Comprehensive assessment for effective care
At Adolbi Care Behavioral Health Center, we believe that effective treatment begins with a thorough understanding of each young person's unique strengths, challenges, and needs. Our comprehensive assessment and evaluation services provide the foundation for personalized care that addresses the whole person—not just their symptoms.
Our multidisciplinary team uses evidence-based assessment tools and approaches to gather information about cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, behavioral patterns, social skills, family dynamics, and environmental factors that may be impacting a young person's mental health and development.
We recognize that each child and adolescent is unique, with their own individual experiences, strengths, and challenges. Our assessment process is designed to be thorough yet flexible, adapting to the specific needs and developmental level of each young person we serve.
Specialized evaluations for diverse needs
A thorough assessment of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning to understand strengths and challenges across multiple domains. Includes clinical interviews, standardized testing, behavioral observations, and collateral information gathering.
Focused evaluation to clarify diagnosis and treatment needs for specific mental health concerns. Combines clinical interviews, standardized rating scales, and targeted assessment tools to develop an accurate diagnostic picture.
Specialized evaluation of learning processes, academic skills, and cognitive abilities to identify learning differences and educational needs. Particularly helpful for understanding school difficulties and developing appropriate accommodations.
Evaluation of family dynamics, communication patterns, and relational functioning to understand how family context may be influencing a young person's mental health and behavior. Includes family interviews, interaction observations, and relationship mapping.
Specialized evaluation of trauma exposure and its impact on psychological, emotional, and developmental functioning. Uses trauma-sensitive approaches to assess symptoms, coping strategies, and resilience factors.
Medical assessment by a child and adolescent psychiatrist to evaluate symptoms, determine diagnosis, and assess the potential role of medication in treatment. Includes medical history review, mental status examination, and biological factors assessment.
A collaborative approach to understanding
The assessment process begins with an initial consultation to understand your concerns and goals. During this 60-minute appointment, we:
This consultation helps us tailor the assessment to your specific needs and ensures that we're focusing on the most relevant areas of functioning.
Before the formal assessment sessions, we collect background information from multiple sources to develop a comprehensive understanding. This typically includes:
This multi-informant approach helps us understand how functioning may vary across different settings and from different perspectives.
The core of the evaluation involves direct assessment sessions with the young person and family. Depending on the type of assessment, these may include:
Most comprehensive assessments require 2-4 sessions of 1-2 hours each, scheduled at times that work best for the young person's attention and engagement. We create a comfortable, supportive environment to help children and teens perform at their best.
After completing the assessment sessions, our multidisciplinary team meets to review findings and develop an integrated understanding. This collaborative approach brings together perspectives from:
The team discusses assessment results, diagnostic impressions, and treatment recommendations to ensure a comprehensive and cohesive approach to understanding the young person's needs.
We believe that assessment results should be shared in a way that is understandable, supportive, and empowering. During the 90-minute feedback session, we:
For adolescents, we typically provide age-appropriate feedback in a way that helps them understand their own functioning and actively engage in treatment planning.
Following the feedback session, we prepare a detailed written report that documents the assessment process and findings. This report includes:
This comprehensive document serves as a roadmap for treatment and can be shared with other providers, schools, and support systems with your permission.
Assessment is most valuable when it leads to effective intervention. We help translate assessment findings into practical treatment plans by:
For families continuing treatment at Adolbi Care, we ensure a smooth transition from assessment to intervention, with assessment findings directly informing the treatment approach.
Specialized expertise for comprehensive evaluation
Our multidisciplinary assessment team brings together professionals with specialized training in child and adolescent development, psychological assessment, and evidence-based interventions. This collaborative approach ensures that we consider the whole child from multiple perspectives.
Our licensed psychologists have doctoral-level training in psychological assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. They specialize in comprehensive evaluations that integrate cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social functioning to develop a complete understanding of a young person's needs.
Our psychiatrists are medical doctors with specialized training in child and adolescent mental health. They evaluate how biological, psychological, and social factors may be contributing to symptoms and consider whether medication might be helpful as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Our educational specialists have expertise in learning processes, academic assessment, and school-based interventions. They help identify learning differences, academic strengths and challenges, and effective educational strategies to support success in school.
Our licensed clinical social workers specialize in evaluating family systems, social functioning, and environmental factors that impact mental health. They help identify strengths and challenges in the family and community context and connect families with appropriate resources and supports.
Rather than working in isolation, our assessment team members collaborate closely to develop an integrated understanding of each young person. Regular case conferences, joint sessions, and multidisciplinary consultations ensure that we consider all relevant factors and develop comprehensive recommendations that address the whole child.
This team approach is particularly valuable for complex cases where multiple factors may be contributing to a young person's challenges. By bringing together diverse expertise, we can untangle complicated clinical pictures and develop more effective intervention strategies.
Reliable measures for accurate understanding
We utilize a wide range of scientifically validated assessment tools and measures to gather objective information about various aspects of functioning. These standardized instruments help us identify patterns, compare functioning to age-expected norms, and track progress over time.
The specific assessment tools used in an evaluation are carefully selected based on the individual's age, presenting concerns, and assessment questions. We regularly update our assessment battery to incorporate the most current, well-validated measures in the field.
Common questions about our assessment services
A comprehensive assessment may be beneficial if your child is experiencing persistent difficulties that impact their functioning at home, school, or with peers, and the nature or cause of these difficulties isn't clear. Signs that an assessment might be helpful include: ongoing academic struggles despite support, emotional or behavioral challenges that don't respond to typical interventions, significant changes in mood or behavior, social difficulties, or when previous treatments haven't been effective. An assessment is particularly valuable when you need a clearer understanding of your child's strengths and challenges to guide intervention planning. Our initial consultation can help determine if an assessment is appropriate for your child's specific situation.
The timeline for a comprehensive assessment typically spans 3-4 weeks from the initial consultation to the feedback session. Direct testing and interview sessions usually require 2-4 appointments of 1-2 hours each, scheduled over a 1-2 week period. After completing the assessment sessions, our team needs approximately 1-2 weeks to score and interpret results, conduct team consultations, and prepare findings. The written report is generally completed within 2 weeks after the feedback session. This timeline may vary based on the complexity of the case, the type of assessment being conducted, and scheduling considerations. We work with families to create an assessment schedule that minimizes disruption to school and other activities while ensuring we gather comprehensive information.
It's best to provide a simple, age-appropriate explanation of the assessment process that emphasizes its purpose in helping adults understand how to better support them. For younger children, you might explain that they'll be doing different activities like answering questions, solving puzzles, and drawing pictures to help the doctor learn about how they think and feel. For adolescents, you can be more direct about the assessment helping to identify strengths and challenges. Reassure your child that this isn't a test they can "fail" and that the goal is to find ways to make things better for them. Ensure they get a good night's sleep before assessment sessions, eat a nutritious meal, and take any regular medications as prescribed. If your child wears glasses or hearing aids, make sure they bring them. Most importantly, try to frame the assessment positively as a step toward getting helpful support rather than something to worry about.
Many insurance plans provide coverage for psychological and psychiatric assessments when they're deemed medically necessary, though coverage varies significantly between plans. Diagnostic assessments focused on clarifying a mental health condition are most commonly covered. Comprehensive psychological evaluations may be partially covered, with limitations on the number of testing hours or specific tests included. Educational assessments specifically for learning disabilities or academic planning are less frequently covered by health insurance. During the initial consultation, we can help verify your specific insurance benefits for assessment services and explain any out-of-pocket costs. For families with limited or no insurance coverage, we offer a sliding fee scale based on family income and can develop payment plans to make assessment services more accessible. We believe that financial constraints shouldn't prevent access to needed assessment services and work with families to find solutions.
Not all assessments result in a diagnosis. The purpose of our comprehensive evaluations is to understand your child's unique pattern of strengths and challenges, regardless of whether these patterns fit a specific diagnostic category. When a child's symptoms and functioning do meet criteria for a clinical diagnosis, we provide this information as part of the assessment results. We view diagnoses as helpful frameworks for understanding patterns of symptoms and guiding treatment planning, not as labels that define a child. We're careful to consider developmental factors, cultural context, and environmental influences before assigning any diagnosis. We also recognize that some diagnoses can be stigmatizing, and we discuss the implications of diagnosis thoughtfully with families. Our focus remains on identifying your child's specific needs and strengths and developing effective support strategies, whether or not a formal diagnosis is made.
Assessment results provide a roadmap for effective intervention by identifying specific areas of strength and challenge that can guide treatment planning. The results help us match your child with the most appropriate therapeutic approaches based on their unique profile rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, assessment might reveal that anxiety is underlying behavioral outbursts, leading us to prioritize anxiety treatment rather than focusing solely on behavior management. Assessment findings can also inform educational planning, including recommendations for specific accommodations, teaching strategies, or support services at school. For parents, the results offer insights into your child's experience and perspective, helping you understand behaviors that might otherwise seem confusing or frustrating. Assessment can also identify strengths that can be leveraged in treatment and everyday life. With your permission, we can share relevant findings with other providers, schools, and support systems to ensure a coordinated approach to supporting your child.
School evaluations and our clinical assessments serve different purposes and offer complementary information. School evaluations (often called psychoeducational or educational evaluations) focus primarily on determining eligibility for special education services and identifying academic needs within the educational environment. They typically include cognitive and academic testing but may have limited assessment of emotional, behavioral, or mental health factors. Our comprehensive clinical assessments take a broader approach, examining cognitive, academic, emotional, behavioral, social, and family factors that may be impacting a child's functioning across all settings. We can provide more in-depth assessment of mental health conditions, complex learning profiles, and underlying processing issues. Our assessments also typically include more detailed recommendations for both educational and therapeutic interventions. Many families find it valuable to have both types of evaluations, as they provide different perspectives and can be used together to develop a comprehensive support plan. We're experienced in reviewing school evaluation results and incorporating that information into our clinical understanding.
The need for reassessment varies based on several factors, including the child's age, the purpose of the original assessment, and how much change has occurred in the child's functioning. For young children (under age 8), reassessment every 2-3 years is often recommended due to rapid developmental changes that can significantly alter their profile of strengths and challenges. For older children and adolescents, reassessment every 3-5 years is typically sufficient unless there are significant changes in functioning. Certain transition points often warrant reassessment, such as the move from elementary to middle school or from high school to post-secondary planning, as these transitions involve new demands and expectations. Reassessment may also be indicated when there are unexpected changes in functioning, when previous interventions aren't producing expected progress, or when new concerns emerge. For educational purposes, updated testing is often required every three years to maintain accommodations or services. We can help determine the appropriate timing for reassessment based on your child's specific situation.
A comprehensive assessment can provide valuable insights into your child's unique strengths and challenges, creating a foundation for effective support and intervention.