Psychological Assessment & Consultation Services (PACS)
Psychological Assessment & Consultation Services Department (PACS)
offers quality, comprehensive psychological assessment and testing
services for children and adolescents experiencing academic, behavioral,
and/or mood-related difficulties.
Providing accurate diagnoses for children can often prove to be a
difficult task because a child’s symptoms may look very different from
those of an adult experiencing the same type of problem. For example, a
destructive and angry teenager may actually be depressed, and an
overactive, fidgety preschooler may, in fact, be anxious. In order to
determine the proper course of treatment for such problems, it is vital
that the child’s diagnoses be accurate.
Using the most current and empirically supported measures and
techniques, our highly skilled team of assessors provides thorough and
comprehensive evaluations for a wide array of problems that may be
experienced by children and adolescents. These include, but are not
limited to: learning disorders, depression, Bipolar Disorder, ADHD,
anxiety disorders, PTSD, behavior problems, developmental problems,
Autistic Disorder, and Asperger’s Disorder. After gaining a better
understanding of a child’s specific struggles, our findings are
documented in a report including extensive recommendations for defining
appropriate evidence-based mental health services and recommendations
for change that is reviewed with the family.
Specialty assessment areas include:
ADHD Assessments
Many things look like ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder).
The ADHD assessment is designed to gather information from a variety of
sources in order to consider alternate diagnoses and increase
understanding of the child’s functioning in a variety of settings. The
ADHD assessment protocols were established based on careful review of
the assessment literature and consultation with nationally-known
experts. The ADHD “best practice” assessment is appropriate for
school-aged children and adults.
Developmental Assessments
The
Mood & Behavior Assessments
A child is more likely to suffer from emotional and behavioral
difficulties than from leukemia, diabetes and AIDS.
Many children experience depression, anxiety, irritability and anger
that cause problems for them at home, in the school, and in the
community. Psychological
assessment information provides a differential diagnosis or the accurate
identification and possible causes of the problems for making
appropriate evidence-based treatment recommendations.
Physicians and psychiatrists often utilize assessment results for
differential diagnosis and prescription decisions.
Psychoeducational Assessments
Psychoeducational assessments are designed to identify factors that
contribute to a child’s poor academic performance in school and help
distinguish between children whose behavioral and emotional issues are
contributing to poor school performance from those who suffer from
dyslexia or other types of learning disabilities.
Assessment information can be shared with school personnel in
developing the best educational approach for a particular child and
accurate information of the child’s level of functioning can be used for
defining appropriate treatment objectives and possibly developing an
Individualized education Plan (IEP) or 504 Accommodation Plan
Trauma Assessments
Children
who experience single or ongoing episodes of stressful or traumatic life
experiences can develop a number of emotional and behavioral problems
that are often confusing and overwhelming to child and parent alike.
Trauma assessments are designed to evaluate the nature and impact
of traumatic life events on a child’s functioning and make
recommendations for recovery.
Trauma assessment information is often requested by the courts
for determining appropriate treatment recommendations for adolescents
who are involved with the legal system and have experienced trauma.
How Do I Set Up An Evaluation?
If you are currently receiving services through C&A, the referral should
be coordinated through your child’s therapist and/or case manager.
Otherwise please call the intake department at the number listed
at the bottom of this page for scheduling an initial appointment.
Assessment services are offered in the
PACS Staff
Tracie has returned to Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health to
complete a fellowship in the PACS department to further her
specialization in psychological assessment. She sees clients in
the
Dr.
He maintains faculty and supervisory status at Child & Adolescent
Behavioral Health for the training of child and family psychologists,
has taught graduate courses at both
Dr. Coleman is a member of the American Psychological Association and
the Ohio Psychological Association.
His credentials are also listed in the
National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology.
Stephanie Griffiths, M.Ed., PCC
Linda S. Menes, Ph.D., PCC-S
Dr. Menes is a Developmental Assessment Specialist with expertise in the
diagnosis and assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is an
advocate for early intervention services specifically for preschoolers.
She encourages parents who suspect their child is not developing
typically to seek an evaluation through Child and Adolescent Behavioral
Health.
A Developmental Evaluation typically consists of an interview with the
child’s primary caregiver, the formal assessment of language skills,
adaptive/daily living skills, cognitive ability, and social skills, as
needed. It includes the
informal assessment of pre-academic knowledge and a school/daycare
assessment to determine the child’s functioning with others in a
structured environment as well.
Dr. Menes specializes in the assessment of children under the age
of 6 years. She evaluates
children whose parents suspect they manifest symptoms of ADHD, dyslexia,
anxiety and behavioral disorders, as well as those children whose
parents are uncertain whether they should either send their child to
Kindergarten or retain their child in Kindergarten.
Dr. Menes is a graduate of
Dr. Erin M. Rafter received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology in
2006 from an APA accredited training program from the University at
Currently, Dr. Rafter is Trauma Team Leader at Child and Adolescent
Behavioral Health and provides services to children and families coping
with various forms of trauma (abuse, grief & loss, divorce, family
discord & stressors, moving, health issues), as well as behavioral
disorders, anger management difficulties, mood disorders, and anxiety
diagnoses. Dr. Rafter has developed and conducted training in grief &
loss and the treatment and effects of trauma on children to Doctoral
Psychology Interns.
Dr. Rafter serves as a member of: local and state-wide traumatized child
task forces, the multidisciplinary team of
Jennifer B. Reese, Psy.D.
Dr. Reese earned her Doctor of Psychology degree from The University of
Denver. Throughout her training, Dr. Reese completed coursework and
worked at agencies designed for specialization in psychological
assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and their families.
Dr. Reese returned to Ohio to complete a year-long American
Psychological Association (APA) accredited internship and a one-year
Postdoctoral Fellowship working in these areas, and her current work
focuses primarily on assessing children for learning disorders
(including Dyslexia), mood disorders, pervasive developmental disorders,
anxiety disorders (including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), as well as
behavior disorders, including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD). Dr. Reese is also responsible for the assessment training of the
agency’s pre-doctoral interns and supervises their work in this area.
Dr. Reese’s strong interest in psychological assessment has led her to
conduct trainings on various instruments, both in
Dr. Reese is a Clinical Psychologist licensed to practice in the state
of
To Schedule an
Appointment Call:
Child & Adolescent
Behavioral Health
330-454-7917
ext
199