Section E: Evaluation, Assessment, And Interpretation Flashcards
What does the counselor take into account when using assessments?
Clients’ personal and cultural context.
E.1.a Assessment
The primary purpose of educational, mental health, psychological, and career assessment is to gather information regarding the client for a variety of purposes, including, but not limited to, client decision making, treatment planning, and forensic proceedings. Assessment may include both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
E.1.b Client welfare
Counselors do not misuse assessment results and interpretations, and they take reasonable steps to prevent others from misusing the information provide. They respect the client’s right to know the results, the interpretations made, and the bases for Counselors’ conclusions and recommendations.
E.2.a Limits of competence
Counselors use only those testing and assessment services for which they have been trained and are competent. Counselors using technology-assisted test interpretations are trained in the construct being measured and the specific instrument being used prior to using its technology-based application. Counselors take reasonable measures to ensure the proper use of assessment techniques by persons under their supervision.
E.2.b Appropriate use
Counselors are responsible for the appropriate application, scoring, interpretation, and use of assessment instruments relevant to the needs of the client, whether they score and interpret such assessments themselves or use technology or other services
E.2.c. Decisions based on results
Counselors responsible for decisions involving individuals or policies that are based on assessment results have a thorough understanding of psychometrics
E.3.a Explanation to clients - informed consent
Prior to assessment, counselor’s explain the nature and purpose of assessment and the specific use of results by potential recipients. The explanation will be given in terms and language that the client (or other legally authorized person on behalf of the client) can understand
E.3.b Recipients of results - informed consent
Counselors consider the client’s and/or examinee’s welfare, explicit understandings, and prior agreements in determining who receives the assessment results. Counselors include accurate and appropriate interpretations with any release of individual or group assessment results.
E.4. Release of data to qualified personnel
Counselors release assessment data in which the client is identified only with the consent of the client or the client’s legal representative. Such data are released one to persons recognized by counselor’s as qualified to interpret the data
E.5.a proper diagnosis
Counselors take special care to provide proper diagnosis of mental disorders. Assessment techniques (including personal interviews) used to determine client care (e.g. Locus of treatment, type of treatment, recommended follow-up) are carefully selected and appropriately used.
E.5.b cultural sensitivity
Counselors recognize that culture affects the manner in which clients’ problems are defined and experienced. Cleints’ socioeconomic and cultural experiences are considered when diagnosing mental disorders.
E.5.c historical and social prejudices in the diagnosis of pathology
Counselors recognize historical and social prejudices in the misdiagnosis and pathologizing of certain individuals and groups and strive to become aware of and address such biases in themselves or others.
E.5.d refraining from diagnosis
Counselors may refrain from making and/or reporting a diagnosis if they believe that it would cause harm to the client or others. Counselors carefully consider both the positive and negative implications of a diagnosis
E.6.a appropriateness of instruments
Counselors carefully consider the validity, reliability, psychometric limitations, and appropriateness of instruments when selecting assessments and, when possible, use multiple forms of assessment, data, and/or instruments in forming conclusions, diagnoses, or recommendations.
E.6.b. Referral information
If a client is referred to a third party for assessment, the counselor provides specific referral questions and sufficient objective data about the client to ensure that appropriate assessment instruments are utilized.
E.7.a. Administration conditions
Counselors administer assessments under the same conditions that were established in their standardization. When assessments are not administered under standard conditions, as may be necessary to accommodate clients with disabilities, or when unusual behavior or irregularities occur during the administration, those conditions are noted in interpretation, and the results may be designated as invalid or of questionable validity
E.7.b. Provision of favorable conditions
Counselor’s provide an appropriate environment for the administration of assessments (e.g., privacy, comfort, freedom from distraction).
E.7.c. Technological administration.
Counselors ensure that technologically administered assessments function properly and provide clients with accurate results.
E.7.d. Unsupervised assessments
Unless the assessment instrument is designed, intended, and validated for self-administration and/or scoring, counselor’s do not permit unsupervised use.
E.8. Multicultural issues/diversity in assessment
Counselors select and use with caution assessment techniques normal on populations other than that of the client. Counselors recognize the effects of age, color, culture, disability, ethnic group, gender, race, language preference, religion, spirituality, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status on test administration and interpretation, and they place test results in proper perspective with other relevant factors.
E.9.a reporting
When counselor’s report assessment results, they consider the client’s personal and cultural background, the level of the client’s understanding of the results, and the impact of the results on the client’s. In reporting assessment results, counselor’s indicate reservations that exist regarding validity or reliability due to circumstances of the assessment or inappropriateness of the norms of or the person tested.
E.9.b instruments with insufficient empirical data
Counselors. Exercise caution when terpreting the results of. Instruments not having sufficient empirical data to support respondent results.. The specific purposes for the use of such instruments are stated explicitly to the examinee. Counselors qualify any conclusions,, diagnoses, or recommendations made that are based on assessments or instruments. With questionable validity or reliability.
E.9.c. Assessment services
Counselors who provide assessment, scoring, and interpretation services to support the assessment process confirm the validity of such interpretations. They accurately describe the purpose, norms, validity,, reliability, n. Applications of the procedures. And any special qualifications applicable to their use. At all times, counselor’s maintain their ethical responsibility to those being assessed.
E.10. Assessment security
Counselors maintain the integrity and security of tests and assessments consistent with legal and contractual obligations. Counselors do not appropriate, reproduce,
