Evaluation Center

Evaluation Center

Pine Grove’s evaluation services provide reliable, validated screening from a multidisciplinary treatment team. We are able to provide comprehensive testing for addiction, mood disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, and sexual compulsivity, among other diagnoses.

Pine Grove Evaluation Center

Since 1984, Pine Grove has provided specialized and comprehensive evaluations for professionals. Our evaluation center is one of the few in the nation approved by professional licensing boards, Physician Health Programs, Judges and Lawyers Assistance Programs, Recovering Nurse Programs, and other licensing and monitoring entities throughout the country. We offer individualized and comprehensive evaluations for a variety of issues including, but not limited to, substance use disorders, disruptive behavior in the workplace, personal and professional boundary issues, compulsive sexual behaviors, psychiatric issues, burnout, personality disorders, trauma, eating disorders, complex and difficult cases, and cognitive concerns.

We offer multidisciplinary fitness to practice evaluations for professionals, licensing boards, professional health programs, and other regulatory or monitoring entities. We have the ability to individualize each assessment based on the client’s needs. This program provides a comprehensive approach by a multidisciplinary team of professionals with extensive, specialized experience in evaluating professionals with emotional or behavioral concerns that impact their behaviors in the workplace and their work quality. We provide a comprehensive, written report specifying the findings of an evaluation as well as detailed care recommendations.

Benefits of an evaluation:

  • Multi-disciplinary treatment team with specialized experience in the evaluation of professionals
  • Testing with high levels of reliability and validity
  • Full-time, board certified psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist
  • Recommendations based on best clinical and ethical practices

Addiction Evaluation

The Addiction Evaluation takes place over the course of two to three days, typically on an outpatient basis. Residential level evaluations are conducted as needed. The focus of this evaluation is alcohol or other substance use, and other psychological or psychiatric issues are also assessed.

The Addiction Evaluation has several components including: an addiction assessment, psychiatric assessment, lab work, history and physical, psychological evaluation and testing, collateral information gathering, and neuropsychological screening. A polygraph examination can be included for an additional fee.

Comprehensive Evaluation

The Comprehensive Evaluation takes place over the course of two to three days, typically on an outpatient basis. Residential level evaluations are conducted as needed. This evaluation is broad in scope and can be tailored to encompass questions of disruptive workplace behavior, psychiatric concerns (e.g., bipolar disorder), personality disorder, trauma, eating disorder, or questions about cognitive or intellectual functioning, while also including attention to substance use issues.

The Comprehensive Evaluation has several components including: an addiction assessment, psychiatric assessment, lab work, history and physical, psychological evaluation and testing, collateral information gathering, and neuropsychological screening. A polygraph examination can be included for an additional fee.

Comprehensive Cognitive Evaluation

The Comprehensive Cognitive Evaluation takes place over the course of three to four days, typically on an outpatient basis. Residential level evaluations are conducted as needed. This evaluation is designed to evaluate cognitive functioning as well as assess for a wide array of other potential concerns including: substance use disorders, disruptive behavior, psychiatric disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder), personality disorders, trauma, and eating disorders. This evaluation is individualized and is comprised of several components including (but not limited to): comprehensive neuropsychological testing, addiction assessment, psychiatric assessment, psychological evaluation and testing, lab work, history and physical, and collateral information gathering. A polygraph examination can be included for an additional fee.

Neuropsychological Evaluation

The Neuropsychological Evaluation is a comprehensive assessment of brain-mediated cognitive functions. The data from a neuropsychological evaluation is used to assess an individual’s current level of cognitive functioning to:

  • Determine the presence, nature, and degree of persisting cognitive and emotional deficits.
  • Establish the probable relationship between the patient’s current neurobehavioral status and medical history.
  • Evaluate the functional significance of such deficits.

A licensed psychologist, who specializes in neuropsychology, conducts a clinical interview with the patient, and others if available, who can provide additional information about the patient’s status. The evaluation also includes administering a comprehensive standardized test battery.

The battery of neuropsychological testing is comprised of a number of procedures designed to evaluate function in the following domains: general intelligence, attention/concentration, sensation/perception, language, emotional status, new learning and memory, and higher level cognition-executive function.

Psychosexual Evaluation

The Psychosexual Evaluation takes place over three days on an outpatient basis. The focus of this evaluation is comprehensive and encompasses a wide variety of issues, but includes specialized assessment of potentially problematic sexual behaviors (e.g., sexual compulsivity) as well as both sexual and non-sexual boundary issues.

The Psychosexual Evaluation has several components including: addiction assessment, psychiatric assessment, lab work, history and physical, psychological evaluation and testing, collateral information gathering, specific testing for sexual dependency issues, neuropsychological screening, and polygraph testing.

Evaluation Cost

For more information about Pine Grove’s Evaluation Center please contact our assessment office at 1-888-574-HOPE (4673).

Evaluation Program Staff

Leah Claire Bennett, Ph.D.

Dr. Leah Claire Bennett is a licensed psychologist with Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services, where she serves as the organization’s Clinical Operations Director. In this role, she provides clinical direction and supervision for Pine Grove’s addiction treatment programs including the Women’s Center, Legacy, Gratitude, and Next Step. Dr. Bennett also oversees Pine Grove’s professional treatment programs, including the Professional Enhancement Program, known as PEP, and Pine Grove’s Professionals Recovery Track, which is designed for the organization’s addiction treatment patients who hold a professional license. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Baylor University in Waco, TX and her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Counseling Psychology from The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS. Dr. Bennett has worked with the Professional Enhancement Program since 2005 where the focus is working with professionals with vocational and relational issues, maladaptive personality problems, addiction, disruptive workplace behavior and sexual issues. Dr. Bennett’s primary focus is to help patients who have struggled in a variety of ways live their lives in a manner where they are able to engage at their highest potential.

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Lacey Herrington, Ph.D.

Dr. Lacey Herrington is a licensed psychologist with the Evaluation Center at Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services. She is also works with the Professionals Recovery Track, which provides daily group therapy addressing issues of professionalism for professionals receiving treatment in Pine Grove’s residential programs. She earned her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Mississippi State University in 2008, as well as her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The University of Southern Mississippi in 2015. Dr. Herrington completed her pre-doctoral internship at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, LA from 2014-2015. She was licensed in 2017. Her primary interests include: assessment, personality disorders, substance use disorders, forensic psychology, and trauma.

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Matthew Holcomb, Ph.D.

Dr. Matthew Holcomb is a neuropsychologist licensed in Mississippi and Louisiana and a faculty member of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology – New Orleans at Xavier University’s Clinical PsyD program. Dr. Holcomb received his Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Mississippi State University and Ph.D. in School Psychology from Ball State University. He completed a doctoral internship in Neuropsychology at the London Health Sciences Center and a two-year fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Dartmouth Medical School.

Dr. Holcomb is on staff with Jefferson Neurobehavioral Group in LA and MS and provides a variety of psychological and neuropsychological evaluations across the lifespan. He is experienced with a wide range of clinical, medical, and neurological conditions including epilepsy, cancer, mood and anxiety disorders, concussion, TBI, and ADHD.

Dr. Holcomb is also actively engaged in research and has published multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals as well as presenting his findings at both national and international conferences.

Greg Futral, Ph.D., CSAT-S, NCC

Dr. Greg Futral is a licensed psychologist and the Director of the Gratitude program at Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services where he previously served as Clinical Director. He earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in Counseling Psychology from The University of Southern Mississippi. He began working for Pine Grove in 2000 on the adult psychiatric inpatient unit as a Clinical Therapist, and he served as a therapist on the alcohol and drug inpatient unit as well. Dr. Futral completed his pre-doctoral internship at the VA Medical Center in Biloxi, MS, providing assessment and clinical services to veterans with various difficulties, such as PTSD, depression, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injury. His dissertation research was in the area of motivational enhancement interventions and anger. His background includes work with individuals in acute crisis, with a range of severity of psychological problems, with chemical addictions in a residential setting, as well as training and experience with cognitive-behavioral treatment for problematic anger. Dr. Futral has been working with the Gratitude program since 2009. He is Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and Supervisor (CSAT-S) and a National Certified Counselor.

Julie D. Teater, PsyD, CTM

Dr. Julie Teater is a licensed clinical psychologist with the Evaluation Center at Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services. Dr. Teater holds a doctorate degree in psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychologist in Chicago. She is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals and a Certified Threat Manager. Dr. Teater has practiced clinical and forensic psychology since 1998, providing expert testimony and consultations for prosecution and defense in military courts martial, federal, state, and local courts. She also provides evaluations for private attorneys, municipalities, and critical public safety agencies across the Gulf Coast. In addition to her forensic practice, Dr. Teater provides diagnostic evaluations for various mental disorders for local medical practitioners.

Chaz Richardson, DO

Dr. Charles “Chaz” Richardson is a graduate of Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, in Blacksburg, VA and completed his psychiatry residency at The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS. Dr. Richardson completed his fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry at Emory University in Atlanta, GA and is a member of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, American Psychiatric Association, and Mississippi State Medical Association. Dr. Richardson joined the Pine Grove staff in 2018 and currently evaluates and treats adult patients for Pine Grove’s inpatient and residential treatment programs.

Michael E. Lester, PhD

Dr. Michael Lester is a postdoctoral fellow with the Evaluation Center at Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services, he is also involved with Pine Grove’s Professionals Recovery Track. Dr. Lester earned a master’s and doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS and completed his pre-doctoral internship at Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System in Biloxi, MS. Dr. Lester’s clinical interests include the treatment and assessment of personality disorders. His research has focused primarily on establishing the external validity of evidenced-based therapies.

Amanda C. Watts, Psy.D., BCBA

Amanda Watts is a postdoctoral psychology fellow at Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services. Dr. Watts currently works in the Gratitude and Next Step Programs, and has also worked at Pine Grove’s Professional Enhancement Program, Professional’s Recovery Track, Evaluation Center, Employee Assistance Program, and Legacy Program. She has worked in a number of other areas including inpatient acute psychiatric care, integrated primary care, community mental health, substance abuse treatment with college students, and the comprehensive assessment and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Watts completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Florida Institute of Technology. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, with Master’s degrees in Applied Behavior Analysis (dual track in Organizational Behavior Management) and Psychology. Her professional interests include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, program development, and the assessment and treatment of addiction, trauma, and personality disorders.

Thomas Pough, MS, CSAT, CMAT

Thomas Pough has worked as an addiction professional for more than 30 years. Pough has treated individuals struggling with chemical dependency, compulsive gambling, compulsive sexual behaviors, sexual offensive behaviors, and co-dependency. Currently, Pough is busy treating patients in private practice in Hattiesburg, MS., and he works with Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services as a consultant for its Gratitude program, which treats sexual addiction. Thomas Pough earned his Master’s degree from William Carey University, and has obtained certifications in sex addiction therapy (CSAT) and multiple addictions (CMAT).