Areas of Expertise: Addiction & Substance Abuse; Pain Medicine; Traumatic Brain Injury; Medical Evaluators — IME‑QME; Telemedicine; Addiction Psychology; Child Custody, Adoption & Welfare; Child Custody & Welfare; Community Mental Health; Disabled & Elder Abuse; Domestic Violence; Spousal Abuse; Neurology — Sleep Medicine; Sexual Abuse, Misconduct; Child Abuse; Adolescent & Child Psychology; Child Sexual Abuse; Child Sex Abuse; Developmental Psychology; Eyewitness Testimony, Memory; Eyewitnesses & Memory; Divorce & Marriage Dissolution; Forensic Psychology; Neurology Pain Medicine; Neurology — Pain Medicine; Neuropsychology; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder — PTSD; Psychology — Clinical; Psychosomatic Medicine; Neurophysiology; Psychiatry — Hospice & Palliative; Hospice & Palliative Medicine, Psychiatry; Behavioral Sciences.
Dr. Ernst is the founder and director of the Pacific Forensic Group, a firm of nine highly specialized experts in the areas of Forensic Psychology, Neuropsychology, and Neurology. Dr. Ernst specializes in PTSD, Testamentary Capacity and Undue Influence, and Mitigation and Resentencing. He is Board Certified in Forensic Psychology and an Associate Clinical Professor in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry.
The Pacific Forensic Group is unique in having experts who conduct forensic evaluation in Spanish and English. We collectively have specialized expertise in litigation related to Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD, Testamentary Capacity and Undue Influence (with related Dementia or Complex Medical Presentations), Employment Discrimination and Harassment, Standard of Care, Nursing Home Care, Toxic Exposure, Child and Adult Personal Injury, Fitness for Duty, Disability, Parenting Evaluations, IME's, Mitigation and Resentencing, Veterans and Active Duty Military, Juvenile Transfer Hearings, Franklin Evaluations, NGRI, Violence and Sexual Violence Risk Assessment, Malingering, Stress Response (Fight or Flight), Diversion, Defense Base Act, Standard of Care (Psychology, Neurology), Military Court Child Witness Credibility, Disputed Confession, and Adolescent Brain Development.
Our group of colleagues include:
-Dr. Peter Brain Andersson, Board Certified Neurologist, Specializing in Traumatic Brain Injury, Neurocognitive Disorders, Multiple Sclerosis
-Dr. Charles Filanosky, Board Certified Rehabilitation Psychologist, Specializing in Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD
-Dr. David Contreras, Board Certified Forensic Psychologist, Specializing in Juvenile Competency to Stand Trial, Transfer/Waiver to Adult Court, Juvenile Sexual Offenses
-Dr. Lisa Kalich, Board Certified Forensic Psychologist, Specializing in Personal Injury, Parenting Capacity, Sexual Offender and Violence Risk Assessment for Adults and Juveniles, Disability, Child Witness Issues.
-Dr. Jerry Lockhart, Board Certified Forensic Psychologist, Bilingual (Spanish-English Specializing in Juvenile Competency and SVP consultation
-Dr. Laurel Mattos, Forensic Psychologist, Specializing in Trial Competency, NGRI, Mental Health Diversion, Violence Risk Assessment
-Dr. Elise Yenne, Forensic Psychologist, Specializing in Juvenile and Adult Trial Competency, Violence Risk Assessment Transfer Hearings
-Dr. Mario Souza, Bilingual (Spanish-English) Forensic Psychologist, Specializing in Violence Risk, Sex Offender Risk, Insanity, Mitigation, and Mental Health Diversion
We are available for in person and zoom forensic evaluations depending upon the case specifics. Please utilize our website to learn more about our forensic and medical-legal services in civil, criminal, probate, and employment law.