ABSTRACT
Although some assessment-based practices such as some neuropsychological assessments, are reimbursed by medical insurance companies, this chapter focuses on developing and maintaining a fee-for-service-based assessment practice. It discusses different types of evaluations: Social Security Administration disability evaluations, Pre-employment evaluations, Clergy evaluations, and Child custody evaluations. Appropriate training, study, and supervision are essential in moving toward an assessment-based practice, and different levels of preparation will be required for different types of evaluations. There are a number of methods for acquiring and maintaining referral sources for a mental health assessment-based practice. Most mental status evaluations include a description of appearance, orientation, speech, eye contact, any unusual motor activity, mood, and other psychoses. Medical records for physical conditions are often important for a global understanding of the evaluee, and also may provide confirmatory or disconfirmatory information to that provided by the evaluee in the clinical interview. School records can provide information with regard to intellectual, academic, and interpersonal functioning.
