Case Studies in Assessment

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read the assigned chapters from the text. It is highly recommended that you review each of the brief Blumenfeld (2012) video clips demonstrating the administration of a mental status examination. These are listed in the recommended resources and may require that you download Quicktime in order to view them. Although not required, these videos show the administration of a mental status exam and may prove helpful in this discussion. 

Access the Barnhill (2014) DSM-5 Clinical Cases e-book in the DSM-5 library, and select one of the case studies. The case study you select must be one in which the client could be assessed using one or more of the assessment instruments discussed in this week’s reading. 

For this discussion, you will take on the role of a psychology intern at a mental health facility working under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. In this role, you will conduct a psychological evaluation of a client referred to you for a second opinion using valid psychological tests and assessment procedures. The case study you select from the textbook will serve as the information provided to you from the professional who previously evaluated the client (e.g., the psychologist or psychiatrist). 

In your initial post, begin with a paragraph briefly summarizing the main information about the case you selected. Evaluate and describe the ethical and professional interpretation of any assessment information presented in the case study. Devise an assessment battery for a psychological evaluation that minimally includes a clinical interview, mental status exam, intellectual assessment, observations of the client, and at least two assessment instruments specific to the diagnostic impressions (e.g., attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, autism spectrum disorder, etc.). The assessment battery must include at least one approach to assessing your client which is different from the assessments previously administered. The assessment plan must be presented as a list of recommended psychological tests and assessment procedures with a brief sentence explaining the purpose of each test or procedure. Following the list of tests and assessment procedures you recommend for your client, compare the assessment instruments that fall within the same categories (e.g., intellectual or achievement), and debate the pros of cons of the instruments and procedures you selected versus the instruments and procedures reported by the referring professional. 

Guided Response: Review several of your colleagues’ posts, and respond to at least two of your peers 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. Was your colleague’s proposed assessment battery appropriate for the case they were referred? Evaluate the instrument(s) suggested by your colleague. Would these measures provide reliable, valid, and culturally appropriate results for the given scenario? Use your research to support your assertions. What other measure(s) would you suggest your colleague use in this situation? 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.