Jeff Sugar, MD
Expert Witness in Child and General Psychiatry
Jeff Sugar, MD, a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, is a psychological trauma expert, board-certified in both child and general psychiatry. He has been retained as an expert witness in a broad range of child and general psychiatric cases since 1990, both for the plaintiff and for the defense.
Most of Dr. Sugar’s career has been focused on serving underprivileged children, first in the non-profit sector as Chief of Psychiatry and later as Director of Research for Hathaway Children and Family Services in Sylmar, California. He then served in several clinical and teaching roles at USC. Dr. Sugar also has extensive experience in forensic psychiatric evaluations.
Dr. Sugar maintains an independent practice and provides expert services to both plaintiff and defense counsel, including engagements both for and adverse to the same law firms. Although his overall caseload includes a greater proportion of defense-related matters—frequently involving cases with multiple plaintiffs—his actual testimony history, including depositions and court appearances, reflects a near-equal distribution between plaintiff and defense representations.
Areas of Expertise
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- General (Adult) Psychiatry
- Psychological Trauma and Adversity
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Complex PTSD and Dissociative Disorders
- Institutional Sexual Abuse
- Chronic Physical, Sexual, or Emotional Abuse
- Psychological Trauma in the Workplace
- Date Rape and Internet-Initiated Sexual Exploitation
- Post-traumatic Loss, Grief, and Depression
- Psychological Effects of Injury to the Body or Brain
- Psychiatric Medical Malpractice
Professional Background
Dr. Sugar was the founding Director of the Hathaway Children’s Clinical Research Institute, where he conducted funded research on the effects of interpersonal trauma in children.
He previously served at the University of Southern California as Director of the Child Psychiatry Trauma Program and Co-Ward Chief of the Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Unit, where he conducted clinical research.
He also served as President of the Southern California Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Sugar maintains professional involvement with the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.
Credentials
- Board Certified in Psychiatry (1991)
- Board Certified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (1991)
- Distinguished Life Fellow, American Psychiatric Association (2017)
- California Medical License: Active (G-56352)
Education
- B.A., New College, Sarasota, Florida (1976)
- M.D., University of California, San Francisco (1984)
- Psychiatry Residency, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (1985-1987)
- Child Psychiatry Fellowship, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute (1987-1989)
- Chief Fellow, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute (1988-1989)
Academic Positions
- Adjunct Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (2021-present)
- Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California (2005-2021)
- Assistant Clinical Professor, UCLA Department of Psychiatry (1990-2005)
Teaching and Research
- Director, USC Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Trauma Program (2006-2021)
- Founding Director, Hathaway Children’s Clinical Research Institute (1999-2004)
- USC Faculty of the Year Award: 2007, 2013, 2016, 2019
- Published research on trauma, PTSD, dissociation, and child psychiatry
- Past President, Southern California Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Committee member, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children
Clinical Experience
- Co-Ward Chief, Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry, University of Southern California (2013-2015)
- Chief, Child and Adolescent Crisis, Emergency and Consultation Service, University of Southern California (2006-2013)
- Chief of Psychiatry, Hathaway Children and Family Services, Sylmar, California (1989-1991)
- Clinical Child Psychiatrist, Hathaway Children’s Village, Sylmar, California (1988-1991)
Dr. Sugar has lectured widely on topics in child and general psychiatry at national and international meetings.
For case consultation or to schedule an evaluation:
Call: (310) 291-0886
Frequently Asked Questions
How long have you been doing expert witness work?
Dr. Sugar has served as a forensic psychiatric expert witness since 1990 — for more than 30 years.
What kinds of cases do you see?
Dr. Sugar has been retained as an expert in both civil and criminal cases, for plaintiffs and defendants. His cases have involved both children and adults.
Representative case areas include:
- Date rape and sexual assault
- Diagnosis and treatment of trauma-related conditions
- Emotional, sexual, and physical abuse and neglect
- Internet-initiated sexual exploitation
- Psychological trauma in the workplace
- Psychological effects of physical trauma and traumatic brain injury
- Child custody disputes and abuse allegations
Do you work with both adults and children?
Yes. As a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr. Sugar is fully trained in general (adult) psychiatry as well.
- He has treated adults in private practice and in emergency settings.
- His specialty is child psychiatry, with a particular focus on trauma and adversity.
- His current work also includes studying how traumatic experiences can become biologically embedded through the actions of stress hormones and gene expression.
- For older adults, he supports resources such as Caring.com.