Professional Evaluations for Adopting Parents

Adoption Evaluations for New Parents

Adoption is an exciting process, but it can also be complicated. If you're looking to adopt, you may be wondering how to go about getting an evaluation. The Cognitive Behavior Institute (CBI) in Pittsburgh can help.

Adoption evaluations are required by Pennsylvania law for all adoptions, and they can be conducted by either a licensed psychologist or a certified social worker. The purpose of the evaluation is to ensure that the adoptive family is prepared to provide a safe and nurturing home for the child.

If you're in need of compassionate, detailed, and professional adoption evaluation services, look no further than CBI. Our team of experts will work with you to ensure that your family is ready for the adoption process. Contact us today to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment.

Expert Counseling from Certified Divorce Mediators

Divorce Mediation from a Certified Professional

Deciding to end a marriage is never an easy conclusion to come to. There are a spectrum of emotions that one feels when their marital journey has come to a crossroad.

Seeking the support of a Certified Divorce Mediator at CBI allows the couple to make their own decisions on the aesthetics of their divorce.  Mediation allows couples to stay out of court avoiding costly litigation, helps couples avoid communication breakdown, and reduces the chance of division of property, assets and custodial terms being decided by a judge. At the conclusion of mediation, Divorce Mediators compose a memorandum of understanding that can be presented before the court to pursue an uncontested divorce.

Mediation may be right for you if you and your spouse answer yes to the questions below:

• Are both parties in agreement that they are ready to proceed with obtaining a divorce?

• Are you and your spouse willing and able to have negotiable conversations about the fair and equitable division of your marital assets?

• Are you wanting to be more financially conservative by staying out of costly and lengthy litigation?

• Are both parties willing to be frank and open about their financial situation including assets, investments, liquid cash, etc.?

• Are both parties willing and able to have a fair exchange of terms with regard to custody?

• Are you and your spouse looking to have a say on the terms of your divorce without having matters being determined by a judge?

Spouses with active addiction or a history of domestic violence within their relationship are not a good fit for mediation.

In mediation, a third (neutral) party supports couples in the decision-making process in the resolution of the following areas (although not limited to):

• Fair and equitable distribution of property and finances (assets, investments, keepsakes, etc)

• Child/custody parenting with fair and equitable division of time

• Child/spousal support

It is the hope and intent with mediation procedures, that there are more expeditious and agreeable decision-making outcomes.  It should be noted that reaching an agreement is sometimes met more quickly and with less resistance and thus there may be areas that require greater communication and a willingness for malleability.  Mediators can aid in the bridging of dialogue to help a couple reach an agreement.

There is a greater tendency in mediation for couples to walk away feeling as though they were able to retain or obtain what it is they wanted from the divorce while doing so on their own terms with far less discord amongst the parties.

The cost for mediation services at Cognitive Behavior Institute is $250 per hour and is not covered by insurance. Mediation is typically a more financially feasible option for couples over the cost of litigation. If you’re interested in pursuing mediation, schedule a consultation with our team of Certified Divorce Mediators today.

Psychological Testing

We perform comprehensive psychological testing evaluations that blend cognitive, neuropsychological, social-emotional, personality and behavioral assessment to provide a comprehensive evaluation of one’s individual functioning. This is a specialized service provided by staff trained in psychological testing.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING SERVICES(opens in a new tab)