Vivian Chern Shnaidman M.D.

Dr. Vivian Chern Shnaidman is a devoted psychiatrist who specializes in navigating the intersection of psychiatry and law. She is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in both Psychiatry and Forensic psychiatry and is a graduate of the Sackler School of Medicine of Tel Aviv University and Bryn Mawr College. She trained in Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the State University of New York at Buffalo,  and completed the prestigious New York University Fellowship Program in Psychiatry and Law. Her expert opinion has been highly sought after as she has provided expert testimony in over fifty published court case and too many unpublished case to count. She has appeared as a psychiatric expert on numerous television and radio programs, in venues from local to international.

In addition to her psychiatric work, Dr. Shnaidman is a prolific writer and speaker. Academic Press, a division of Elsevier, published FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY: A LAWYER’S GUIDE in 2016. Dr. Shnaidman has made several contributions to periodicals and presents frequently at national and international conferences. She has also published two works of fiction, LOOSENING OF ASSOCIATIONS and HOMICIDAL INTENT from Random House.

My ideal treatment client is someone who values him or herself, and who is ready to make a commitment to his or her mental health. Together we will explore various treatment options and strive to find the best possibly modality for the best possible long term outcome.

I love psychiatry and learning something new daily. I have the privilege of helping people realize their potential of amazing mental health. We all have the power to create the lives we wish to live. Medication is only part of that endeavor. Seeing my patients work on themselves and find happiness is extremely rewarding.

I am a forensic psychiatrist. I work closely with attorneys to provide evaluations for the courts for various psychiatric-legal matters. I am the author of a book, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY: A LAWYER'S GUIDE. I love to write, speak, and explain, and I am available for speaking engagements to teach about what I do!

Board Certified and Licensed in NY and NJ:

Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel; New York State Program, M.D.

Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania B.A., Experimental Psychology

Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Internship:

Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, New York

Psychiatry Residency:

Albert Einstein College of Medicine,  Bronx. New York 

State University of New York at Buffalo

Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship:

New York University Fellowship Program in Psychiatry and the Law 

Board Certification:

American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Certified in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry

Experience:

Private Practice, Princeton, New Jersey, Jersey Forensic Consulting, LLC

Clinical Psychiatrist, Ann Klein Forensic Center, Special Treatment Unit, New Jersey

Psychiatric Consultant, Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Avenel, New Jersey

Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Forensic Psychiatrist, Rockland Psychiatric Center, Orangeburg, New York,

Supervising Psychiatrist, Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), Bellevue Hospital Center, New New York

Forensic Mental Health Services of Erie County

Supervising Psychiatrist, Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), Erie County Medical Center, Buffalo, New York

Specialized Training:

Academy Group, Inc. Violent Crime Behavior I and II

Professional Organizations:

American Psychiatric Association

Committee activities: New Jersey Psychiatric Association, Forensic Committee, 1996-1998. Served on the panel to generate guidelines for sexually violent predator civil commitment in NJ

Committee on Women, 1997-1999. 

American Academy of Forensic Sciences – 2009

American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 1997 – present

Academic Appointments:

Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ (current)

University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (1996-1999)

New York University (1994-1995)

SUNY Buffalo (1992-1994)

Presentations:

The Current Status of Women in Psychiatry: The Roles We Play and the Problems We Face. Grand Rounds, SUNY Buffalo, May 1994.

An Overview of Forensic Psychiatry. 

Grand Rounds. Department of Psychiatry. Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, September 24, 1996.

 Enjoying Later Life. Monroe Village, Jamesburg, New Jersey, February 26, 1997.

Domestic Violence: The Unique role of the Psychiatrist. Treatment of Domestic Violence Perpetrators. New Jersey Psychiatric Association, 23rd Annual Metting, New Brunswick. New Jersey March 21, 1998

Psychiatric Screening in the Community. Grand Rounds, Ann Klein Forensic Center Special Treatment Unit, Kearny, NJ. December 15, 2005

Psychopharmacological Interventions with Sex Offenders. Grand Rounds, Ann Klein Forensic Center Special Treatment Unit, Kearny, NJ. February 22, 2006

How to Use Your Forensic Psychiatrist. The Division of Youth and Family Services Middlesex Central Local Office, Avenel, NJ. April 2, 2008.

A Crash Course in Forensic Psychiatry. Mary Jacobs Library, Rocky Hill NJ. December 11, 2008.

Why do Mothers Abuse and Neglect Their Children? A Four-Pronged Model for Conceptualization, Risk Assessment, and Treatment. American Academy of Forensic Sciences Annual Meeting, Denver Colorado. February 19, 2009.

Publications:

Ethical Issues in Forensic Psychiatry, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Newsletter;   Vol. 20. No. 3 , December  1995.

Still Searching After All These Years,  Early Career Psychiatrist Column, Psychiatric News, June 5, 1998.

Fiction:

Homicidal Intent, by Vivian Chern. The first in a series of mystery/suspense novels featuring a New York City-based forensic psychiatrist. Published in 2001 by Dell Books; ISBN 0-440-23720-3.