independent consultation to disability insurance companies. However, he is also available to consult with individuals and their attorneys on their disability claims.
Dr. Finnerty also has experience evaluating veteran’s for VA disability cases. In the past he worked with both QTC and VES to provide VA contracted examinations. Currently, he offers independent examinations and file reviews. Dr. Finnerty can provide nexus letters and other independent medical opinions on VA disability cases.
Since 2004 Dr. Finnerty has been an in-house psychological consultant for the government on Social Security disability claims. Dr. Finnerty reviews the medical records which come in with Social Security applications. He helps to decide if someone qualifies for Social Security from a psychological perspective.
Dr. Finnerty has extensive experience working on disability claims. If you’re looking for a consultant who can help provide evidence for your disability case he is available for that service. If you’re looking for a treating psychologist who understands the needs of someone involved in a disability claim Dr. Finnerty is also available to fill that need.
Thank you,