Week 5: Assessment of Adults

Assessment is the first step in the treatment process. A comprehensive and well-planned assessment is necessary to provide the most effective intervention. While initially assessment might seem to be a small first step, used to merely collect data, it actually has the potential to lead the entire treatment protocol. This step should not be minimized nor completed in a rushed manner because critical information about the client and his or her presenting problem may be missed. Further, during this part of the process, it is essential to take a holistic approach rather than merely focus on identifying pathology. The social work profession sets itself apart from other disciplines by identifying the client’s strengths. During this week you will read two cases and learn about these women’s presenting concerns.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Analyze use of screening and assessment tools for practice

Analyze comprehensive assessment models

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Congress, E. (2013). Assessment of adults. In M. Holosko, C. Dulmus, & K. Sowers (Eds.), Social work practice with individuals and families: Evidence-informed assessments and interventions (pp. 125–145). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Cowger, C. D. (1994). Assessing client strengths: Clinical assessment for client empowerment. Social Work, 39(3), 262– 268.

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

Mental Health Diagnosis in Social Work: The Case of Miranda (pp. 7–9)

Note: Depending on your concentration, you may not receive a case study book until a later term. Therefore, if you did not receive a copy of Social Work Case Studies: Concentration Year in your previous course, use the linked PDF provided here. If you did receive the book referenced above, you may find the cases there or use the PDF.

Hawkins, R. L., & Kim, E. J. (2012). The socio-economic empowerment assessment: Addressing poverty and economic distress in clients. Clinical Social Work Journal, 40(2), 194– 202.

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014a). Sessions: case histories. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

The Cortez Family (pp. 23–25)

Resources for Discussion

American Psychiatric Association. (2018). Online assessment measures. Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/educational-resources/assessment-measures#Disorder

Beidas, R. S., Stewart, R. E., Walsh, L., Lucas, S., Downey, M. M., Jackson, K., … & Mandell, D. S. (2015). Free, brief, and validated: Standardized instruments for low-resource mental health settings. Cognitive and behavioral practice, 22(1), 5-19. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4310476/ 

SAMSHA. (n.d.) Screening tools. Retrieved from https://www.integration.samhsa.gov/clinical-practice/screening-tools

Optional Resources

Use this link to access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work program.

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