Psychological evaluation for child protection decision making

The purpose of a psychological evaluation for child protection decision making is to help identify what, if any child abuse and/or neglect risk factors exist for a child/children in a parent(s)/primary caregiver’s care. A... [ view full abstract ]

The purpose of a psychological evaluation for child protection decision making is to help identify what, if any child abuse and/or neglect risk factors exist for a child/children in a parent(s)/primary caregiver’s care. A clinical framework for interpreting psychological evaluation findings will be presented that is based, in part, on the New York State Risk Assessment and Services Planning Model. As a psychologist, I provide psychological evaluation services for Child, Youth and Family Services to the governments of Alberta, Yukon and Northwest Territories for children and adults across the ages from diverse cultural backgrounds including Inuit, Metis Nation and First Nation. A multi-method psychological evaluation approach will be presented that includes background file review; clinical interviews; observation; psychometric evaluation of cognitive functioning, academic achievement, emotional behavioral functioning, adaptive functioning, mental disorder, personality functioning; and parenting attitudes, beliefs, behavior, knowledge of child development, and stress. Intervention/treatment recommendations that follow from the identified child abuse and/or neglect risk factors for a family, and factors that may hinder the psychological evaluation process, will be examined. This presentation is recommended for those professions providing services to children and families in child protection circumstances.