Quality evaluations with a strong working relationship with your teachers and physicians are in your backyard! Evaluations are my passion. I work hard to truly understand the person I am testing and provide useful, comprehensive and insightful recommendations, as well as advocate for them within the community by collaborating with schools, primary care physicians, psychiatrists, case workers and judicial programs.
Evaluations can be a valuable tool for you or your loved one:
- Aid in proper diagnosis
- Guide course of treatment
- Gain insight into your strengths and weaknesses
- Help understand communication barriers
- Identify contributing factors that influence medical concerns
- Identify learning disabilities and disorders to access necessary resources
- Advocate for additional time on ACT, SAT or other standardized tests
- Assist in the IEP and 504 Plan process
Specific Services Provided
psychological evaluations
Individuals can often present with highly complex mental health symptoms. Psychological evaluations can help you understand an individual’s current psychological functioning, cognitive strengths and weaknesses, and psychological needs. Such assessments can be instrumental in identifying thought disorders, understanding your psychological needs, identifying coping skills that work and do not work, discovering new ways to communicate and establish a diagnosis. These longer, more comprehensive evaluations provide important background information, clinical impressions, test findings, diagnoses, and treatment recommendations. A detailed report is provided to you and the patient. A feedback session is also provided to help the you understand your diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Psychological evaluations can be completed at the office of Alpine Psychological Services or at other agencies if a room is available.
ADHD Assessment
It is important to confirm a diagnosis of ADHD prior to medicating an individual, because many symptoms of ADHD are also evident in other disorders. ADHD evaluations include a comprehensive assessment based on the individual’s presentation. Test measures include assessment of intellectual functioning, achievement testing for children, multi-rater measures of behavior and attentional functioning, and direct measures of executive functioning. This evaluation can determine an accurate ADHD diagnoses and rule out other conditions that can mimic this disorder. A comprehensive report and feedback session are given to the client and his/her parents, which provide a diagnosis and recommendations for both at home and within the school if necessary. A feedback session is provided in person or via phone to the school to aid in creating learning plans that will benefit the student. I also provide detailed recommendations tailored to the child to provide to the school to better access resources, including specific recommendations to be used on a 504 Plan or IEP. Such assessments can be completed at the office of Alpine Psychological Services or at other agencies if a room is available.
Forensic Evaluations and Risk Assessments
Risk assessments include all data obtained in a psychological evaluation (one’s current psychological functioning, cognitive strengths and weaknesses, and psychological needs) as well as specific tools to address antisocial behaviors, risks for violence and risks for recidivism. Much like psychological evaluations, these assessments are longer and more comprehensive. A detailed report is provided to the referring agency. A feedback session is also provided to the individual to help the him/her understand their diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Again, specific recommendations are made for forensic populations, including the client’s capacity to maintain in structured or less structured environments. Such assessments can be completed at the office of Alpine Psychological Services or at other agencies if a room is available.
Assessments and Screenings Tools for Anxiety
I can provide a consultation for individuals that present with anxiety symptoms. The brief assessment can verify the presence of an anxiety disorder and reassess patients who are on sedative medications. They can determine the severity and type of anxiety disorder, if present. They can also rule out patients who might be misusing or overusing medications. This brief assessment can help make treatment recommendations about alternative behavioral treatments that might be applicable.
Assessments and Screenings Tools for depression
I can provide consultation for clients that are on antidepressants or being considered for antidepressants or present with symptoms that might be depression. Procedures will include an extensive clinical interview, specific measures to assess the severity and symptom pattern of the depression as well as a general assessment of personality functioning. This brief assessment can help to pinpoint if the patient has depression, rule out other disorders, especially the risk for Bipolar Disorder, and make suggestions for medication management, as well as other treatment options.
Learning Disorders, Cognitive Evaluations and Psycho-educational Evaluations
Such assessments are geared towards identifying cognitive weaknesses that are impeding a student’s ability to learn. They also identify gaps in the level of achievement a child has within his classroom, as well as areas of strength to focus on. These evaluations are often used for students to access Reading Plans, Individualized Education Plans, and 504 Plans within their school. Diagnoses and recommendations are based on testing procedures, as well as behavior observations within the classroom and parent/teacher feedback. A comprehensive report and feedback session are given to the client and his/her parents, which provide a diagnosis and recommendations. If necessary, I can provide feedback in person or via phone to the school and/or work with the school to aid in creating learning plans that will benefit the student. I also provide detailed recommendations tailored to the child to provide to the school to better access resources and aid in writing an IEP or 504 Plan. These evaluations are crucial in obtaining extra time on standardized tests including college entrance exams. Such assessments can be completed at the office of Alpine Psychological Services or at other agencies if a room is available.
mental health evaluations
Such assessments include a clinical interview, followed by a brief report including mental health diagnoses and recommendations. No additional testing is completed.