Evaluative Services:
The Family Center offers a variety of evaluative services to families, individuals, schools, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Mental Health and others. These include:
Trauma Evaluations: Children exposed to chronic trauma (also referred to as toxic stress) often struggle in a number of profound ways. They may suffer from health problems, have difficulty integrating sensory information, struggle to regulate powerful feelings, feel insecure with others and have difficulty with decision making and problem solving. In order to help with treatment, IEP and case planning, the Family Center staff offer comprehensive trauma evaluations.
The goals of each evaluation are twofold:
- To help families, youth, and treatment team’s develop individualized trauma-informed intervention to address challenges associated with toxic stress, and
- To help professionals develop the therapeutic and educational resources necessary to better address the needs of youth who have experienced chronic trauma.
The process of a trauma evaluation includes:
- A Records review.
- Clinical interviews with the family, youth, treatment team and other collateral supports.
- Administering standardized measures and the Neurosequential Method of Therapeutics (NMT) clinical planning tool.
- The Findings Meeting: this is one of the unique components of our trauma evaluations. Family Center staff meets with the treatment team to discuss findings and recommendations, and to talk collaboratively about interventions. Treatment Teams consistently report that the Findings Meeting is amongst the most helpful forum to understand the impact of chronic trauma.
- A comprehensive written report that provides clear assessment information and strategies to promote healing and growth.
Psycho-educational and Psychological Evaluations: There are many reasons why a family, school, or professional might request a psychological evaluation. This process allows for a unique and comprehensive understanding of an individual in the context of their family and community. Areas of examination may include cognitive ability and style, memory, mental status, emotional style and behavior. The goals of each evaluation are:
- To provide a comprehensive understanding of an individual’s cognitive, psychological, emotional and relational strengths and challenges.
- To help caregivers and Treatment Teams develop informed plans to support the child within the context of their family and community.
The process of each evaluation is:
- A Records review.
- Clinical interviews with the family, youth, treatment team and other collateral supports.
- Administering standardized measures and other evaluative tools.
- A comprehensive written report that provides clear assessment information and strategies to promote healing and growth.
- Follow-up to IEP team’s as needed for implementation.
Please contact us at FamilyCenter@nafi.com for more information, or to make a referral.