Michael Hass

Writing Useful, Accessible, and Legally Defensible Psychoeducational Reports

Michael Hass

“This book focuses on how to write a psychological report that is first and foremost helpful to consumers, while also being technically and legally defensible. Like the reports the authors describe, the book is carefully organized, beautifully written, and accessible to practitioners as well as graduate students. It is a brilliant accomplishment that should be required reading for every school psychologist.” —Brent Duncan, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Humboldt State University, Arcata CA PRACTICAL GUIDANCE ON WRITING USEFUL, ACCESSIBLE, AND LEGALLY DEFENSIBLE PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL REPORTS From clearly identifying reasons for referral to making recommendations based on assessment results, Writing Useful, Accessible, and Legally Defensible Psychoeducational Reports offers practical guidance for creating reports that enhance the understanding of children and their strengths and challenges in order to better meet their educational and functional needs. The authors offer step-by-step guidelines for developing an assessment plan in a collaborative process with parents, teachers, and other professionals, choosing appropriate assessment and data collection tools, gathering relevant information, and providing clear and feasible individualized recommendations that directly respond to referral concerns in a format easily understood by parents and teachers. Ideal for graduate students in school psychology, school psychologists, and other professionals in related fields who work with children in a school setting, Writing Useful, Accessible, and Legally Defensible Psychoeducational Reports: Provides specific suggestions for increasing the usefulness and accessibility of reports including readability, positive phrasing, and vocabulary Illustrates how to develop well-formed questions and how to choose assessment tools to answer referral questions Reviews the legal mandates of report writing and discusses what must be included Demonstrates how to accurately document and integrate data from record review, interviews, observations, and tests Discusses how the use of the referral-based consultative assessment and report writing model can promote more active involvement in collaboration, prevention, and intervention Features numerous real-world cases, helpful checklists, examples of question-driven referral reports, and a model interview protocol

Interviewing For Assessment. A Practical Guide for School Psychologists and School Counselors

Michael Hass

An indispensable guide for school psychologists and school counselors on assessment interviewing Assessment Interviewing is a collaborative, strengths-based approach to the subject that helps professionals develop the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively gather the information they need in order to assess children's social, emotional, and academic functioning. Practical and easy to read, it provides step-by-step guidelines for structuring interviews for different purposes, communicating respect and understanding, and strategies for gathering information from children of different ages, cultures, and social standings. Chapter contains case studies and examples that illustrate how to clarify and classify problems, understand strengths and resources, appreciate the role of culture in interviews and respond to risk of suicide. The book concludes with a chapter on how to communicate the key information gathered into a comprehensive assessment or intervention plan. Addresses the unique interviewing needs of school-based professionals Features numerous practice exercises Provides strategies and guidelines for integrating the information gathered from interviews into a comprehensive assessment or intervention plan Includes interview protocols and end-of-chapter checklists This book is an ideal resource for school-based practitioners and graduate courses in assessment, counseling, and seminars attached to fieldwork.