claritycon2024

First Step is a one-time psychological assessment and referral process for a child and his or her family.  A First Step appointment culminates in providing focused recommendations for mental health and other types of treatment. The first hour involves psychological screening of the child for verbal and nonverbal intellectual functioning, visual-motor skills (i.e., drawing, writing and spelling abilities), and story-making exercises.  Caregivers also complete sentence completion tasks to share their own experience and their understanding of the family members’ histories, strengths and needs.  The assessment session is followed by a comprehensive clinical interview with child and family.  The interview obtains information about the reason for the referral, goals of the child and family, family history, behavioral observations and recommendations for mental health and other interventions.  The interview is followed by a warm handoff of the family to a Care Coordinator who helps the family obtain recommended services.  The Care Coordinator works with the family at this initial appointment and in follow up contacts at 7-, 30- and 60-day intervals.  We also have a process within the service that is intended to enhance the caregivers’ mental health literacy by providing a better understanding of the child’s current mental health condition.