Transcript referral source and reason. You may need to use your

Chapter 19
Communicating Test Results
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Methods of Reporting Test Results
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Individual sessions
Group sessions
Written reports
Internet
Interactive approaches
Video approaches
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Levels of Reports
• Level 1: Copied out of manual
• Level 2: Minimum level of conceptual input used
• Level 3: Personalized interpretation
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Acceptance of Report Results
Counselors can enhance acceptance of the test
results by:
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Involving the clients
Establishing rapport
Spending sufficient time interpreting the results
Translating the results
Showing the validity of the information
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Negative Results
The test administrator should consider the following:
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Understand the test taker’s perceptions and feelings.
Accept the test taker’s right to disagree.
Be genuine and express your thoughts/feelings.
Identify other information about the client that supports or does
not support the test data.
• Discuss the implications.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Steps in Conveying Test Results to Parents
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Establish a good relationship.
Explain the test results.
Discuss the implications for the child.
Establish goals for the parents and select strategies.
Involve the child in the conference with the parents.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Types of Questions Parents Ask
About Tests
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What is a standardized test? How was the test administered?
How are the tests scored, reported, and recorded?
What do these scores really mean?
Why are our school’s scores below the national norms?
Why do you test so much?
How do you use the scores?
How accurately do the tests predict success?
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
• Is there a relation between the scores and a child’s achievement
in class?
• What is scholastic aptitude?
• What is intelligence?
• What kinds of questions were asked on this test?
• Who will see the test results?
• Can test scores be improved with coaching?
• Is the test fair to members of my race, gender, or ethnic group?
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Report Writing
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There is no one "correct" way to write a report.
It is unique to the writer and the client.
There is no standard format.
You can develop a format.
There are some basic guidelines that will help to write reports
clearly and meaningfully.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
A good report is:
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Well-written
Brief and succinct (approximately 2 to 3 pages)
Tailored to the reader
Empathic and respectful
Includes a brief summary at the end of the paper
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Purposes for the report
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Answer specific questions.
Plan treatment.
Formulate/conceptualize the case.
Monitor progress.
Provide diagnostic input.
Assess counseling outcome.
Make recommendations for counseling,etc.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Improve report writing with good structure.
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The goal of the report is to reach a logical conclusion that answers the referral
question(s) and is supported by valid, reliable data.
Use the body of the report to establish credibility for your conclusions.
There are 3 sources of data:
• Clinical history
• Behavioral observations/mental status exam
• Tests
If any one of these is missing (e.g., test data), you still have two sources of
data for the report!
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Basic Report Format
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Purpose for Evaluation/Reason for Referral
Background Information
Assessment Procedures (if you used tests)
Results
Summary/Recommendations
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Purpose of the Evaluation/Reason for Referral
• Get an understanding of what information the report will provide.
• Is your "client" referred by parents, partner, court, or self?
following a suicide attempt? because of depression? because of
significant fighting with partner?
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Background Information
• Mental image of the client you are describing
• This is the first hospital admission for this 36-year-old single white female
who has 13 years of formal education and is employed as a sales clerk.
• Brief physical description
• Client may be seductively or slovenly dressed, skeletal or grossly obese,
attractively groomed or with nails that have been bitten so short they are
bleeding.
• Present the details in a meaningful, orderly, and functional
manner.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
• Group related pieces of information together in a
single paragraph.
• Use separate paragraphs only if you want to
emphasize a particular issue.
• Affect and mood
• Behavior
• Any other relevant information
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Results of Assessment
• In this section you want to do more than just copy the interpretive
hypotheses out of the manual or from the computer printout.
• Describe the individual, not the tests. In general there is no need to
mention specific tests by name (IQ tests are an exception).
• Rather, present those portions of the test data which you can confirm
during the diagnostic interview, from collateral reports, or from review
of records.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Example: Ms. Johnson’s full-scale IQ score is in the low average range of
intelligence. As indicated by the Verbal Comprehension Index and Perceptual
Organization Index, Ms. Johnson’s verbal comprehension skills and perceptual
organization skills appear to be relatively equally developed, in the low average
range. Ms. Johnson did demonstrate a weakness in working memory as evidenced
by her percentile score on the Working Memory Index. Among subtests, Ms.
Johnson demonstrated a significant weakness on arithmetic (basic math skills,
mental concentration) and a significant relative strength on coding (psychomotor
speed, visual short-term memory, visual-motor coordination, concentration).
Overall, these assessment results indicate generally low average ability with
strength in clerical speed and weaknesses in short-term memory and especially in
long-term retrieval and retention.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Diagnose, conceptualize, or both?
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Opinions differ as to whether the report should emphasize formal DSM diagnosis or
focus on an effort to conceptualize the case (i.e., present a systematic description of
the individual, his problem, how the problem developed, and the forces that maintain
the problem).
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It is appropriate to include a DSM diagnosis, so long as you also provide a
"paragraph style" conceptualization of the case.
Don't just label the person.
Go beyond DSM and help your reader understand the individual.
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Weak: Results of this evaluation reveal the presence of an avoidant personality disorder.
Better: Results of this evaluation reveal the presence of an Avoidant Personality Disorder, as evidenced
by (list the relevant DSM criteria). This client displays a chronic inability to establish and maintain
satisfactory interpersonal relationships (or to maintain employment). He is a relatively anxious individual
who experiences marked internal conflicts over dependency issues. He has intense, unmet needs
for attention and affection. However, his emotionally abusive childhood has led to extreme fear of rejection
or humiliation in interpersonal relationships. His cool, detached public presentation represents a
defensive effort to shield himself from emotional pain.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Recommendations
• Your conclusions and recommendations at the end of your paper
should be well-supported by your observations and inferences
within your paper.
• Do not recommend counseling unless you have identified a
problem within your paper. We don't do counseling "just
because..."
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Conclusions
1. Identify whether counseling is warranted.
2. Consider medical evaluation?
3. Further assessment? What kind?
4. Non-psychological, non-psychiatric interventions
needed?
5. Environmental interventions needed?
6. Issues that might interfere with treatment and
how to address them.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
1. Identify whether counseling is warranted.
• If so, related to what specific issues? What mode? What kind? What
frequency, intensity, setting, and urgency? To achieve what goals? Of
what expected duration?
Example:
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“Continued inpatient hospitalization is warranted due to Mr. Smith’s suicidal ideation
and plan, concurrent severe anxiety and lack of social support.”
“Individual, outpatient, cognitive-behavioral counseling, once weekly, to address
Mary’s adjustment to college and separation anxiety is recommended. Mary should
begin working with the college counselor this week if possible, as she is considering
terminating her enrollment and returning home.”
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
2. Consider medical evaluation?
• To alleviate what symptoms?
Example:
• “If Mary’s anxiety does not abate within two weeks, the UCF
Counseling Center should schedule Mary for a medical
evaluation to determine whether antianxiety medication is
needed. Specific attention should be paid to evaluating her
sleep pattern at that time, as she reports sleep deprivation due to
excessive worry at night.”
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
3.
Further assessment? What kind?
• By whom (what specialty)?
• To resolve what questions?
Example:
• “Neuropsychological assessment is recommended to assess the
extent and nature of brain damage Mr. Smith has suffered as a
result of his substance abuse. Rehabilitation evaluation is
recommended to identify interventions that may help him cope
with his impairments.”
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
4.
Non-psychological, non-psychiatric
interventions needed?
• What kind?
• By whom?
• Other agencies need to be involved?
Example:
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“Given the nature of Mrs. Smith’s cultural and religious beliefs, and their
impact on her willingness to seek therapy, consultation with and/or referral to
her rabbi is recommended. This consultation should identify whether the rabbi
is capable of helping Mrs. Smith with her depression, or whether the rabbi can
assist her in accepting the professional help she clearly needs.”
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
5. Environmental interventions needed?
Example:
• “Johnny needs to be seated at the front of each
classroom, so that he is able to see the board.”
• “This employee should be switched to a position
that minimizes interaction with customers, and
provides him with opportunity to socialize with a
small cadre of fellow workers.”
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
6.
Issues that might interfere with
treatment and how to address
them.
Example:
• “Mary’s parents see her as a victim of “the university’s
impersonal, uncaring environment.” They repeatedly sympathize
with and encourage Mary’s distress. Unless the parents can be
helped to adopt a supportive yet adaptive approach, this student
may fail in her transition to college. It is recommended that the
Dean of Students arrange to meet with the parents and that they
be referred to the Parents-in-Transition outreach program.”
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Report Signature
• Finally, include a formal signature block,
which looks like this:
Respectfully submitted,
__________________________________________
Your name, highest EARNED and RELEVANT degree
Examiner
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
Tips
• Avoid using jargon. State what you observe rather than just
saying ....impaired "reality testing", or that the client appeared
"characterological", "neurotic", or that he displayed "cognitive
slippage", or "perceptual insensitivity."
• When referring to yourself in a report there is no clear consensus
whether you should use personal pronouns or refer to yourself as
"the examiner." One option is to find ways to avoid references to
yourself. For example,
• Weak: The client was angry with me for interrupting
his scheduled activities on the ward.
• Better: The client voiced frustration and hostility over
disruption of scheduled ward activities.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
• Use past tense to talk about things that have happened; use
present tense to talk about things that are happening or that will
continue. That is, "He was dressed casually in clothes appropriate
for work," but "He is a 28-year-old male."
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shorten sentence lengths
minimize the number of difficult words
reduce the use of acronyms
omit passive verbs
increase the use of subheadings
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
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Use your clients' names. They are people, not objects. Instead of "The client
said..." say "Ms. Jones was..."
Refer to adults by a title and last name (e.g., Dr. White or Ms. Brown); this is
more respectful.
Refer to children and teens by first name after identifying them by first and last
name in your opening paragraph.
You may draw inferences—in fact, you should—but support your conclusions
with observations. For example, "She was cooperative during the interview,
responding to all questions and expanding on these."
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
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Use good paragraph structure. The first sentence of the paragraph tells what
the whole paragraph is about. The last sentence sums up the paragraph.
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Within each topic, follow a chronological development. You don't want the
reader to have to stop and figure out which admission came first or which
symptoms appeared last, and so on.
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Keep information under the appropriate subheading. Don't put Mental Status
details or Behavioral Observations under Background Information, or vice
versa.
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Report information clearly and with confidence. Avoid excessive use of words
like "reportedly; according to the client; or the client stated." Once you've
made it clear that the history came from clinical interview, you don't need to
repeatedly qualify the data. One way to avoid this is to use quotation marks
occasionally to let the reader know you are relating the client's opinions.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
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Qualifiers are important at times, but excessive use reveals indecision or
uncertainty. Avoid excess use of "appears to, suggests, may be, apparently,”
and so on. Rather, say "The client is..." Use of behavioral descriptors can help
here. For example:
• Weak: The client may have conflicts dealing with authority figures.
• Better: The client's difficulty with authority figures is evident in his multiple
expulsions from school, arrests, and frequent loss of jobs due to "personality
conflicts" with employers.
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Generally, don't repeat information. If paragraph one stated that the client has
been repeatedly fired from jobs, don't repeat this in paragraph four as part of the
"social issues" paragraph. Find a way to convey all the information and only say
it once. Exceptions to this rule include repetition for emphasis and limited
repetition in the summary.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.
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Include only details that are relevant to your conclusions.
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For chronic schizophrenia you might spend several paragraphs on past
treatment efforts and only a sentence or two on family issues.
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For child being emotionally abused during the parents’ separation, you might
spend several paragraphs on the effects of divorce on children, while devoting
only a couple of sentences to prior treatment.
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Remember, the purpose of the psychological report is usually NOT to provide a
comprehensive social or medical history. Include only relevant details.
Robert J. Drummond and Karyn Dayle Jones
Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals, 6 th edition
Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
All rights reserved.