We are FAST
Meet the Team
Claire S. Ashbaugh, Ph.D.
Dr. Ashbaugh is a co-founder and co-director of FAST. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Ottawa, followed by her Master's and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Forensic Psychology from Sam Houston State University.
Dr. Ashbaugh is a licensed psychologist in Washington State and New Mexico and holds a mobility license through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which enables her to practice telepsychology across an expanding number of U.S. states and territories.
Dr. Ashbaugh has over a decade of experience as a forensic evaluator for criminal courts throughout Washington State. She is fluent in French and has significant experience collaborating with language interpreters. Through her independent practice, Dr. Ashbaugh provides neutral, fact-based expert opinions while considering the unique characteristics, experiences, culture, and societal context of each individual.
Julia E. McLawsen, Ph.D., R.Psych.
Dr. McLawsen serves as a co-founder and co-director of FAST. Dr. McLawsen earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Stanford University, a master's degree in Psychology from Seattle University, followed by a second master's degree and doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in Forensic Assessment, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Dr. McLawsen is a licensed psychologist in Washington State, a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia (Canada), and maintains a mobility license through the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which grants Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) and Temporary Authority to Practice (TAP) in a growing number of U.S. states and territories.
Dr. McLawsen holds a clinical faculty appointment at the University of Washington, and previously, served as a clinical associate at Simon Fraser University. Through her independent practice, Dr. McLawsen provides psychological evaluations that guide legal decisions in immigration, criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings.
Jolene Simpson, Ph.D.
Dr. Simpson earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Washington, and a master’s degree and doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Psychology and the Law, from the University of Alabama. Dr. Simpson completed a postdoctoral fellowship in forensic psychology through a partnership between the University of Washington and the Western State Hospital Center for Forensic Services (now the Gage Center for Forensic Excellence).
Dr. Simpson is a licensed psychologist with more than 14 years of experience conducting psychological evaluations for criminal courts across the State of Washington. Dr. Simpson’s work focuses on providing objective, high-quality, and evidence-based assessments that guide psycholegal decision-making.
Headshot coming soon
Shannon Porter, Psy.D., ABPP
Dr. Porter is a licensed psychologist based in Ohio. She completed her graduate training at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where she earned a Doctorate in Clinical Forensic Psychology with a specialization in law enforcement. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of Forensic and Specialized Assessment Services at Netcare Forensic Center, an agency responsible for conducting a variety of criminal forensic evaluations for numerous courts in the state of Ohio. In addition to her position at Netcare Forensic Center, she also conducts pre-employment assessments, security clearance evaluations, fitness for duty evaluations, violence risk assessments, and other forensic assessments through her private practice, Expert Evaluations, LLC.
Dr. Porter is a member of the American Psychology-Law Society, the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology, and the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. She has been qualified as an expert witness in a number of courts throughout Ohio. She has experience providing education and training to law enforcement, mental health professionals, educators, lawyers, and other professionals regarding psycholegal issues. She has specialized training in threat assessment and has consulted and presented on threat assessment issues for school districts, mental health agencies, and law enforcement. She also serves on workgroups for the Ohio Supreme Court’s sentencing commission and a committee implementing changes associated with Senate Bill 2, which addresses competency restoration throughout Ohio.
Meredith Veltri, Ph.D., ABPP
Dr. Veltri is board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. She earned a Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a forensic emphasis from Sam Houston State University. She completed her predoctoral training at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, after which she worked as a psychologist for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. She is the Director of Forensic and Specialized Assessment Services for Netcare Access in Columbus, Ohio, and directs Expert Evaluations, an independent practice.
Dr. Veltri conducts criminal forensic assessments, behavioral health evaluations, pre-employment assessments, evaluations regarding immigration matters (namely, N-648 certifications), pre-surgical evaluations (bariatric and transplant), consultation, and work product review. Her previous experience in the Bureau of Prisons lends specialized perspective in non-capital mitigation evaluations. Her testimony before the Ohio General Assembly facilitated legislation which she proposed and helped to develop. She is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, and trains school districts, corporations, and mental health agencies in best practices in threat assessment. She served on a competency and sanity workgroup for the Ohio Supreme Court’s sentencing commission.
Dr. Veltri practices in Washington State and other Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT)-participating states through her PSYPACT certification. She also maintains licensure in Ohio and Colorado. To ensure best practices in telepsychology, she maintains a Telepsychology Competencies Credential (TCC) offered through The Trust and the National Register of Health Service Psychologists.
FAST Affiliates Lend Collaborative Expertise
FAST is honored to collaborate with specialist affiliates whose expertise ensures that our services align with the highest professional standards. These partnerships enhance FAST’s ability to address complex forensic questions and provide comprehensive, evidence-driven psycholegal evaluations.
Brett Parmenter, Ph.D., ABPP-CN
Dr. Brett Parmenter is pleased to provide neuropsychological consultation to FAST, which supports FAST's mission to deliver high-quality, timely forensic evaluations. Through this collaboration, Dr. Parmenter helps FAST evaluators comprehensively consider examinees' neuropsychological concerns. When examinees present with potential neuropsychological impairment, Dr. Parmenter consults with the FAST evaluators to identify pertinent domains of concern, develop tailored assessment strategies to explore clinical hypotheses, and interpret test results. This partnership helps FAST evaluators clarify how neuropsychological impairment may affect the examinee’s relevant psycholegal abilities, which enhances the utility and precision of FAST’s forensic evaluations.
Dr. Parmenter received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The University of Kansas after completing her internship at Yale University School of Medicine. She also completed a two-year fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at The University at Buffalo, State University of New York School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Parmenter has been board-certified in Clinical Neuropsychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology/American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABPP/ABCN) since 2009. She is on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) and its Foundation, and is a Fellow in Division 40 (Clinical Neuropsychology) of the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Parmenter's clinical experience includes psychological and neuropsychological assessment, including working with people who have questions of cognitive difficulties associated with neurodegenerative, autoimmune, medical, and psychiatric conditions. She has worked extensively with individuals with traumatic brain injuries, having published and presented on this topic. She also has an interest in forensics, with experience in both civil and criminal cases. In addition to her work at Mt. Tahoma Psychological Services, Dr. Parmenter is a Clinical Professor at The University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, as well as the official team neuropsychologist for Seattle's professional rugby team, the Seawolves. In her free time, Dr. Parmenter enjoys spending time with her family, running, reading, and meeting every dog with whom she comes in contact.