Forensic Psychiatric Evaluations - FAQ

A Forensic Psychiatrist is a board-certified medical psychiatrist (M.D.) who has received further education and training in a subspecialty of psychiatry that focuses on the interface between legal issues and clinical psychiatry.

Forensic Psychiatry examines cases which have mental health questions that must be answered for a legal matter.  Frequently, these questions arise in civil lawsuits or criminal cases, involving topics such as claims of mental health injury such as posttraumatic stress disorder, but may extend to other mental health questions involving specific competency, dangerousness, or other mental health concerns such as addiction and behavior. 

Dr. Giakas is a psychiatrist with over 30 years of clinical and forensic experience.  He earned a degree in biochemistry from Cornell University, earned his medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and completed his four year residency training in psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry.  Dr. Giakas is board-certified in Adult Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Giakas created a large clinical practice in Northern Illinois, called Rockford Psychiatric Medical Services, which is now Geode Health - Rockford.  He has extensive clinical experience in the outpatient and inpatient psychiatric setting, and has advanced psychopharmacologic experience along with extensive experience in neuromodulation therapies such as TMS and ECT.  

Dr. Giakas provides psychiatric consultation and testimony for attorneys and courts and works with both plaintiffs and defendants in forensic matters.