Description

Writing a Diagnostic Assessment is central to the treatment process and a core component of most clinical social workers’ roles. Despite this, many clinical social workers do not have the opportunity to master this skill, learning primarily on the job with little training or feedback. It is essential that clinical social workers feel that they can engage in this practice in a way that is client-centered, ethical, meets the needs of their agency and third-party payers (especially MN DHS requirements), and is efficient.

Diagnostic Assessments live on for clients in their mental health records, court files and outcomes, relationships with service providers, and most importantly affect the ways that they see themselves in the context of their mental health. It is incumbent upon practitioners to ensure that we continue to hone our skills for diagnosis and assessment writing to ensure an ethical process that centers the client’s needs while maintaining compliance with statutory requirements.

Objectives

Participants in this course will:

• Learn strategies for client interviews to aid in efficient writing of diagnostic assessments, with a focus on interviewing to assess safely for trauma history.
• Review MN DHS statutory requirements for writing a Diagnostic Assessment, with special focus on cultural influences.
• Practice with comprehensive clinical summaries, written to statute, which integrate data obtained in the interview with their clinical justification for the chosen diagnosis and assessment of client needs and referrals.

Key Benefits