Forensic Evaluators: Their History and Their Role in the Industry

Psychological forensic evaluations have historically been dominated by psychiatrists and psychologists, with credentialing bodies specifically designed to serve these professionals by providing the necessary training and certification. As a result, over 200,000 licensed mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, and substance abuse professionals in the United States have largely been excluded from this fascinating and potentially lucrative area of the mental health field (HHS, 2002; SAMHSA). According to SAMHSA (2020), there are more than 88,500 licensed psychologists and approximately 300 certified forensic psychologists in the United States (ABFP, 2020). SAMHSA’s data (2020) also indicates that there are about 96,000 mental health counselors, 26,258 clinically trained psychiatrists, 97,290 social workers, and 47,111 marriage and family therapists practicing nationwide.