COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION

COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION?

A comprehensive psychological evaluation is a useful tool to help with diagnosis and treatment planning. This evaluation provides detailed understanding of an individual’s cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal functioning. Frequently, these evaluations are requested by other providers or referring agencies to help answer specific questions about their patients’ mental health and provide treatment tailored to their specific needs.

WHEN IS A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION APPROPRIATE?

A comprehensive psychological evaluation may be indicated in the following circumstances:

  • Academic Difficulties: A comprehensive evaluation is beneficial in evaluating academic strengths and limitations, diagnosing a learning disorder, or evaluating behavioral symptoms which may require an IEP or a 504 plan.
  • Complex Trauma: A comprehensive evaluation can help provide insight into how trauma contributes to emotional and interpersonal functioning.
  • Comorbidity: A comprehensive evaluation provides information on dual diagnosis and targeted treatment plans.
  • Diagnostic Clarity: A comprehensive evaluation is beneficial for individuals with complex psychological presentations with a history of conflicting mental health diagnoses or diagnostic uncertainty.
  • Barriers to Progress: A comprehensive evaluation may shed light on potential barriers to treatment progress or issues with medication management or noncompliance.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION:

Please expect a comprehensive evaluation to last between 3-5 hours. We recommend completing this assessment in a single session, although breaks for lunch or rest are allowed. This evaluation must be completed in-person. Telehealth or virtual assessments are not available for comprehensive evaluations. There are many different psychological tests which may be used throughout the process so it is important to bring your glasses and/or wear any hearing aids as necessary.

A typical comprehensive evaluation report takes around 8 weeks to complete, but this may vary depending on a number of factors including complexity, cooperation, and breadth of records. Once the report is completed, it will be provided to the referring source and may or may not be shared with the examinee directly. However, you will be given the opportunity to schedule a 30-minute feedback session to discuss pertinent findings and answer any questions.

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