Michelle Hoy-Watkins, PsyD, ABPP

Dr. Michelle Hoy-Watkins is a licensed clinical psychologist with nearly 20 years of experience providing clinical, forensic, and police and public safety psychological services. She is licensed in the State of Illinois and is board-certified in Police and public Safety Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). 

As President of HWS PsychLaw Services, a forensic and police psychology practice, Dr. Hoy-Watkins has conducted threat assessments, violence risk assessments, pre-employment screenings, and fitness for duty evaluations for various law enforcement agencies, and forensic evaluations for the Department of Immigration, Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, and the Elgin Mental Health Center – Forensic Treatment Program. She has also served as a medical consultant for the Social Security Administration Regional Office, where she conducted mental health disability quality reviews.   

Until recently, Dr. Michelle Hoy-Watkins was with Northwestern University’s Police Department starting in January 2016 as the department’s inaugural Director of Threat Assessment. In her role, she led and coordinated case management for NU’s Behavioral Consultation team by assessing threats to the personal safety of students and other community members. She also provided psychological consultative services to the Northwestern University Police Department.  

Prior to her role with Northwestern University, Michelle served in a number of positions at The Chicago School of Psychology, including as Chair of the Department of Forensic Psychology and as an associate professor in that department. Through her work at The Chicago School’s Forensic Center, she developed and implemented a school-based violence prevention program for students at risk for delinquency in Chicago Public Schools and alternative schools. In 2015, the SOS program was awarded a grant from Get In Chicago (http://getinchicago.org/feel-good-friday-chicago-school-of-professional-psychology/).  

Dr. Hoy-Watkins holds a faculty appointment at Northwestern University’s Department of Psychiatry, Forensic Division. She previously served an adjunct faculty at the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy. She received both a Doctorate and master’s degree in Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in Alameda, California, and earned a Bachelor