Clinician's Guide to Psychological Assessment and Testing: With Forms and Templates for Effective Practice / Edition 1

by John Spores PhD, JD

Overview

Overall, this is an excellent guide to the use and administration of psychological tests. It provides straightforward directions and instructions on how to utilize testing in such a way as to better inform clinical practice. I could see this book as a mainstay on any counselor's bookshelf, especially those who are seeking a way to utilize standardized testing in their practice."—The Professional Counselor Journal

"Finally, a detailed and crystal clear guide to psychological assessment that effectively integrates 'best practices' with the realities of negotiating the mental health care system and insurance providers. I plan to draw on this practical guide in my private practice and to incorporate it as a required text in my advanced counseling assessment classes at both the master's and doctoral level. This book is a treasure for any mental health professional involved in psychological assessment."

Joseph G. Ponterotto, PhD
Professor of Counseling Psychology, Fordham University

Standardized psychological testing is often essential for reliably determining the presence of a wide range of psychiatric and personality disorders, along with effectively addressing related issues that may require a psychological referral. This nuts-and-bolts guide to conducting efficient and accurate psychological testing in clinical settings provides mental health professionals with experienced guidance in the entire process, and includes a complete set of forms and templates for all aspects of assessment and testing, from the initial referral and diagnostic interview to the final report.

Based on the author's experience with over two thousand psychological and neuropsychological testing cases, this highly practical book presents a standardized process of assessment, testing, interpretation, report-writing, and presenting feedback to patients, family members, and other professionals. Actual case examples of patients from a wide age range illustrate the assessment and testing process in action. The text provides printed and electronic versions of referral and related forms, initial psychological assessment report templates that include critical areas of coverage for obtaining insurance approval, and interpretation tables for an exceptional inventory of key standardized psychological tests. Integral to the book is a review of psychological tests in seven key categories that most effectively address differential diagnostic dilemmas and related referral questions that clinicians are likely to encounter in practice. It also provides effective strategies for selecting the appropriate tests based on the particular diagnostic questions, guidance for successfully obtaining insurance approval for a targeted yet feasible number of testing hours, and an efficient system for simultaneous test interpretation and report writing.

Key Features:

• Includes an overview of the assessment process, from the initial referral to completion of the final report
• Features effective reviews of commonly used tests, including neuropsychological, intelligence, personality, and behavioral inventories
• Includes print and digital templates and forms for all phases of assessment and testing
• Aids clinicians in both private practice and other health care settings to work within managed care and be effectively reimbursed for services
• Includes information on conducting forensic competency to stand trial assessments, including the author's new measure of assessing a defendant's understanding of the legal system

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826199867
Publisher:	Springer Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/18/2012
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	448
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

John M. Spores, PhD, JD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Purdue University North Central in Westville, Indiana, and practicing Psychologist in the State of Indiana.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Introduction

SECTION I. THE PROCESS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AND STANDARDIZED TESTING

1. Overview of the Assessment and Testing Process

2. Referral for Testing, Initial Psychological Assessment Report, and Scheduling Test Administration Appointments

3. Final Psychological Evaluation Report and Communication of the Results

SECTION II. STANDARDIZED PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS: RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION TABLES

4. Intelligence Tests

5. Achievement Tests

6. Neuropsychological Tests

7. Symptom Rating Scales

8. Self–Report Clinical and Personality Inventories

9. Examiner Administered Personality Tests

10. Adaptive Behavior Tests

SECTION III. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AND TESTING: CASE EXAMPLES

11. Child Cases

12. Adolescent Cases

13. Adult Cases

14. Forensic Competence to Stand Trial Examinations

Appendix A

Glossary

Name Index

Subject Index