Dr. Joette James completed her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, her internship at Harvard Medical School/Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) in Washington, DC. After completing her postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. James was employed at CNMC as a staff neuropsychologist for seven years, where she participated in the training of graduate students, interns, and postdoctoral residents. During that time, she also served as the chief inpatient and outpatient neuropsychologist at HSC Pediatric Center, a sub-acute rehabilitation facility in Washington, DC that is affiliated with Children’s National Medical Center. Dr. James held an appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at George Washington University. Dr. James is board-certified in clinical neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). She regularly presents to local, state, and national organization on topics related to clinical and forensic neuropsychology. Dr. James’s research interests have included executive-functioning in individuals with high-functioning Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, and the development of psychosocial interventions for this population.

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Within the SOAR Program, Dr. James’s specialty is evaluation. She is an expert in diagnosis and neuropsychological assessment of individuals of all ages. Dr. James provides customized assessments for those with neurodevelopmental disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, and intellectual disability. She also provides social-emotional evaluations, including those for emotional and behavioral concerns. Dr. James writes detailed, readable reports, with personalized recommendations for all aspects of life, based on the needs of each patient and/or family. She seeks to understand strengths and vulnerabilities in order to improve overall functioning, health, and well-being. Dr. James happily coordinates with other providers and members of each patient’s team. She works directly with each of her patients, for the duration of the evaluation, so that her behavioral observations and experience can inform findings and recommendations.

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Dr. James also has expertise in forensic neuropsychological consultation and evaluations. Over the past 10 years, she has testified as an expert on a variety of cases, in numerous states. Her forensic work has included death penalty litigation, general mitigation, juvenile life without parole litigation, competency to stand trial, and juvenile waiver/transfer matters. Within the SOAR Program, Dr. James is providing Forensic Consultation as well. Forensic consultation brings to bear psychological expertise as it relates to comprehensive preparation of a client’s case in civil or criminal legal proceedings. The forensic consultant is an active member of the client’s team, attending team meetings, collaborating with other experts on the case, reviewing documents, and when appropriate, meeting the client and attending hearings. The activities of a forensic consultant include, but are not limited to:

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• Reviewing documents and psychological data for the purpose of mitigation and further development of the case
• Assisting in the development of legal strategy as it relates to psychological factors and specific diagnostic criteria (e.g., IQ data in Atkins intellectual disability cases)
• Identifying and assisting in the selection of additional content experts (e.g. related to trauma, substance abuse, unusual medical or genetic conditions)
• Preparing witnesses (including content experts with limited experience in the forensic arena) for direct and cross-examination

• Managing behavioral, cognitive, and emotional challenges experienced by the client
• Strengthening the team’s relationship with the client
• Assisting the team in addressing the role of cultural factors

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Dr. James also provides peer consultation to support other psychologists and neuropsychologists within the field. This service is particularly helpful to those just beginning on the forensic path.

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In her free time, Dr. James enjoys travelling (she has been to 63 countries and counting!), collecting art, studying Italian, singing at her church, and learning as much as she can about coffee and wine. She is currently a mentor to an extremely cute 7-year-old boy, and she is also pursuing a Master’s degree in Art History.