EVALUATION & ASSESSMENT SERVICES Diagnostic and Mental Status Evaluations: Diagnostic and Mental Status Evaluations are useful to help identify any mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders that may be present in an individual. The evaluations are face to face and typically last between one and two hours. In the session, the examiner explores different areas including intellectual, memory, reasoning, and personality function. The examiner will provide a written report to be useful as a reference source. Forensic evaluation: Forensic evaluations engage the questions of criminal responsibility and competency to stand trial. Typically these questions are asked by a defense attorney, the persons accused, or by the initiative of the court. Forensic evaluations address these two questions as well as assist in addressing any other opinions that the attorney may have in protecting the rights of the accused. These evaluations may be done in an agency office if the defendant is not confined. If the defendant is confined, than the evaluation may take place in the location of the defendant. Through this process, the evaluator may also contract to be present for any hearings to testify. Psycho-educational evaluation: Psycho educational evaluations are designed to determine any issues that are involved in academic functions. The tests conducted will address but are not limited to any learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and overall the likely learning potential based on intellectual function. The evaluation process typically includes a test battery including, individual IQ tests, education achievement tests, personality tests, and other screening instruments that determine the presence of any serious memory deficits, behavior control problems and other issues. Written test reports will be provided and the evaluator’s contract may allow for him/ her to engage with school staff in instances where the report will be considered as part of an IEP conference. Psychological Evaluations: Psychological evaluations answer specific questions about intellectual, academic, behavior, or mental health functions. Psychological evaluations are designed to respond to a specific question about psychological functioning, but may also involve issues involved in forensic evaluation or psycho-educational evaluations. Psychological evaluations may include formal testing, mental status examinations, social history, and diagnostic reviews. Comprehensive Family Profile, Parenting &/ or Bonding Assessments with MMPI or MIM: Family profiles and parenting assessments are frequently requested by courts and child advocacy/ protection agencies in situations where the ability to parent effectively is being evaluated. Evaluations typically consist of observations of the parent as individuals, as well as, observations of the parent together with the child. Using personality and parenting assessment instruments such as the MMPI or MIM along with other standardized tests, we are able to highlight the strengths and challenges of the parent-child relationship and then make recommendations for a healthy and safe environment for the identified family.
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