WHY AN ASSESSMENT?

The assessment process is designed to answer questions about how cognitive abilities, behavior, and emotions may be interfering with school, work, or relationships with others.  Parenting evaluations assess strengths and weaknesses that may affect parenting ability.  Neuro-cognitive assessments generally address intellectual functioning, cognitive processing such as attention, memory and social cognition, or attentional functioning (ADHD diagnostic rule outs). Mental health assessment identifies issues related to behavior and emotions. Academic assessment can help answer questions about learning disabilities or competency. Additionally, testing can provide information that can guide personal insight or therapy planning.

I am committed to performing assessment in a way that reduces stress and anxiety as much as possible. Using a collaborative style, the assessment process will begin with an extensive interview to understand the specific needs of each person. I believe it is important to couch assessment within the context of you as a person.  I will discuss how the assessment process works during our first meeting and address any questions you may have.  

Specific concerns might include, but are not limited to:

·      Learning Disability/ADHD

·      Court ordered mental health evaluations

·      Parenting Evaluations

·      SSDI, L&I, or other disability

·      Cognitive Impairment

·      Memory difficulties

·      Social functioning

Depending on the purpose of the assessment and your comfort, testing may take place over one to three sessions.  I look at the “big picture” in doing any assessment, ensuring that the results you receive are not superficial in nature and that recommendations are guided by your specific strengths and weaknesses.  I will provide comprehensive treatment recommendations for multiple settings as necessary (home, school, work, therapy, etc.).  Once the assessment is complete, I will provide a feedback session to discuss results and recommendations. In most cases, you will receive a copy of the written report at the end of the evaluation.

The process involved in performing a parenting evaluation is somewhat different than other evaluations.  For more information on parenting evaluations, scroll down this page.

CHILD ASSESSMENT

Children often feel confused or distressed during the assessment process, as many of the tasks can be difficult. It is a good idea to prepare children for the assessment process by letting them know that you realize that their difficulties are having a big impact on their lives.  Assessment can help identify the way that they learn best and help optimize strengths so they can be successful in school and other settings. The testing can be described as taking part in a lot of different activities, many of which are like games or puzzles and others that are like "school" tasks with which they are familiar.  I can help you have that conversation with your child previous to beginning the assessment.

My experience in working with children has allowed me to develop skills around helping children relax throughout testing. Whether this means shorter sessions, playing games before beginning, or explaining the process in terms they are able to understand, it is important that children have a positive experience. Generally, I will meet with the parents for the first meeting, so we can explore their understanding of the child’s experiences and history. Once this is complete, I will work with the child to complete the evaluation as quickly as possible. Any medications that are taken on a regular basis should be given at their usual time, unless advised otherwise.  I do not assess children who are under the age of 5.

PARENTING EVALUATION

Parenting Evaluation or Mental Health in the Context of Parenting evaluation is a special area of evaluation that requires me to maintain neutrality and formally investigate strengths and deficits in your ability to parent.  It is not meant as a tool to be used to continue conflict between parents, but is meant to objectively determine recommendations that might best serve your child(ren)'s needs.  This evaluation may be requested by you or your attorney.  Please see the resources page for more information defining the parenting evaluation process.  I am trained and endorsed in the Parenting Evaluation Treatment Program (PETP) which is designed to minimize conflict and litigation.  I understand the pain and anxiety infused in parenting conflicts and am committed to handling your evaluation with professionalism and fairness.

FEES AND CANCELLATION POLICY

My assessment fee is $200 per hour.  This includes the clinical interview, testing, scoring and interpretation of tests, collateral contacts and documents review, report writing, and feedback session. I require a retainer of 50% of the estimated fee to be paid at our first meeting. The balance will be due before release of the final report.  Occasionally, insurance will pay for a portion of an assessment.  If this is the case for you, I will provide a receipt for you to mail to your insurance company for reimbursement.  I do not bill insurance companies for assessments unless the evaluation has been authorized in advance with your insurance company. 

If you miss an appointment without canceling or cancel within less than 24 hours, you will be charged for the total number of scheduled hours of the missed appointment.

For your convenience, I offer the option of secure payment through PayPal.  Please scroll to the bottom of the Resources page to find the PayPal link.