Curriculum Vitae
Personal Statement and Philosophy
I provide a variety of psychological services with specialization in forensic and neuropsychological assessment as well as providing supporting expert testimony. I have completed over 600 evaluations for the courts, ranging from Family Court to Federal District Court. I am fluent in Spanish and have published works related to assessment of non-dominant populations, including Hispanic clients and I have co-edited books under the topic of cultural considerations for psychological assessment of Asian Americans and African Americans.
My practice is founded on a model of evidence-based evaluation and treatment. I start from a thorough psychodiagnostic evaluation, as the foundation of good treatment is an accurate diagnosis, and assessments are custom tailored to answer the referral question as well as meet statutory requirements, with an ultimate goal of best meeting the needs of the client’s evaluative objective and/or treatment. I use the most current assessment measures so long as they are supported by solid scientific support.
Relevant Clinical Experience inclusive of Private Practice
October 2011 to Present
Private Practice
Primary Responsibilities Include: Forensic and Neuropsychological Assessment and the provision of psychotherapeutic services for individuals, families and couples ages ranging from 3 years old and up. These services include clinical interviews, treatment and a wide range of psychological assessments in a community based setting including: forensic evaluations of capacity (e.g. testamentary, medical decision making, parental), competency and risk assessments as well as child custody evaluations; immigration evaluations, neuropsychological evaluations; substance abuse. In addition to clinical work, this job entails community outreach, and program development related to the available services.
January 2013 to August 2017
Lake’s Crossing Center
Primary Responsibilities Include: Forensic Psychological evaluations of mental illness related to competency, risk and criminal responsibility as well as related treatment for competency and serious mental illness. Treatment and evaluation are provided within a multi-disciplinary setting at the State of Nevada’s Forensic Hospital, Lake’s Crossing Center. Expert testimony is provided, when requested to support the evaluations described above.
November 2010 to November 2012 Psychologist
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR): High Desert State Prison
Primary Responsibilities Include:
Subject Matter Expert and Faculty Mentor for Suicide Risk Evaluation and Assessment including the evaluation and acquisition of relevant materials related to statewide and institutional goals, as well as federally mandated court guidelines for remediation including: Psychodiagnostic placement, assessment of feigning of symptoms (malingering), mental health evaluations for Rules Violation Reports, and state mandated assessments for Majorly Disordered Offender evaluation, Interferon pre-placement screening and gender reassignment screening. Additionally, this job required new employee training, as well as remedial training related to clinical and crisis based assessment for employees in need of retraining to address professional growth needs.
Additional duties included: Clinical Case Management; the coordination for the provision of mental health services among mental health treatment providers (eg. Psychiatry, Social Workers, Therapists, Nursing) and Custodial staff who were involved in acute and chronic provision of psychotherapeutic, psychodiagnostic and crisis services for inmates in the CDCR system.
July 2010- November 2010 Postdoctoral Scholar/Psychologist
University of Nevada Reno: Victims of Crime Treatment Center
Primary Responsibilities Included: The provision of psychotherapeutic services to child and adult victims of childhood physical abuse. This required coordination and communication with a multitude of governmental and private agencies, whom have contact with individuals who have been childhood victims of abuse. Additional responsibilities included the coordination and supervision of undergraduate research assistants for community based research and academic development.
Primary Supervisor:William O’Donohue, Ph.D.
2009-2010 Clinical Psychology Intern
Kaiser Permanente, Department of Mental Health
Primary responsibilities included providing psychological services for: acute crisis intervention, therapy, assessment and community based educational services. This was an interdisciplinary setting that included, physicians, nurses and other mental health workers, in order to provided coordinated treatment for mental health issues, with a diverse population, located within a rural agricultural community.
Primary Supervisor: Steven Nichols, Ph.D.
2008-2009 Clinical Psychology Practicum Trainee
University of Puerto Rico, Medical School, Department of Neurology, Pediatric Unit
Primary responsibilities included: providing psychological assessment for pediatric clients with neurological disorders (predominantly epilepsy), as well as educational assessment for pervasive developmental disorders. Neuropsychological assessments for adults were also conducted for clients with either a confirmed or preliminary diagnose of Multiple Sclerosis. Training in all aspects of assessment including test administration, interpretation, and integrated report writing were emphasized. Training also included interdisciplinary meetings for treatment planning for all patients served by the hospital’s department of neurology. Populations included predominantly Spanish speaking children and adults of the metropolitan area of San Juan, PR as well as outlying areas.
Primary Supervisor:Liza San Miguel Montes, Psy.D.
Selected Publications:
Refereed Articles:
1. Allen D.N., Leany B.D., Thaler N.S., Cross C, Sutton GP, Mayfield J. (2010). Memory and Attention Profiles in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury. Archives of Clinical Nueropsychology.
2. Thomas, J.D., Leany, B.D., & Riley, E.P. (2003). Differential vulnerability to motor
deficits in second replicate HAS and LAS following neonatal alcohol exposure.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, 75 (1), 17-24.
Edited Books:
2.Benuto, L.B., Leany, B.D. & Thaler, N. (Eds.)(2014). Guide to Psychological Assessment with Asian. New York, NY: Springer.
3.Benuto, L.B., Leany, B.D. & Thaler, N. (Eds.)(2015). Guide to Psychological Assessment with African Americans. New York, NY: Springer.
Book Sections:
Leany, B.D. &Benuto, L. T. (2018). Cultural Considerations in the Assessment of Sexually Violent Predators. In Sexually Violent Predators Clinical Science Handbook. Springer International Publishing.
Casas, J.& Leany, B. D.(2017). Tools for restoring legal competency with Latinos. In Toolkit for Counseling Spanish-Speaking Clients. Springer International Publishing.
Leany, B. D. (2016). Seriously Mentally Ill and Integrated Care Among Hispanic Populations. In Enhancing Behavioral Health in Latino Populations(pp. 297-309). Springer International Publishing.
Benuto, L. T., Wainwright, K. A., &Leany, B. D. (2014). Assessment of Dementia: Screening for Cognitive Decline with Asian Clients. In Guide to Psychological Assessment with Asians (pp. 291-304). Springer New York.
Leany, B. D., Benuto, L. T., & Thaler, N. S. (2014). Neuropsychological Assessment with Asian American Clients. In Guide to Psychological Assessment with Asians (pp. 427-441). Springer New York.
Benuto, L. T.,Leany, B. D., Thaler, N. S., & Yonesawa, A. (2014). Assessing Risk, Recidivism, and Dangerousness in Asians. In Guide to Psychological Assessment with Asians (pp. 443-451). Springer New York.
Leany, B. D., & Benuto, L. T. (2014). Forensic Assessment with the Asian American Client. In Guide to Psychological Assessment with Asians (pp. 453-464). Springer New York.
Benuto, L. T., Leany, B. D., & Lee, A. (2015). Assessing Effort and Malingering with the African American Client. In Guide to Psychological Assessment with African Americans (pp. 79-85). Springer New York.
Benuto, L. T., Soto, C. G., & Leany, B. D.(2015). Screening for Cognitive Decline and Assessment of Dementia with African Americans. In Guide to Psychological Assessment with African Americans (pp. 237-246). Springer New York.
Leany, B. D., Benuto, L. T., & Morra, L. F. (2015). Neuropsychological Assessment with African American Clients. In Guide to Psychological Assessment with African Americans (pp. 289-304). Springer New York.
Benuto, L. T., Leany, B. D., & Garrick, J. (2015). Forensic Assessment with the African American Client. In Guide to Psychological Assessment with African Americans (pp. 313-329). Springer New York.
Bennett, N. M., Leany, B. D., & Benuto, L. T. (2015). Assessing Risk and Recidivism in African Americans. In Guide to Psychological Assessment with African Americans(pp. 305-311). Springer New York.
Leany, B., Benuto, L. and Thaler, N. (2013). Neuropsychological Assessment with Hispanic Clients. In L. Benuto (Ed.), Handbook of Psychological Assessment. New York, NY: Springer.
Cirlugea, O., Benuto, L., & Leany, B. (2013). Assessing Risk, Recidivism, and Dangerousness in Hispanics . In L. Benuto (Eds.) Guide to Psychological Assessment with Hispanics. New York, NY: Springer.
Benuto, L., Leany, B. and Cirguela, A. (2013). Forensic Assessment with the Hispanic Client. In L. Benuto (Ed.), Handbook of Psychological Assessment. New York, NY: Springer.
Benuto, L. and Leany, B.(2013). Assessment of Dementia in the Hispanic Client: A Neuropsychological PerspectiveAssessment of the Hispanic Client in the Forensic Setting. In L. Benuto (Ed.), Handbook of Psychological Assessment. New York, NY: Springer.
Benuto, L., & Leany, B.(2013). Assessing Effort & Malingering with the Hispanic Client . In L. Benuto (Eds.) Guide to Psychological Assessment with Hispanics. New York, NY: Springer.
Leany, B. (2013). Brain Development and Health Implications in Adolescents. In W. T. O'Donohue, L. Benuto and L. Woodward Tolle (Eds.) Handbook of Adolescent Health Psychology. New York, NY: Springer.
Benuto, L.andLeany, B. (2011). Reforms for Women and Minorities. In N. Cummings & W. O’Donohue (Eds.), 21st Century Behavioral Healthcare Reforms: The Promise of Integrated Healthcare. New York, NY: Routledge.
Leany, B, Allen DN, Villamar AJ, Donohue BC (2008). Fetal alcohol syndrome. In GL Fisher and NA Roget (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery. SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA.
Allen, D.N., Strauss, G.P., Leany, B.D. & Donohue, B. (2007). Neuropsychological Assessment of Individuals with Substance Use Disorders. In The Neuropsychology Handbook Third Edition. A. M. Horton, Jr. & D. Wedding. Springer Publishing: New York, 709-732.
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Published Abstracts and Conference Proceedings:
1. Leany, B.D., Knatz, D.T., Mayfield, J., & Allen, D.N. (2006). Sensitivity of the
test of memory and learning (TOMAL) to attention disorders. Applied
Neuropsychology.
2. Park, B.S., Leany,B.D., Mayfield, J. & Allen, D.N. (2006). Structure of attention
in children with traumatic brain injury. Applied Neuropsychology.
3. Leany, B.D., Knatz, D.T., Allen, D.N., & Mayfield, J. (2005). Improvement of
abstraction abilities following brain injury in children. Archives of Clinical
Neuropsychology, 20 (7), 868-869.
Presentations:
1. Benuto, L.T., Leany, B.D., & Haboush, A. (2007, August). Gender Differences in
Body Dissatisfaction and Compensatory Efforts. Poster presented at the 115thAnnual
convention of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.
2. Leany, B.D., Mayfield, J., & Allen, D.N. (2006, October). Further support for the
validity of the Test of Memory and learning (TOMAL) in children with traumatic
brain injury and attention-deficity/hyperacticity disorder. Poster presented at the 26th
Annual National Academy of Neuropsychology Conference, San Antonio, Texas.
3. Park, B., Leany,B.D., & Allen, D.N. (2006, October). Psychometric Properties of a
New Measure of Attention and Working Memory. Poster presented at the 26thAnnual
National Academy of Neuropsychology Conference, San Antonio, Texas.
4. Silver, N., Leany, B.D., & Kambe, Gretchen. (2006, July). Signal word and text color
influences on warning compliance. Talk presented at the 16th World Congress on
Ergonomics, Maastricht, Netherlands.
5. Strauss, G.P., Leany, B.D., Barney, S.J., Kamalani, L., & Allen, D.N. (2006, April).
Positive emotions broaden cognitive functioning. Poster presented at the Western
Psychological Association Conference, Palm Springs, CA.
6. Leany, B.D., Knatz, D.T., Mayfield, J., & Allen, D.N. (2006, January). Sensitivity of
the test of memory and learning (TOMAL) to attention disorders. Poster presented at
the Coalition of Clinical Practitioners in Neuropsychology conference, 3rdAnnual
Meeting, Las Vegas, NV.
7. Park, B.S., Leany,B.D., Mayfield, J. & Allen, D.N. (2006, January). Structure of
attention in children with traumatic brain injury. Poster presented at the Coalition of
Clinical Practitioners in Neuropsychology conference, 3rd Annual Meeting, Las
Vegas, NV.
8. Leany,B.D., Knatz, D.T., Mayfield, J., & Allen, D.N. (2005, October). Improvement
in abstraction abilities following brain injury in children. Poster presented at the 25th
annual National Academy of Neuropsychology Conference, Tampa, FL.
9. Thomas, J.D., Leany, B.D., & Riley, E.P. (2001, April). Differential vulnerability to
motor deficits in second replicate HAS and LAS following neonatal alcohol exposure.
Poster presented at the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association Annual
Conference, Reno, NV.
Specific Teaching Experience:
Lower Division Courses:
Introductory Psychology
Statistics
Introduction to Sociology
Introduction to Political Science
Introduction to Health and Wellness
Research Methods
Upper Division Courses:
Cognitive Psychology
Psychology of Leadership and Management
Abnormal Psychology
Introduction to Clinical Skills
Graduate Courses:
Dissertation Chair
Research Methods
Research and Evaluation
Individual Assessment
Forensic Psychological Assessment
Evaluation and Treatment of the Offender
Substance Abuse Counseling
Operational Psychology
Correctional Psychology
Psychology and the Legal System
Other Experiences:
Law Enforcement Academy Graduate1994-Fayeteville Technical Community College. Fayeteville, N.C.
1992-1994 Forward Observer-13F/Intelligence Analyst-96B: 18thAirborne Corps,
U.S. Army, Fort Bragg, N.C.