Dr. Sam Roll, PhD

Abusive: don't give him money. Dr. Roll was hired to do a custody evaluation. At the outset of the evaluation, he quoted a scope of work (specific people to be evaluated) and a price. He never put it in writing despite my request. He merely said "sure, I'll get that to you," winked at me, smiled, etc. Months later, after the testing was supposedly completed, he added to the scope of work (added a person to be evaluated who he previously stated shouldn't be) and hadn't evaluated a person who he stated was part of the original price and scope. He charged me twice for work I'd already paid for, and which he had failed to do. I couldn't complain or otherwise protest at the time because I might lose my children. He is well aware of the power the court gives him and he abuses it. Nobody is allowed to say "no" to this man or the children suffer. I'm posting this under a pseudonym for fear that he'll retaliate. Dr. Roll was initially very responsive to my phone calls, always… called back within about 48 hours. After he was paid in full, he ceased calling back, disappeared entirely for as much as a month at a time without a single returned phone call. He gave me multiple soft deadlines: "hopefully by the end of next week," "most likely by Monday..." He gave me hard deadlines as well, and never met them. He would simply stop returning phone calls for weeks at a time. Each time reappearing with some new excuse, some reassurance and a new deadline that he would never meet. The final product (a written report) was never delivered. Dr. Roll was well aware that this written report was necessary to cease something that he himself stated was harmful to my children. In the end, some useful feedback was delivered at the last minute, and only under subpoena, four months after his first promised deadline, one day before our hearing. If you want Dr. Roll to call you back or complete work, DON'T pay him in full until the work is complete. He only responds when you owe him money. More importantly: GET IT IN WRITING. He'll wink at you and flirt with you and try to be charming while assuring you that he'll do it: don't fall for it. Don't pay him a cent until you get it in writing. I've worked in mental health in Albuquerque nearly all of my career. I am well aware of Dr. Roll's history and reputation. It pains me to say this about someone so admired by the community, but, this man is not to be trusted. I say this both as a father and as a licensed clinician. He engages in abusive business practices and, per the New Mexico Administrative Code, ethics violations. Dr. Roll was once among the foremost authorities in the NM mental health community, but he has become abusive with the power entrusted to him by the family court system. He contributes to its corruption and should not be trusted

This man took over $1600 to evaluate my child, then never even provided a written report. He is incompetent at best, or a scam artist. He is a stain on the profession of psychology.