Bio Michelle Hoy-Watkins

Dr. Michelle Hoy-Watkins is a licensed clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience providing clinical, forensic, and police & public safety psychological services.  She is licensed as a Clinical Psychologist in the State of Illinois and board certified in Police & Public Safety Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).  Dr. Michelle Hoy-Watkins joined Northwestern University’s Police Department in January 2016 as the department’s inaugural Director of Threat Assessment.  In her role, she leads and coordinates case management for NU’s Behavioral Consultation team – assessing threats to the personal safety of students and other community members. She also provides psychological consultative services to the Northwestern University Police Department.  Prior to Northwestern, Michelle worked a number of positions at The Chicago School of Psychology including serving as Chair of 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/).

Her forensic and police psychology practice has included conducting 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.  Dr. Hoy-Watkins is an adjunct faculty at the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy.  She received her doctorate and master’s degree in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology in Alameda, California, earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier University in New Orleans. She has published book chapters and articles in professional journals and has won a number of professional honors and awards.