Dr. Marcus R Patterson
Psychologist, PsyD, MA, CCHP-MH
Dr. Marcus R. Patterson, PsyD, CCHP-MH, is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist practicing in the Washington, DC region and consulting to courts and correctional systems nationally. He has practiced for more than a decade across both clinical and forensic settings, including four years as a mental health expert to a federal Special Master overseeing the largest prison mental health system in the country.
Training
Dr. Patterson earned his Doctor of Psychology from Argosy University (APA-accredited) and holds a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology. His doctoral training emphasized both clinical and forensic practice, including a forensic-track externship at Saint Elizabeths Hospital working with seriously mentally ill inpatients in the District of Columbia’s secure forensic system, and an APA-accredited internship at the DC Superior Court Child Guidance Clinic, where he conducted competency, risk, and psychological evaluations within a juvenile forensic population. He completed comprehensive post-doctoral training at the Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy (ILPPP) at the University of Virginia, qualifying him to perform competency and insanity evaluations in Virginia courts.
Psychotherapy & Clinical Services
Through Full Circle Mental Health Services, Dr. Patterson provides individual psychotherapy for adults, parenting coordination, and psychoeducational and special education evaluations for students. He works with clients of all backgrounds and places particular emphasis on the therapeutic relationship as the foundation of the work — meaningful change happens inside a relationship grounded in trust, candor, and respect.
Forensic & Correctional Practice
From 2022 through 2025, Dr. Patterson served as a mental health expert to the federal Special Master in Coleman v. Newsom, the long-running federal class action governing mental health care in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). In that role, he conducted on-site reviews and policy analysis across the full continuum of CDCR mental health care — inpatient, crisis, residential, outpatient, and case management levels. Earlier, he served as Director of Behavioral Health for Unity Healthcare at the District of Columbia Department of Corrections, where he oversaw clinical operations, quality improvement, and accreditation activity for the jail’s behavioral health program. His forensic practice today encompasses forensic psychological evaluations, correctional mental health consulting, monitoring of correctional facilities and systems, and expert review of standard-of-care and deaths-in-custody cases.
Credentials & Affiliations
Dr. Patterson is a Certified Correctional Health Professional – Mental Health (CCHP-MH) through the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC), is a member of the American Psychological Association, and is co-author of a chapter on leadership, training, and educational opportunities in the Oxford Textbook of Correctional Psychiatry (2nd Edition). He is licensed as a psychologist in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.