Forensic Psychology Capability Statement

Who We Are

Evolve Wellbeing Psychology is a Queensland-based psychology practice providing forensic‑informed psychological assessment and reporting to support statutory decision‑making, legal processes, and risk‑informed planning.

We deliver psychologically rigorous, evidence‑based reports that assist courts, government agencies, and legal representatives to make informed, proportionate, and defensible decisions. Our forensic work is grounded in clinical expertise, statutory literacy, and an understanding of how psychological evidence is used in real‑world legal and regulatory contexts.

We do not act as advocates. Our role is to provide balanced, objective psychological analysis that assists decision‑makers to understand risk, protective factors, and relevant psychosocial context.

We operate across Queensland and are able to deliver services statewide, including to regional and remote areas, using approved and appropriate assessment methods.

Our Forensic-Informed Services

Evolve Wellbeing Psychology provides forensic‑informed psychological reports for use in lower court and statutory proceedings, with primary experience supporting:

  • Magistrates Court matters
    (including bail and sentencing contexts)

  • Children’s Court proceedings Statutory decision‑making by Child Safety Queensland and related agencies

  • CourtLink‑commissioned psychological assessments

  • Reports requested by legal representatives to support mitigation, background context, or risk‑informed planning

Our services include, but are not limited to:

  • Parenting capacity assessments

  • Child risk, harm, and safety assessments

  • Psychological background and contextual reports for criminal matters

  • Bail‑related psychological assessments and support reports

  • Sentencing mitigation reports

  • CourtLink psychological assessments

  • Youth justice‑related psychological assessments

  • Mental health and cognitive screening relevant to legal and statutory questions

All reports are tailored to the referral question, jurisdictional context, and intended decision‑maker.

Scope and Professional Boundaries

Our assessments are forensic‑informed rather than expert witness services, unless specifically instructed otherwise. Reports are prepared to assist understanding of psychological functioning, risk, and contextual factors; they do not seek to determine guilt, legal liability, or outcomes.

Evolve Wellbeing Psychology explicitly does not provide:

  • Sexual offender risk assessments

  • Violence risk assessments using actuarial instruments
    Actuarial risk prediction tools

  • This ensures clarity of scope, ethical integrity, and alignment with our clinicians’ areas of expertise.

Our Approach

Evidence‑Based and Defensible

Our assessments are grounded in recognised psychological theory, clinical best practice, and contemporary research. We synthesise information from multiple sources, including clinical interviews, collateral information, records review, and standardised measures where appropriate.

Statutory and Court‑Aware

Our clinicians understand the thresholds, expectations, and scrutiny applied to psychological material in statutory and court settings. Reports are structured, clear, and written in language appropriate for non‑clinical decision‑makers while retaining clinical integrity.

Trauma‑Informed and Developmentally Informed

Our work recognises the impact of trauma, cumulative harm, and systemic involvement on psychological functioning. Assessments involving children and young people are developmentally informed and sensitive to family, cultural, and environmental context.

Objective and Independent

We maintain professional independence and clear boundaries. Our role is not advocacy but the provision of balanced psychological analysis that assists fair and proportionate decision‑making.

Experience With Statutory and Legal Contexts

Our forensic clinicians bring extensive experience working within and alongside:

  • Child Safety Queensland and child protection systems

  • Youth justice and out‑of‑home care contexts

  • CourtLink assessment frameworks

  • Inter‑agency statutory environments

  • Legal practitioners seeking psychologically informed reporting for court use

This experience informs reports that are practical, relevant, and aligned with real‑world decision‑making processes.

Quality, Governance, and Ethics

Evolve Wellbeing Psychology operates within all relevant professional, ethical, and legislative frameworks, including AHPRA and APS standards.

We maintain robust clinical governance, supervision, and quality assurance processes to ensure consistency, reliability, and defensibility of our forensic‑informed work.

Key Personnel

Renee Hall – Psychologist

Renee Hall brings extensive experience conducting forensic‑informed assessments for adults and young people involved in statutory and justice systems. Her background includes over two decades working within Australian child protection frameworks, including senior leadership roles.

Renee has substantial expertise in conducting comprehensive, evidence‑based assessments under legal and statutory scrutiny. Her work includes synthesising information from multiple sources to inform risk assessment, protective factors, and intervention suitability.

Her practice is developmentally informed, trauma‑responsive, and firmly grounded in psychological principles and statutory requirements.

Renee has a particular strength in contextualising behaviour within developmental history, mental health functioning, and social environment, supporting fair and informed decision‑making by courts and statutory authorities

Kelly Winwood-Lanham – Psychologist

Kelly Winwood‑Lanham has significant experience working within the child protection system, including time in dedicated child safety investigation teams.

Her work has involved gathering, analysing, and evaluating information to assess harm, risk, and safety for children and families.

Kelly has extensive experience preparing detailed investigative and psychological reports, including affidavits for Child Protection Order applications, and presenting findings within legal contexts when required.

She has also completed psychological assessments through CourtLink, contributing to court‑informed understanding of cognitive and mental health factors.

Kelly’s approach is analytical, structured, and objective, with a strong capacity to integrate clinical assessment with statutory and legal expectations.

Why Engage Evolve Wellbeing Psychology

  • Clear scope and ethical boundaries

  • Strong statutory and court literacy

  • Clinicians with deep child protection and justice system experience

  • Trauma‑informed, developmentally appropriate assessment

  • Reports designed for practical decision‑making, not academic abstraction

  • Statewide Queensland service capability

Engagement

Referrals are accepted from government agencies, legal practitioners, and authorised services. Each assessment is scoped to the referral question and statutory context to ensure relevance, clarity, and professional integrity.

For further information or referral discussions, please contact Evolve Wellbeing Psychology.