Neuropsychological Services in Slidell & Greater New Orleans

Our Slidell Clinic

Neurocognitive Specialty Group’s New Orleans clinic is located in Slidell, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, serving both shores and greater southeast Louisiana.

The clinic is directed by Dr. Jesse Smotherman, a clinical neuropsychologist and Louisiana native who earned his bachelor’s degree at LSU and completed his two-year neuropsychology fellowship at Ochsner Health’s Department of Neurology in New Orleans, where he worked within a multidisciplinary memory care clinic. Before his doctorate, he spent six years administering neuropsychological testing across south Louisiana with a Metairie-based neuropsychology group — roughly a thousand evaluations, ages 3 to 95 — which is to say he has been assessing Louisianans for the better part of two decades. His research on performance validity testing has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national neuropsychology conferences.

Our office is a ground-floor suite in a freestanding office building at 120 Village St, with handicap-accessible parking and a wheelchair-accessible entrance. We see patients Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and most new evaluations begin in the morning so testing finishes comfortably within the day.

Our Staff

Dr. Smotherman is supported on site by Elise, our Site Coordinator. Elise also holds the Assistant to a Psychologist (ATAP) credential from the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, which registers her to assist with testing under Dr. Smotherman’s supervision.

Neuropsychological & Psychological Evaluations

The Slidell office completes neuropsychological and psychodiagnostic evaluations on referral from neurologists, psychiatrists, and primary care physicians for:

• Memory loss, dementia, and age-related cognitive change — including early Alzheimer’s disease and vascular cognitive impairment
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-concussion concerns
• Epilepsy and seizure disorders, including pre-surgical workup
• Stroke and other neurological conditions
• ADHD in adults
• Other neurologic and psychiatric referral questions

Every evaluation includes a records review, a clinical interview, standardized testing, and a detailed written report with diagnostic impressions and practical recommendations — delivered to you and your referring provider. Most testing appointments take between three and five hours, and results are available within a week.

Medicolegal Evaluations

Counsel, insurers, third-party administrators, and government agencies retain the New Orleans clinic for civil independent medical examinations, records-only reviews, Defense Base Act claims, sports concussion evaluations, and workers’ compensation evaluations, as well as criminal evaluations addressing competency to stand trial, Miranda-related questions, and sentencing mitigation. Evaluations are available at our office, by records-only review, and in custodial settings. Work is billed hourly, with no letters of protection and no contingency-based fee arrangements, so the fee is never tied to the outcome.

Telehealth

Telehealth appointments — including pre-screening consultations, clinical interviews, follow-ups, and feedback sessions — are available to patients across Louisiana via secure, HIPAA-compliant video, a convenience Dr. Smotherman has provided to rural Louisiana communities since early in his career.

Areas We Serve

Our Slidell clinic serves both shores of Lake Pontchartrain and greater southeast Louisiana, including New Orleans, Metairie, the Westbank, Houma, Mandeville, Covington, Hammond, and Baton Rouge, as well as St. Tammany Parish neighbors in Pearl River and Lacombe and patients traveling from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We regularly see patients referred from Ochsner, Slidell Memorial, St. Tammany Health System, and physicians across the region. Patients coming from New Orleans should allow about 35 minutes via I-10 across the Twin Span.

What to Expect at Your Appointment

Plan to arrive a few minutes early with your photo ID, insurance card, a list of current medications, and any prior imaging, neurology, or psychological records you have. Wear your glasses or hearing aids if you use them, take your medications as usual unless your physician has said otherwise, and eat breakfast — testing can be mentally demanding and we want your best effort. You’re welcome to bring a family member; we often ask a spouse or adult child a few questions, and they can wait comfortably in our lobby during testing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a physician referral?
Yes — clinical evaluations require a physician referral. If you don’t have one yet, call us anyway: we can schedule your appointment and contact your provider to request the referral.

How long does a neuropsychological evaluation take?
Most patients are with us for three to five hours, including the interview and testing.

Will my insurance cover the evaluation?
We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicare, Aetna, Optum United Healthcare, Evernorth Cigna, Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, TRICARE West/TriWest, and others — call us to verify your benefits, or see our billing & insurance page. Forensic and medicolegal work is retained and billed separately and is never billed to health insurance.

When will I get my results?
You’ll receive a feedback session and a written report within a week of testing. Your referring physician receives the report as well.

Is the office accessible?
Yes — ground-floor entry, wheelchair accessible, with handicap-accessible parking directly outside.

Do you see patients from the Northshore and New Orleans?
Both — Slidell sits at the junction of I-10, I-12, and I-59, making us one of the most accessible neuropsychology clinics in southeast Louisiana from either shore.