The Guardian Group adds board-certified psychiatrist Leila Hariri as QME

The Guardian Group, LLC has added Leila Hariri, M.D., a fellowship-trained, board-certified psychiatrist, as a Qualified Medical Evaluator with exam locations across California. The move expands the company’s psychiatry coverage for workers’ compensation and related evaluations, including cases that require timely, evidence-based reporting.

Why it matters: - The addition expands The Guardian Group’s psychiatry QME capacity across multiple California markets. - Hariri’s role supports evaluations that can affect apportionment, causation, and medical-legal timelines in injury cases. - The Guardian Group positions the hire as part of its work in Qualified Medical Evaluations and SIBTF cases in California.

What happened: - The Guardian Group announced that Leila Hariri, M.D., joined the company as a Qualified Medical Evaluator in Psychiatry. - Hariri has registered QME exam locations in Palmdale, Santa Clara, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Greenfield, Fresno, San Bernardino, Bakersfield, Paramount, and Pico Rivera. - The announcement was dated June 12, 2026, from Santa Ana, California.

The details: - Hariri is board-certified in Psychiatry and fellowship-trained at the University of California, Irvine. - Her clinical background includes mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma-related disorders, behavioral disorders, and complex co-occurring conditions. - The Guardian Group says Hariri’s QME process will emphasize concise reporting, fair and objective analysis, explanations of apportionment and causation, evidence-based conclusions, and timely classification of maximum medical improvement. - Hariri completed her psychiatry residency at Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Fontana. - Her residency training included inpatient, outpatient, and emergency psychiatry settings. - She earned her Doctor of Medicine from Rush Medical College in Illinois. - Hariri studied psychobiology at the University of California, Los Angeles and graduated cum laude. - Her recognized work includes designing and implementing a trauma-informed care curriculum for psychiatry residents and research on the psychiatric effects of pharmacologic treatments. - Hariri is bilingual in English and Farsi. - She says she is committed to evidence-based practice and continuous clinical improvement. - The Guardian Group lists its website as more information. - The company also shared social profiles on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Between the lines: - The hire suggests The Guardian Group is broadening access to psychiatry evaluations in regions that can serve attorneys, claims adjusters, and injured workers. - Hariri’s mix of clinical training, bilingual ability, and medical-legal evaluation focus could help the company compete on turnaround time and report quality. - The emphasis on objective analysis and medical evidence reflects the demands of California QME work, where neutrality and documentation matter.

What's next: - Hariri will begin handling psychiatry QME evaluations through The Guardian Group’s California exam locations. - The company is likely to market her services to parties seeking timely medical-legal psychiatric assessments. - Further expansion could depend on demand for QME and SIBTF evaluations across California.