Students will search for a professional on the Internet and answer the questions in this assignment. If a student prefer to interview a professional in the community, the student must obtain approval from the instructor. The student should consider finding a professional who holds a position and has responsibilities similar to what they envision themselves doing in the future. The interview (answering questions based on biographies on the Web) should focus on the types of assessments this person typically uses in his/her work and how those are selected for particular clients, and how/when the professional received training in or became competent to administer and interpret those instruments.
In addition, the students should gather information and advice on how to communicate results to clients, particularly in difficult situations.
Students will write a 3-4 doc (not including cover page and references) on the information they gathered from the interview, what they learned from the experience, and how they might apply what they learned moving forward in their professional career.
The following questions should be incorporated during the interview:
- What type(s) of interview(s) (structured, semi-structured) do you incorporate in the evaluation process?
- What specific assessment tools do you use?
- Please explain the reason(s) for choosing these assessments.
- How open is your place of employment (facility, practice, etc.) to the use of assessment instruments?
- How do you obtain assessment instruments?
- What assessment tools do you not use and why?
- Explain how you might inform treatment planning from your assessment.
- What would you tell me is the best way to utilize assessment tools?
- What do you wish you would have learned about assessment in your graduate program?
- When you started using assessment tools, what type of supervision did you obtain?
- What is your process for assuring ethical usage and interpretation of the results?
- Do you ever have to read other counselors’ or psychologists’ reports? If so, please explain the purpose and how you use that review in your assessment process.
- What do you wish you learned about assessment in your graduate program or internship?
- What other professionals do you have regular interaction with? Medical doctors? Teachers? Please describe how you learned to work with professionals in different fields.
