Summit Behavioral Healthcare

Inpatient Forensic Evaluations

Summit Behavioral Healthcare is the largest freestanding psychiatric facility in Ohio. It provides services to 300 patients each day. The hospital ranks among the most highly accredited facilities in Cincinnati and Southwest Ohio on JCAHO, Medicare, and Medicaid surveys.

SBH is host to several programs that have won state and national awards, including Psychiatric Hospital of the Year for 2000 by NAMI - Ohio. The current hospital building – built at a cost of $46 million – opened in July 2006.

Throughout the year, patients under the criminal court’s jurisdiction come to SBH’s forensic units for evaluations or treatment related to the adjudicative competence or sanity at the time of the alleged offense.

At SBH, UC fellows serve as independent consultants to the hospital. The fellows evaluate inpatients for dangerousness, violence, risk assessment, competency to stand trial, and sanity and write reports on these evaluations for Ohio courts. In addition, the fellows testify as experts in court on selected cases.

Mock Trial and Video Conference

The UC fellowship participates in a biweekly interactive forensic videoconference series with the forensic fellowship programs of Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland) and the Ohio State University (Columbus). The fellows participate in mock trials and case conferences, which take place on site in the SBH auditorium.

What Do UC Fellows Say About the Summit Rotation?

“I enjoyed the variety of cases at SBH. I appreciated the opportunity to complete movement reports and expert evaluations that added some variety. The staff members are quite welcoming and ready to help whenever I have questions.”

“Great diverse patient population and wonderful facilities. We were able to learn how to do many types of important evaluations at SBH and the teaching and support staff were superb!”

“Wonderful place to work, great staff and facilities. The organization and treatment approach is state of the art, and everyone here goes out of their way to make us feel welcome.”

“Dr. Lehrer is a wonderful resource, an exceptional teacher, and a great mentor. I always left supervision sessions with something new to think about.”