Family Based Treatment Expert Witnesses

Newport Beach, California

Mental Health, Substance Abuse - eating disorder, trauma, PTSD, anorexia, bulimia, obsessive compulsive disorder, OCD, substance abuse, substance use, overdose, treatment, social work, cognitive behavioral therapy, family based treatment, addiction, anxiety, depression, suicide, EMDR, psychology

Sarah Burney, LCSW, CEDS-S, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist & Supervisor with over a decade of clinical and leadership experience. She provides expert witness services in cases involving eating disorders, psychiatric standard of care, trauma, and complex mental health conditions. Her areas of expertise include: Eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, ARFID) Psychiatric standard of care and negligence Acute and complex trauma (including PTSD) Substance use disorders Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Depressive and anxiety disorders Level of care determinations (inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP, outpatient) Risk assessment and clinical decision-making Ms. Burney has extensive experience treating patients across the full continuum of care, including inpatient and outpatient treatment settings for eating disorders, mental health, and substance use disorders. She previously served as a Director at one of ...

San Diego, California

Mental Health, Child Abuse - Children's Mental Health, Bullying, Child Depression/ Anxiety, Foster Care, CPS Investigations, Child Protective Services, Childhood Trauma, Family Violence, Family Based Treatment, Behavioral Health, Social Work, Pediatric Mental Health, Reunification, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Early Childhood Development

Ashley Tapia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California and Texas specializing in child and family mental health. Ms. Tapia earned her Master of Social Work in 2019 from California State University, Long Beach. She has four years of experience working as a Protective Services Worker with Child Welfare Services in both Orange County and San Diego County. In this role, she conducted child abuse and neglect investigations, assessed child safety and risk, and worked closely with families involved in the dependency court system. She also provided reunification services, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to support family stability and promote safe parent–child relationships. Since 2022, Ms. Tapia has provided psychotherapy services in children’s mental health in both inpatient and outpatient settings, serving as a clinician and program manager. In these roles, she has delivered intensive individual, group, and family psychotherapy to children and adolescents betw...