Assessment and Diagnosis "Under the Gun"

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, review Standard 9: Assessment  in the APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct and DSM-5. It is recommended that you read Chapters 4, 7, and 10 in the Sommers-Flanagan and Sommers-Flanagan (2013) e-book, Clinical Interviewing, as well as the Kielbasa, Pomerantz, Krohn, and Sullivan (2004) “How Does Clients' Method of Payment Influence Psychologists' Diagnostic Decisions?” and the Pomerantz and Segrist (2006) “The Influence of Payment Method on Psychologists' Diagnostic Decisions Regarding Minimally Impaired Clients” articles for further information about how payment method influences the assessment and diagnosis process. 

For this discussion, you will assume the role of a clinical or counseling psychologist and diagnose a hypothetical client.  Begin by reviewing the PSY650 Week Two Case Studies document and select one of the clients to diagnose.

In your initial post, compare the assessments typically used by clinical and counseling psychologists, and explain which assessment techniques (e.g., tests, surveys, interviews, client records, observational data) you might use to aid in your diagnosis of your selected client. Describe any additional information you would need to help formulate your diagnosis, and propose specific questions you might ask the client in order to obtain this information from him or her. Identify which theoretical orientation you would use with this client and explain how this orientation might influence the assessment and/or diagnostic process. Using the DSM-5 manual, propose a diagnosis for the client in the chosen case study.

Analyze the case and your agency’s required timeline for diagnosing from an ethical perspective. Considering the amount of information you currently have for your client, explain whether or not it is ethical to render a diagnosis within the required timeframe. Evaluate the case and describe whether or not it is justifiable in this situation to render a diagnosis in order to obtain a third party payment.

Guided Response: Review several of your colleagues’ posts and respond to at least two of your peers who chose a different case than you by 11:59 p.m. on Day 7 of the week. You are encouraged to post your required replies earlier in the week to promote more meaningful interactive discourse in this discussion. 

In your responses, evaluate whether your peer took into account the ethical guidelines outlined in the APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologist and Code of Conduct when he or she assessed and diagnosed the client. Suggest additional questions your peer might ask the client. Propose an alternative diagnosis that might arise from the additional questions you have suggested.

Continue to monitor the discussion forum until 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST) on Day 7 of the week and respond to anyone who replies to your initial post.

Carefully review the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate this Discussion Thread.