Families are considered full partners in this process. The process involves 3-4 hour direct meeting time. This usually includes an individual session with the child or adolescent needing services, a family meeting to discuss problems and challenges, and a working meeting to work out a plan. Families are invited to include all family members and others who support them in dealing with their challenges.
The assessment process includes: record review, clinical interview with all parties families invite to the process, administration of commonly available assessments measures, identification of the barriers to growth and development, exploration of interventions known to have good efficacy with the specific presenting problem, and at least three first step goals which directly address the presenting problem and the specific domain of function(s) which is impaired or otherwise not responding to intervention. An important part of the assessment is to evaluate readiness for change in the child, adolescent, and family system. The assessment also be used to address the need and readiness for next step goals and services in the case of families who have been receiving intervention services for an extended period of time.
The family is provided a written plan that addresses all the steps taken in the assessment process – that includes copies of the assessment measures and the findings reported by the measures. These are important for on-going progress monitoring. It is hoped that parents will be sufficiently educated in progress monitoring to expect to participate fully in this important function of treatment.
Mental Health Assessment:This assessment is designed to identify and assess mental health problems in children youth, and youth. Assessments address the presenting problem, the client’s perception of need, social and medical history, relationship history, trauma history, previous history with behavioral health interventions, functional impairment in major life domains, readiness for change, and the client’s natural support system.
Parent-Child Assessment: This assessment assessed the quality of the relationship between a parent and a child or children for strengths and needs. The areas of interaction addressed include sensitivity, regulation, engagement, mutuality, mutuality of influence, reciprocity, communication of expectations, conflict management, encouragement, and support for exploration of the environment.
Parent Capacity Assessment: The tasks of basic parenting are assessed. These include: meeting children’s health and developmental needs, putting children’s needs first, providing routine and consistent care, acknowledging problems, and engaging in a natural support environment.
Trauma Assessment: Specific Trauma and Complex Developmental Trauma:Children and youth are provided screening and assessment for trauma symptoms in order to determine the impact of trauma on current child and family functioning. A thorough record review and history of trauma is collected as part of assessment. Standard behavioral as a well as trauma specific assessment tools are used. Following assessment, a clinician will develop an intervention plan from the trauma treatments used by Improving Outcomes, LLC, or referred to an outside provider in the event Improving Outcomes, LLC, lacks the resources to attend to the family, child or youth’s needs. *Available in Spanish
Comprehensive Case Review and Clinical/Developmental Assessment: Children and adolescents present with complicated lists of symptoms and diagnoses which can confuse parents, caregivers, and providers in setting up an intervention plan. Families often have a long history of interventions – some parts which have worked, and some parts which have not. Some interventions may be addressed at a child’s higher level of function while a lack of skill in another area of function creates a barrier to improvement and change.
Developmental assessments are provided to assist in intervention planning for children and adolescents with complex and chronic histories of trauma; abuse and neglect; placement and relationship disruption; learning, communication and behavioral challenges; and social skills delays. The developmental assessment is designed to address function in the major domains of life in order to design an intervention that identifies and specifies the presenting problem, and identifies the developmental and motivational challenges to the normal process of adaptation. The assessment helps parents and caregivers identify what has and has not worked in previous interventions. It also gives children, adolescents, and parents the opportunity to explore a range of interventions and decide which might support their child in acquiring necessary skills, increasing motivation for adapting to meet adult expectations and their own goals, and to increase the child’s confidence that change is possible.
Parents are encouraged to identify parenting as a major component of the intervention plan. The assessment encourages parents to explore their needs for psychoeducation, hands on training, and supports in their professional and natural environments, as well as their own history with the problems and challenges. They are encouraged to be primary in the intervention process as many of the problems they deal with are long term and providers come and go.
Functional Assessment conducted in other settings (school, recreational center etc.)