Clinical Assessments

There were many clinical assessments presented in chapter thirteen.  Clinical assessment determines whether or not a person has a mental disorder and if so diagnosis’s them.  According to Kessler (2005), it is estimated that 26.2 Americans over the age of 18 suffer from a mental disorder each year.  I never realized that diagnosing these disorders have become an integral part of a counselor’s job.  I knew that we would possibly come across various assessments but not to the extent of determining whether a child has a mental disorder.  In my mind that was a school psychologists or an outside agency that would determine that type of diagnosis.  Related to a diagnosis of a child, interviews were discussed and I feel as though with any type of assessment this is a vital piece.  Through interviews you are able to gain valuable insight and information pertaining to the client.  When completing the interviews I believe that you should be asking a variety people that come in contact with the person such as teachers, school personnel, parents, etc. as well as the child themselves.   

Next, one of the instruments that stood out to me was the suicide risk assessment.  The reason being is because when working in the high school I had a handful of students that made a threat to harm them self.  Even though they took it back and stated that they didn’t mean it, I explained that they still needed to talk with someone before I sent them home.  They didn’t understand what they big deal was and I told them that if they would go home and hurt themselves I would be liable and I would never be able to live with myself.  After hearing that they began to understand the steps I took.  Drummond and Jones (2010) state that health professionals strive to find accurate ways to assess suicide risk.  When thinking I could potentially be in the position to determine whether or not a student will harm themselves scare me.  I know that in the elementary school it is less likely but it still occurs.  Last year there was a fifth grader that wanted to take her life and the necessary steps were taken to help her.  They say that there is no “one size fits all” when determining the risk so there are many signs to look out for and behaviors you must be aware of.  Some warning signs that were mentioned in the chapter were giving away prized possessions, putting personal affairs in order, and radical changes in characteristics in behavior and/or moods.  In conclusion, being knowledgeable of the many assessments and warning signs is important when working with children.  Through this class, I was able to learn information related to assessment that I was never aware of.     

Drummond, R. J. and Jones, K. (2010). Assessment procedures for counselors and helping professionals. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.