SERVICES
ASSESSMENT
SERVICES
ASSESSMENT
Therapeutic Collaborative Assessment is a process that helps children, youth and their families understand the child's strengths, challenges and how to support the youth.
WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF ASSESSMENT?
Assessment is a collaborative process that combines practical interventions with psychological testing to address questions that are important for identifying barriers to growth. We use findings to make recommendations to help youth at school and at home. We begin by working collaboratively with clients to identify the questions that are most important.
Assessment can address issues about school achievement, social challenges, thought processes and diagnostic questions related to attention, depression and past experiences. Youth have asked questions like, “Why do I get so mad?”, “Why do I get in fights with people I care about”, and, “Why is school so hard?” Caregivers, therapists and teachers also contribute questions so they can get a clear sense of how to best support the child.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING AN ASSESSMENT?
To answer these questions, youth and caregivers will come to 4-8 appointments with an assessment clinician. During this time we ask the youth and caregivers about their understanding of challenges the child is experiencing and determine what types of tests will be most effective to answer questions. Assessments include things like problem-solving activities, assembling puzzles, answering questions about past experiences, meeting with the youth and caregiver together, and completing questionnaires. We will also collect information from other important people in the youth’s life, such as teachers, social workers, and other service providers. and work with the youth and caregivers to discuss findings and concrete solutions.
FEEDBACK STORIES
"Did you write this story for me? It sounds just like me. I told my foster parents and the teacher about it because I think they should know."
At the conclusion of the assessment our clinician writes a report for the youth and their team that uses findings to answer the key questions, highlight the youth’s strengths, and offer concrete ways to help. We may also include a children’s version of a story with pictures to support their understanding of themselves.
In discussing the findings with the youth, caregivers and other important people in the youth’s life, we develop a collaborative plan to support the youth’s development and emotional well-being across a variety of settings.
