Continuum Core Element: Conducting a Comprehensive Collaborative Assessment
The Core Team conducts a comprehensive collaborative assessment that involves the ongoing process of gathering necessary, accurate historic and current information about the needs, strengths, and culture of a youth and their family. The Core Team evaluates the relevance of that information and also develops a comprehensive life history, a psychosocial narrative of the youth and family in the context of their environment, experiences, culture, and present situation. Clinical understanding is informed by (but not limited to) initial consultation with the youth, family, Continuum occupational therapist, consulting Continuum psychiatrist (when clinically warranted), and the referring agency. The assessment process results in an interpretive summary and clinical formulation that can be understood and supported by family members, professional helpers, and natural supports on the Family Team. The assessment process helps the Family Team (inclusive of the youth/parent/caregiver/legal authorized representative) identify focal needs and prioritize treatment goals. The clinical formulation prioritizes the psychological safety and wellbeing risks for youth placed out-of-home and promotes urgency to resolve barriers to safely remaining home or transitioning home. Assessment and clinical understanding change over time as new information arises and the family situation changes.
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Conducting a comprehensive collaborative assessment self-assessment tool
Lempp T, de Lange D, Radeloff D, Bachmann C. The clinical examination of children, adolescents and their families. In Rey JM (ed), IACAPAP e-Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Geneva: International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions 2012.
Henderson SW, Andrés Martin. Case formulation and integration of information in child and adolescent mental health. In Rey JM (ed), IACAPAP e-Textbook of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Geneva: International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions 2014.