Feeling insecure about my testing abilities

[Childdoconeday]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello,

I am feeling insecure about my assessment abilities (i.e., knowing what measures to use, writing reports, feedback, etc.). Throughout my graduate training I participated in externships that were mainly therapy focused and though I did have some minimal testing experience, now that I am licensed, I absolutely do not feel confident in my abilities. I would like to strengthen my skills, but do not know where to start. Are there any assessment conferences I should go to? How do I get more experience? I am currently employed at a site where I am doing primarily crisis intervention and therapy. Eventually, I would like to pursue other opportunities, but again, my testing skills are holding me back from applying, as most psychology positions that I am looking at would require me to do testing. I actually do enjoy testing, but don't feel very confident.

Thank you for your time.

 

[foreverbull]

You might have to pay for supervision/consultation from a well-trained colleague, as far as I can figure out from my lengthy searching.

I'm in a similar boat: wanting to add assessments to my practice repertoire, but needing a refresher and supervision/training with certain tests I'm less familiar with.

I've looked everywhere for CE workshops/trainings specifically in administering particular tests (or a battery) I've had graduate training in but not much practice, and have found nothing online.

Any folks have other suggestions?

 

[WisNeuro]

You need to find someone in the community or your healthcare system who can offer you mentorship/supervision in this area. Going to a conference will be almost nowhere near sufficient. Also, make sure you stay within your scope of psychological assessment and some cognitive screening measures. Speaking of, what kind of assessment are you talking about, as it's a large umbrella?

 

[smalltownpsych]

Maybe a private practice type practitioner would be willing to supervise/mentor you on some cases. Since you are licensed, they would be able to bill insurances the full rate and then keep half of the money to make up for providing their expertise. It is very easy to get backlogged on assessments so probably wouldn't be too hard to find someone who would help you while you help them. Once you have identified what you want to do as Wisneuro suggested, just email or call around a bit. I would think most clinicians would be willing to answer you if there is any interest and would not mind talking it over at lunch.

 

[Childdoconeday]

You need to find someone in the community or your healthcare system who can offer you mentorship/supervision in this area. Going to a conference will be almost nowhere near sufficient. Also, make sure you stay within your scope of psychological assessment and some cognitive screening measures. Speaking of, what kind of assessment are you talking about, as it's a large umbrella?

specifically psycho-educational testing. Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[Childdoconeday]

Maybe a private practice type practitioner would be willing to supervise/mentor you on some cases. Since you are licensed, they would be able to bill insurances the full rate and then keep half of the money to make up for providing their expertise. It is very easy to get backlogged on assessments so probably wouldn't be too hard to find someone who would help you while you help them. Once you have identified what you want to do as Wisneuro suggested, just email or call around a bit. I would think most clinicians would be willing to answer you if there is any interest and would not mind talking it over at lunch.

Great idea. Thank you! I will reach out to some providers in my community.

 

[erg923]

specifically psycho-educational testing. Thanks for your suggestions!

This is largely what school psychologists do in/for the school system. You will have to find parents willing to pay out of pocket, as these assessments aren't medically necessary and wont be covered by insurance.

 

[PsyDr]

This is largely what school psychologists do in/for the school system. You will have to find parents willing to pay out of pocket, as these assessments aren't medically necessary and wont be covered by insurance.

I thought we all understood what the motivation was.

 

[futureapppsy2]

This is largely what school psychologists do in/for the school system. You will have to find parents willing to pay out of pocket, as these assessments aren't medically necessary and wont be covered by insurance.

As someone with a background in school psych and some experience with as part of a clinical team doing Independent Educational Evaluations, trust me, there's plenty of parents eager to pay for this.

 

[Sanman]

Eh, schools usually limit their testing to what they can offer in an IEP and do not offer a formal clinical diagnosis (which has benefits for outside testing accommodations, etc). The focus can be different and you may not get a clear dx if you don't easily fit into the mold of school services. There is definitely a market for outside testing. I used to have an interest in pursing this stuff.