Chapter 5 - Assessment

Abstract

This chapter presents an ecosystemic approach to assessment and a discussion of some of the instruments that are particularly useful. Having completed the intake interview, the therapist might determine that additional information is needed to develop an accurate case conceptualization and subsequent treatment plan. In this chapter, assessment refers to any strategy for obtaining case-related data that goes beyond the intake interview and Mental Status Examination. Assessment data can be obtained from three different sources. First, data might already be available, in which case a signed Release-of-Information form is all that is needed to obtain this information. Second, the therapist may want to refer the client for an evaluation as part of the initial data gathering process. Finally, the therapist can collect the assessment data as part of the initial intake process. The purpose of this chapter is to show the use of assessment data in treatment planning from an ecosystemic perspective and to show the use of the play therapy treatment planning workbook for organizing these data. The chapter is relatively unstructured because of the fact that the information that can be presented in the assessment section of the workbook is diverse.