Assessment and Evaluation
For many, entering the mental healthcare system can feel overwhelming and confusing. When you or a loved one begins struggling at home, in school, or in social settings, it may be difficult to know where to turn or how to navigate the different levels of care and recommendations available, especially in a fast-paced society filled with busy schedules and constant distractions.
Individuals and families may seek independent mental health assessment or evaluation in these moments to gain clarity around emotional, behavioral, learning, or mental health concerns—whether for children, adolescents, or adults navigating challenges such as mood, anxiety, attention, trauma, or major life transitions. This may also include situations where a structured risk assessment is needed to support safe return to school, work, or other daily activities following a crisis, hospitalization, or significant change in functioning. In some cases, families may be seeking clarification after prior evaluations, or guidance in understanding appropriate levels of care and support options moving forward.
My goal is to provide peace of mind through a compassionate, faith-informed approach to walking alongside you in your mental health journey, helping you make informed, confident decisions about next steps in care. I would love the opportunity to discuss your needs with you and to provide you with options that best fit your needs. Please click the button below to schedule a free, 30 minute video consultation.
What to Expect
Should you decide to move forward with me after your initial consultation, the next step will be the assessment and evaluation stage. During this time, I will be learning more about you and your background, to belp me connect you with the care that best fits your needs, whether it means establishing a longer term counseling/coaching relationship with me or helping connect you to providers and other community resources that best meet your needs. Sometimes we will do both!
Leading up to the 1st Session
Once we have scheduled your first session, I will be sending you intake paperwork/forms through a client portal on Simple Practice (the same place you requested your consultation). Along with this paperwork, my intention is to send you some resources/links to introduce you to key information about navigating the mental healthcare system. Some of those links may be found below:
What is Included in Intake Paperwork/Forms (Coming Soon)
1st Session (up to 55 minutes)
Generally, I spend this time answering any questions you may have about the mental healthcare system and reviewing your intake paperwork with you, asking you further clarifying questions. During this time, you will complete a 5-10 minute mental status exam, which gathers a "snapshot" of your current mental health.
What is a Mental Status Exam? (Coming Soon)
2nd Session (up to 55 minutes)
In order to observe your "baseline," meaning your standard day-to-day functioning, I typically schedule a session out 2-3 days from the 1st session. During this time, I will complete another quick mental status exam, begin screening tools like the PHQ-9 to identify possible depression symptoms, a GAD-7 to identify possible anxiety symptoms. and other screening tools will be utilized based on symptoms reported (substance use, PTSD, etc.). All remaining time is used to finish discussing intake paperwork.
What is a PHQ-9? (Coming Soon)
What is a GAD-7? (Coming Soon)
After the first two assessment sessions, the evaluation process continues as needed to better understand your history, current concerns, and daily functioning. Depending on the complexity and intensity of your situation, the full assessment and evaluation process may take about 3-5 sessions total. This allows enough time to form a clear picture of your needs and, when appropriate, provide a provisional diagnosis to guide care planning. It may also include a structured risk assessment to support safe return to school, work, or daily activities after a crisis or major change. In some cases, it helps clarify previous evaluations and determine the most appropriate level of care moving forward.
These 3-5 sessions generally need to be spread out over a span of 2-4 weeks, in order to ensure most accurate evaluation. For those who are facing time restrictions, such as a return to work or school, we can discuss fitting this evaluation process into a more immediate timeframe.
What is a provisional diagnosis? (Coming Soon)
Treatment Planning/Community Care Planning (up to 55 minutes)
The last session of the assessment and evaluation process is designed to review goals that you have identified during previous sessions, identify measureable objectives/checkpoints to know when those goals are reached, and methods that I will be using to help you achieve those goals. If we determine that someone else would be a better fit, we will use this time to discuss recommendations for further support and I will guide you through completing necessary consent forms, which are needed to refer you to ensure you have a smooth transition to other provider(s).
What is a Release of Information (ROI)/Consent Form? (Coming Soon)