ASSESSMENT INFORMATION
Items in this section include:
- How it works
- Diagnosis VS Assessment
- Medication
- School and Work Accommodations
- Billing and Scheduling
- Booking an Assessment
- Breakdown of a Typical ADHD Assessment
- More Important Information
- Contact Us for Questions or a Free 15-minute Consultation
|
|
If you are interested in an ADHD or other Mental Health Assessment, please read:
Thank you for inquiring about our assessment services. We are a team of clinical social workers who offer mental health assessments for most mental health disorders, for clients over 18. Please read the provided information carefully, as there is important information included that may save you time, money, and effort!
How it Works
Typically, over the course of at least three-90 minute sessions together we discuss the symptoms being experienced, daily function, challenges, strategies in place, and coping. We also complete formal assessment tools in these sessions.
Some of the most common mental health disorders we assess for include:
|
We are not able to provide assessments for the following, including by not limited to:
|
Most Importantly
You do not need to have a formal diagnosis to receive relevant mental health support for most mental health issues.
Unless there is a very specific reason you are looking for a formal diagnosis, you may book a regular session with any of clinicians at Mindhous Wellness to discuss your mental health. More generally this will include discussions on coping, skills, strategies, strengths, and common issues and struggles.
We encourage prospective clients to discuss their symptoms with their primary care provider (nurse practitioner or doctor) before booking an assessment with us, as some primary care providers are comfortable assessing and diagnosing mental health disorders and can do so without additional costs, instead billing through MSI.
Unless there is a very specific reason you are looking for a formal diagnosis, you may book a regular session with any of clinicians at Mindhous Wellness to discuss your mental health. More generally this will include discussions on coping, skills, strategies, strengths, and common issues and struggles.
We encourage prospective clients to discuss their symptoms with their primary care provider (nurse practitioner or doctor) before booking an assessment with us, as some primary care providers are comfortable assessing and diagnosing mental health disorders and can do so without additional costs, instead billing through MSI.
Formal Diagnosis
Currently social workers are required to work below scope due to current provincial legislation, regardless of additional training, education, or level of social work designation. What this means is social workers are currently not allowed to diagnose in Nova Scotia. Most of the time, clients are looking for an assessment and recommendations from their therapist, which we can do. We can then provide this information to the person you wish to gain further support from: doctor, nurse, work, school.
MEDICATION
If you are looking for an assessment, medication, or accommodations for work or school, we will collaborate with you to tailor an assessment report depending on what you need it for, and send it to your doctor, work, or school.
Some, but not all, physicians and nurse practitioners are comfortable assessing and diagnosing such disorders as ADHD, and can do so without additional costs by billing through MSI.
At minimum, if your primary care provider will not assess or diagnose, speaking with them first before booking an assessment through Mindhous Wellness to ensure they are likely to collaborate with a social worker is essential.
If you do not have a primary care provider, you may not be able to receive a formal diagnosis through this route. However, if you have access to a women's or men's health clinic such as the Women's Health Centre Antigonish (902-863-6221), or the Men's Health Centre Antigonish (902-863-2358), you can ask the health practitioner there if they are willing to collaborate with us to support you.
SCHOOL
If the assessment is for school, we will need you to confirm with your school that our recommendations/assessment will be accepted. Some schools have very specific assessment criteria/requirements. For example, StFX requires assessments be from a registered psychologist and K-12 schools typically require Psych-Ed Assessments also to be conducted by a registered psychologist.
WORK
If the assessment is for workplace accommodations, check with your HR or Occupational Health representative to ensure you are meeting their reporting requirements. We can advocate and support you in requesting special accommodations for your mental health when appropriate.
You may book a regular session with any of the therapists at Mindhous Wellness to discuss what you’re experiencing and get our opinion on how we might be able to help.
MEDICATION
If you are looking for an assessment, medication, or accommodations for work or school, we will collaborate with you to tailor an assessment report depending on what you need it for, and send it to your doctor, work, or school.
Some, but not all, physicians and nurse practitioners are comfortable assessing and diagnosing such disorders as ADHD, and can do so without additional costs by billing through MSI.
At minimum, if your primary care provider will not assess or diagnose, speaking with them first before booking an assessment through Mindhous Wellness to ensure they are likely to collaborate with a social worker is essential.
If you do not have a primary care provider, you may not be able to receive a formal diagnosis through this route. However, if you have access to a women's or men's health clinic such as the Women's Health Centre Antigonish (902-863-6221), or the Men's Health Centre Antigonish (902-863-2358), you can ask the health practitioner there if they are willing to collaborate with us to support you.
SCHOOL
If the assessment is for school, we will need you to confirm with your school that our recommendations/assessment will be accepted. Some schools have very specific assessment criteria/requirements. For example, StFX requires assessments be from a registered psychologist and K-12 schools typically require Psych-Ed Assessments also to be conducted by a registered psychologist.
WORK
If the assessment is for workplace accommodations, check with your HR or Occupational Health representative to ensure you are meeting their reporting requirements. We can advocate and support you in requesting special accommodations for your mental health when appropriate.
You may book a regular session with any of the therapists at Mindhous Wellness to discuss what you’re experiencing and get our opinion on how we might be able to help.
Billing and Scheduling
ADHD assessments are the most commonly requested assessments and are also the most time intensive assessments we currently offer. ADHD assessments occur over a minimum of 3 sessions. Assessment may take more than 3 sessions.
Clients looking for an ADHD assessment are encouraged to book all of their assessment sessions at the same time, typically 1-2 weeks apart.
Assessment sessions are 90-minute sessions, each.
Assessment reports, if requested, are billed per the time taken depending on the complexity of the report/assessment. Usually reports are billed at 60 or 90 minutes, however writing time is tracked and billed per minute. This is in addition to session billing.
Assessment sessions and reports are billable to insurance.
Clients looking for an ADHD assessment are encouraged to book all of their assessment sessions at the same time, typically 1-2 weeks apart.
Assessment sessions are 90-minute sessions, each.
Assessment reports, if requested, are billed per the time taken depending on the complexity of the report/assessment. Usually reports are billed at 60 or 90 minutes, however writing time is tracked and billed per minute. This is in addition to session billing.
Assessment sessions and reports are billable to insurance.
Breakdown of a Typical ADHD Assessment
Session 1: Getting to know you/Informal interview
* Formal assessments may require additional sessions - largely dependent upon how symptoms present*
Post Assessment:
Clients are welcome to continue on as regular clients, should they wish.
- Discussion of what you experience, why you think a certain diagnosis might be a good fit for you, discussion of struggles/challenges, etc.
- Information on mental health and mental health disorders that may be related, possible alternatives, etc.
- Discussion of assessment in greater detail - the clinician will use a combination of different assessment tools, to capture a nuanced picture of your symptoms & experiences, and to rule out other possible disorders.
- Continuation of discussion from Session 1, if needed.
- Formal assessment usually begins in this session.
- Formal assessment continues.
- Discussion of assessment and next steps.
* Formal assessments may require additional sessions - largely dependent upon how symptoms present*
Post Assessment:
- If required or requested, the clinician will complete a report based on your needs.
- Assessment reports are billed in addition to the assessment sessions.
- Reports include only clinically relevant information to meet the purposes of the report.
- Your clinician will seek written consent to disclose clinically relevant information from the assessment to the identified recipients.
- Reports will be completed and sent to the identified recipients within approximately two (2) weeks from the completion of assessment.
Clients are welcome to continue on as regular clients, should they wish.
Further Important Information
Not every client who is assessed will meet the criteria for the mental health disorder they suspect. The clinical social worker will let you know if they believe a report would be beneficial based on their assessment with you. Please remember this is not a diagnosis, and the assessment does not guarantee the collaborating professional will concur with the clinician's assessment.
The clinical social worker may inform you in the initial meeting(s) if they believe that a formal assessment is not indicated, which may be due to clinical factors, diagnostic criteria, or symptoms present or not present, and will discuss next steps with you.
The clinical social worker may inform you in the initial meeting(s) if they believe that a formal assessment is not indicated, which may be due to clinical factors, diagnostic criteria, or symptoms present or not present, and will discuss next steps with you.
Reach Out To Us Anytime!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask! You are also welcome to book a free 15-minute consultation with a clinician for more clarification.
CALL.EMAIL.TEXT
9024484468 - Antigonish
6132182202 - Ottawa
[email protected]
CALL.EMAIL.TEXT
9024484468 - Antigonish
6132182202 - Ottawa
[email protected]