The Use of Psychological Testing for Treatment Planning and Outcomes Assessment - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805827617 ISBN 13: 9780805827613

Publisher: Erlbaum Behavioral Science, 2007

Synopsis

Health care organizations need to provide problem-focused time-limited treatment; demonstrate the effectiveness of treatment to payers and patients; and implement quality improvement initiatives. Consequently, the appropriate use of psychological testing to rapidly identify problems, plan and monitor treatment, and document treatment effectiveness can present competent assessors with rewarding opportunities.

However, many psychologists and other professionals who routinely administer tests have actually had relatively limited training and experience in the full range of applications of testing to day-to-day clinical practice. Their formal testing courses and practicum and internship mentoring have focused primarily on the use of testing for symptom identification, personality description, and diagnostic purposes. A high proportion of experienced professionals are likely to have only limited knowledge of how to use test results for planning and monitoring interventions. Consequently, although the basic skills are there, many well-trained clinicians as well as students and trainees must develop or extend them further. This continuing need served as the impetus for both the first edition of this guide and this greatly expanded second edition, which draws on the knowledge and experience of test developers and researchers, leading clinicians, and other experts.

Separate sections:
* address general issues and recommendations concerning the use of psychological testing for screening for psychological disturbance, treatment planning, progress monitoring and outcome assessment;
* provide guidelines for the use of specific tests and scales for children and adults; and
* consider the future of psychological testing in the behavioral health care environments of today and tomorrow.

Special features of the 47-chapter second edition, more than double the size of the 23-chapter first edition, include:
* an expanded section on child/adolescent instruments;
* additional chapters covering important adult measures that have gained prominence since the publication of the first edition;
* additional chapters addressing issues of data analysis, assessment implementation, and future directions; and
* thorough updates of 21 of the 23 first edition chapters.

The Use of Psychological Testing for Treatment Planning and Outcome Assessment, Second Edition is an invaluable resource for all clinicians and for their trainees and graduate students.

About this title

Synopsis

Recent years have seen dramatic changes, prompted by out-of-control costs, in the way physical and mental health care services are delivered and paid for. The practice of test-based psychological assessment has been affected by these changes, with limitations on reimbursement for psychological testing and total monies allotted for all aspects of psychological treatment. However, psychological tests enable those skilled in their use to quickly identify psychological problems, plan treatment and document effectiveness of that treatment. This is particularly important during a time when health care organizations need to provide problem-focused limited treatment and demonstrate its effectiveness to payor and patient. Professionals with skills and training in psychological assessment can both contribute to and benefit from efforts to resolve the health care crisis. However, many clinical psychologists, applied psychologists and other professionals schooled in the use of psychological tests have had relatively limited exposure to the full range of applications of testing to day-to-day clinical practice.

For many, formal testing courses, practicum and internship experiences, and available published resources have focused primarily on the use of testing for symptom identification while minimally addressing how test results can assist in planning treatment or assessing the impact of that treatment. Consequently, many otherwise well-trained clinicians need to develop or expand their psychological testing knowledge and skills in order to better apply them for treatment planning and outcome assessment. It is to serve this need and those of students in graduate-level testing courses that this book was developed.

Edition details

• Publisher: Erlbaum Behavioral Science
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805827617
• ISBN 13: 9780805827613
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 1536
• Editor: Maruish Mark E.