Parent appraiser charged with forgery and other charges has ties to Pueblo

DENVER – A parenting advocate in child custody cases is facing 15 charges, according to Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.

A statewide grand jury has reached a decision against 57-year-old Shannon McShane, who allegedly used false credentials to obtain a state license as a psychologist.

Weiser says she used this to gain employment with state agencies and serve as a Child and Family Investigator in child welfare cases in Colorado.

“Defrauding the State of Colorado and engaging in the unlicensed practice of psychology in a way that affects our justice system is a serious violation of the public trust,” Weiser said. “In this case, we seek to hold Shannon McShane accountable for her alleged conduct and send a message that such behavior is intolerable.”

According to the indictment, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Denver on August 29, McShane presented herself to state authorities and court officials for six years as having a doctorate in psychology from the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.

The indictment says university officials say they have found no records proving McShane was a student there.

Weiser alleges that McShane used her confidence in her university credentials to obtain licenses and certifications that allowed her to work in Colorado, including:

• become licensed with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies as a licensed psychologist
• become a certified addiction counselor
• become a licensed addiction counselor

Weiser says these licenses also allowed McShane to obtain several positions in the state of Colorado. They allowed her to conduct investigations and present reports of findings and recommendations to judges regarding parenting time and children’s decision-making.
McShane faces the following charges and is being held at the Denver Downtown Detention Center:

• eight counts of attempting to influence a public official
• five counts of forgery
• one count of perjury
• one count of retaliation against a victim or witness

According to Weiser, McShane was able to become an employee of the Colorado Department of Corrections and the Colorado Department of Human Services to work at the Colorado Mental Health Hospital Institute at Pueblo (CMHHIP).
Earlier this year, News5’s Alasyn Zimmerman looked at several problems at CMHHIP, including a $13 million budget overrun last July.

CMHHIP is $13 million over budget

Several employees were also placed on administrative leave for several months.

CMHHIP employees placed on months-long administrative leave

CMHHIP staff are waiting for answers regarding administrative leave

In December, CMHHIP was operating at half of its psychology positions.

CMHHIP is operating with half of its psychologist positions

News5 filed a public records request to learn more about employees placed on administrative leave at CMMHIP.

News5 Investigates Fights for Open Data in CMHHIP Investigation

Earlier this year, a judge ruled in News5’s favor.

KOAA and News5’s Alasyn Zimmerman sued and the judge ruled in our favor

In March, a man broke into an abandoned building on the institute’s south campus.

An armed suspect broke into an abandoned building at CMHIIP

In April, employees expressed concerns about incidents at CMHHIP.

Employees speak out about incidents at CMHHIP

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