PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE PARENT EVALUATIONS
Are you wanting to adopt a child from India and need a psychologist’s evaluation report?
Dr. Franklin is an experienced psychological evaluator and familiar with the instruments identified by the Indian adoption authority to be used for such an evaluation. For example, Dr. Franklin has written over 100 reports using the MMPI-2-RF (the MMPI type tests satisfy the Indian specification) while certified by the state of California Division of Worker Compensation medical unit as a qualified medical evaluator.
How does Dr. Franklin handle the potential cultural differences between Indian-American prospective parents and Indian officials who might be reading his report?
Dr. Franklin is familiar with the cultural issues relevant to such an evaluation. He will review with you the potential issues so that you may reflect on how you want to answer during the clinical interview. Potential issues include lifestyle choices that are more acceptable in the US than might be to some Indian officials, such as dating, love-marriage, not living with one’s parents, and drinking alcohol socially, to name a few. Additionally, Dr. Franklin understands that Indian officials might expect—and other Western psychologists might neglect (due to Western culture’s focus on the nuclear-family)—a thorough inclusion of extended family members’ degree of supportiveness for an adoption and availability to help with childcare that an Indian official might expect to be addressed.
What is the process?
The Indian government’s stipulations specify that the interview be face-to-face and include separate and conjoint interviews of the prospective adoptive parents. This process takes about 4 hours total. Dr. Franklin first sits with the couple to review the legal issues, the topics to be covered, and the schedule for the evaluation. This usually takes 15 minutes. Then one member of the couple goes into the next room to take a computerized psychological test (45-60 minutes) and other pen-and-paper questionnaires (45 minutes). These cannot be emailed for filling out because Dr. Franklin must attest that you are the one who filled them out. Additionally, he wants to be on hand in case you have any questions. In the meantime, he interviews your partner and conducts a mental status exam. Then you switch places. At the end, he interviews the couple together about your future plans and motivation for adoption, two of the areas stipulated (20 minutes).
Afterwards he writes up the report, sends a copy to the American-side adoption agency, and has the original copy of the report notarized.
How much does it cost?
Dr. Franklin charges $250/hour for interviewing and for report writing. If both members of the couple are present (one taking the test while the other is interviewed), there is no additional charge. If one person comes one day and the other another day, then he charges per hour for each person, separately. A deposit of $1000 is required in advance. If you cancel more than 4 business days in advance, your deposit is fully refundable. If you cancel less than business 4 days in advance, and Dr. Franklin is able to book other clients or patients for that time slot, he will refund your deposit for the amount that he is able to re-book.