Assessment Center

Yes. Reviewing relevant records is an important part of the evaluation process. Clients are encouraged to share any psychiatric, medical, or educational records that are useful in our information gathering process. If records are not easily accessible, the staff at PCH Assessment Center will assist in locating records with a client’s consent.

Collateral interviews with relevant parties, including family members, current or past treatment providers, and/or medical professionals are encouraged in order to form a comprehensive understanding of the client, incorporating multiple perspectives. Such additional contacts outside of PCH Center would require consent from the client.

All testing is conducted on an individual basis between you and the evaluator, as opposed to a group environment. The evaluation will occur in a comfortable office space with minimal distraction. The assessment process takes place over several sessions, which are structured around your individual needs. Sessions typically range from two to four hours, with breaks as needed. During the evaluation, you will engage in a comprehensive interview, complete a series of hands-on tasks including problem solving, and respond to questionnaires, among additional tasks.

You are encouraged to sleep well prior to your assessment sessions and arrive well-nourished. Clients have access to snacks and beverages throughout the day, and breaks for meals are welcomed. Maintaining a period of sobriety prior to and during the assessment is also advised in order to obtain an accurate assessment of functioning. Clients are also encouraged to refrain from researching or mentally preparing for an evaluation, which can impact the accuracy of our information-gathering process.

Each assessment process is individualized based on the client’s presenting problems and referral questions for the evaluation. Generally, however, an assessment could include:

• Cognitive and intellectual ability
• Academic achievement
• Attention capacity and executive functioning skills
• Memory and learning
• Auditory processing
• Developmental functioning and adaptive skills
• Vocational interests
• Social, emotional, behavioral and personality functioning
• Substance use
• Thought process
• Coping capacity

A properly conducted assessment can help with the following:

• Provide diagnostic clarification and identify barriers to treatment
• Identify underlying neuropsychological problems, such as attention, executive function, learning, or memory
• Evaluate functioning in response to medical or neurological conditions, including a history of traumatic brain injury or concussions
• Determine the impact of substance abuse on brain function
• Assess intellectual functioning, including evaluations for giftedness or intellectual disability
• Identify an underlying learning disorder that may be contributing to academic or vocational challenges
• Assess emotional functioning, coping capacity, thought process, and personality styles
• Provide an understanding of developmental and adaptive functioning
• Assist in identifying vocational pursuits consistent with areas of ability and interest
• Provide recommendations for treatment and additional resources within the community

Our PCH Assessment Center clinicians are highly skilled in the scoring and interpretation of testing measures. After the administration is complete, an evaluator independently scores each measure and reviews the collected data with an additional member of the PCH Assessment Center team. Standardized measures are scored and interpreted using normative data, while projective personality assessments involve qualitative clinical analysis.

After all pieces of information are gathered and PCH Assessment Center formulates impressions, results of the assessment are discussed through a therapeutic verbal feedback session. The feedback session may include family members and/or treatment providers as indicated. A discussion of assessment findings and recommendations is provided. Following the feedback session, the assessment process concludes with a comprehensive written report, including background information, results of testing, clinical impressions, and detailed recommendations. With your consent, we can share your results with relevant parties as well.

Yes. After the assessment process is complete, the PCH Assessment Center team will remain available for consultation, assistance with implementing recommendations, and future re-testing, if needed.