What is a mental health assessment?

  • An assessment is a process performed by a clinician to determine if treatment is necessary, functioning level, the diagnosis and if your child meets the Access to Care Standards. Additional information will be gathered to determine medical necessity, the length and level of care. This is done through an interview with the youth and could include parents and other family members. The clinician will also ask for historical and family information. In this process, it is important to remember that this is about exploring solutions and not about blaming.
  • Information and records with the consent of the parent, legal guardian or youth if appropriate might be gathered from other sources. These could be medical, mental health, school, juvenile justice and other types of records.
  • The assessment also includes the child and family's strengths, needs and situation. The clinician might also perform diagnostic tests.
  • Based on the assessment, a determination of whether the individual meets all the following requirements to be considered for a level of care assignment:
    • The individual is determined to have a mental illness. The diagnosis must be included as a covered diagnosis in the list of Covered Childhood Disorders.
    • The individual's impairment(s) and corresponding need(s) must be the result of a mental illness.
    • The intervention is deemed to be reasonably calculated to improve, stabilize or prevent deterioration of functioning resulting from the presence of a mental illness.
    • The individual is expected to benefit from the intervention.
    • The individual's unmet need would not be more appropriately met by any other formal or informal system or support
  • If a level of care is assigned, a decision on the appropriate course of treatment will be made by the parents or legal guardian, the child or adolescent if appropriate, and the clinician.