ABOUT DR. KAREN VAN BEYER
Karen van Beyer is an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Tulane University School of Medicine. She teaches in both Child and Forensic Divisions within the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology.
She received her Doctorate in Sociology and Masters degree in Social Work from Tulane University and completed post-doctoral training in Child psychotherapy at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
As a professor, her primary role is to teach residents and fellows in Psychiatry about normal family development, family analysis, and family therapy. She teaches forensic and child fellows as well as social workers and psychologists at how to conduct custody evaluations. She serves the domestic courts in Orleans, Jefferson, and nearby parishes as an expert in child custody evaluation.
Dr. van Beyer also developed the only program in Forensic Social Work in the United States at Tulane University School of Social Work. She is a past president of the national Association of Forensic Social Work.
Please contact Dr. van Beyer if you would like a copy of her curriculum vitae.
CLINIC HISTORY
The Child Custody and Mediation Clinic was started by Dr. van Beyer in 1993 when she was an assistant professor at LSU Medical School in the division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Disputed custody cases were referred to the clinic by the courts in Orleans and Jefferson.
As a part of their training, child custody evaluation was taught to Child Psychiatry Fellows, Child Psychologists and Social Workers. This course for mental health professionals continues to date. It teaches the process of custody evaluation as well as family systems analysis, custody statues and case law, the domestic court system, and the role of the evaluator.
In 2000, the Clinic followed Dr. van Beyer when she was hired at Tulane in the Division of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry. At that time, Psychiatry Fellows in both Child and Forensic Divisions at both Tulane and LSU Health Sciences Centers trained at the clinic.
In 2006 Dr. van Beyer and the clinic moved to Metairie. The clinic continues training Child and Forensic Psychiatry Fellows as well as Psychologists and Social Workers.