Pediatric Mental Health Expert Witnesses

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...

Vallejo, California

Mental Health, Social Work - Children's Mental Health, Child Welfare, Standard of Care, Residential Treatment, Group Home, Behavioral Health, Drug and Alcohol Treatment, Inpatient Treatment, Substance Use Treatment, Social Work, Residential Care, Addiction Treatment, Children's Behavioral Health, Children's Therapy, Pediatric Mental Health, Trauma Treatment

Matthew Madaus, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 35 years of leadership experience in the behavioral health field. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Behavioral Health Collaborative of Alameda County, an association of nonprofit mental health and substance use treatment providers. Member agencies deliver services to more than 175,000 children, youth, and adults annually, including mental health care, substance use treatment, foster care, education, and housing. Mr. Madaus advises agency executives and senior staff on upholding the standard of care across their service systems. Mr. Madaus was the CEO of Edgewood Center for Children and Families in San Francisco, overseeing all residential treatment and community-based programs. He was the Clinical Director of The Home for Little Wanderers in Boston, where he provided leadership to numerous residential and community-based programs. He has held positions as Executive Director, Chief Operating Office...

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Pediatrics - Vaccines, Pediatric Mental Health, Pediatric Acute Care, ADHD, Depression, Pediatric Dermatology, Well Baby Care, Well Child Care, Anxiety, Developmental Screening, Pediatric Standard of Care, EPSDT Guidelines, Lead Exposure, Behavior, Antibiotics

Dr. Allison Schuessler, DO, is a board-certified pediatrician with extensive experience in both general pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine. She provides comprehensive care in outpatient and emergency settings, blending up-to-date clinical knowledge with advanced training in pediatric mental health and pediatric dermatology. Since 2016, she has served as a pediatrician at Geisinger Medical Center and as a Pediatric Emergency Physician at St. Mary’s Medical Center, caring for a broad spectrum of pediatric conditions from routine wellness to urgent, high-acuity cases. An award-winning clinical educator, Dr. Schuessler is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. She regularly teaches medical students and residents, lectures on topics such as ADHD, adolescent health, and skin conditions, and authors patient education materials and professional publications. Dr. Schuessler’s leadership extends to professional service, including elected an...