Trauma/Psychological Assessment

Solution Focused Psychology has completed numerous trauma assessments over the years.  There could be many reasons as to why someone is referred for an trauma assessment.  We have completed these assessments for individuals such as adults, children, veterans and referrals from agencies such as the Worker's Compensation Board (WCB) and Children Services.

This type of assessment helps to measure the types of trauma someone has been exposed to, or the degree of severity of the traumatic event(s) someone has experienced.  

It is important to properly screen and assess for trauma symptoms, especially to be able to determine how trauma affects healthy functioning in a person that previously had healthy functioning prior to the incident(s) that have taken place.  It is essential in determining a child’s overall social and emotional well­being. When a child is brought in to Children Services, usually it is the result of a specific incident of maltreatment. For an effective assessment to take place it is critical that all agencies, and/or practitioners involved disclose the adult/child’s history, including the adult/child’s cumulative trauma experiences, to be able to put together an accurate assessment and findings. This assessment can bring forward the severity of symptoms, and can determine the impact of the trauma (thoughts, emotions, and behaviors have been changed by the traumatic incident(s) on the adult/child’s functioning in the various environments. 

Process of a Trauma Assessment

• The referral is usually received from an agency such as WCB, Children Services, Veteran Affairs and/or a lawyer or physician.

• All information received from any other agency will be reviewed and filed.

• An intake interview will be set up with the referral source i.e. caseworker, and/or lawyer

• An intake interview will then be set up with the client/caregiver to gather all pertinent background information.  Client will be given all expectations made by the referral source. Please be aware that the referral source is "the client" and all information gathered is relayed to the referral source.

• The client will attend possibly 3-2 hour sessions to be able to administer testing to measure cognitive, emotional and behavioural functioning.  If additional time is needed, it will be set up in office.

• During the time the client is being assessed it is asked that a close relative, parent, spouse, support worker, caregiver or someone that has known the client for quite some time also fill out some tools to help be able to see all aspects of the trauma.

• An observation of the home environment with the parent/caregiver/guardian regarding a child's trauma assessment will be set up with Amanda for approximately a one hour timeframe.

• Once all of the tools have been administered and marked, Amanda will compile the data and prepare a report for the referral source. 

• Then a meeting (debrief) will be set up with the client/parent/caregiver, referral source and anyone else that could be beneficial to be there to go over all the information, testing and recommendations that have been concluded from the assessment.

• A copy of the assessment of all findings and possible recommendations will then be given to the referral source, upon completion.

A psychological assessment is usually recommended for a variety of reasons.  It could be recommended to help with a diagnosis or treatment of certain conditions. Amanda would be testing for possibly learning disabilities reaction time and memory. If a person is having problems at work or school, or in personal relationships, Amanda can help administer testing to help you understand whether he or she might have issues with anger management or interpersonal skills, or certain personality traits that contribute to the problem. Other tests evaluate whether clients are experiencing emotional disorders such as anxiety or depression.

The underlying cause of a person's problems isn't always clear. For example, if a child is having trouble in school, does he or she have a reading problem such as dyslexia? An attention problem such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Difficulty with impulse control? Psychological tests and assessments allow a psychologist to understand the nature of the problem, and to figure out the best way to go about addressing it.

A psychological evaluation is often thought of as the first line of defense in diagnosing and treating a mental health condition. Performed by a psychologist, it helps them gain an understanding of the severity and duration of your symptoms. There are several signs and symptoms that might be an indication that a psychological evaluation might be needed such as: changes in mood, nervousness, social withdrawal, changes in your sleep or eating habits, difficulty concentrating, trouble performing your usual tasks or a lack of interest in activities that you previously enjoyed.

Process of a Psychological Evaluation

• The referral can be received you the client, or also by an agency such as: WCB, Children Services, Veteran Affairs and/or a lawyer or physician.

• All information, previous testing and received documents from yourself or any other agency will be reviewed and filed.

• An intake interview will be set up with yourself and/or the referral source i.e. caseworker, and/or lawyer. Please be aware that the referral source is "the client" and all information gathered is relayed to the referral source.

• The client will attend possibly 3-2 hour sessions to be able to administer testing to measure cognitive, emotional and behavioural functioning.  If additional time is needed, it will be set up in office.

• During the time the client is being assessed it is asked that a close relative, parent, spouse, support worker, caregiver or someone that has known the client for quite some time also fill out some tools to help be able to see all aspects of the trauma.

• Once all of the tools have been administered and marked, Amanda will compile the data and prepare a report for the referral source. 

• Then a meeting (debrief) will be set up with the client/parent/caregiver, referral source and anyone else that could be beneficial to be there to go over all the information, testing and recommendations that have been concluded from the assessment.

• A copy of the assessment of all findings and possible recommendations will then be given to yourself or the referral source, upon completion.

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding if you feel a trauma/psychological assessment would benefit you, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office at (403) 504-9777 or via email at rachel.brushett@icloud.com so that they can help you decide which assessment would be better for you.

Thank you