ABSTRACT
Good assessment is crucial to good treatment. It is the link between the problem and its solution. Without it, it becomes difficult to designate which treatments are appropriate and which contraindicated. This is true even when the treatment is brief and delivered in a group setting. For example, even prevention services and parent education require some assessment to ensure that the intervention is appropriate and will not be misapplied, possibly even causing harm. Put another way, good assessment enables us to deliver services appropriately, with maximum benefit to the recipients and minimal risk of waste or harm.
