Our Comprehensive Assessment Process

ASAP offers you a comprehensive assessment performed by clinicians with specialized training.

ASAP is here to help families thrive. We strongly believe in building relationships with our clients and helping families reconnect. Your intake assessment will be the first step in that journey. While teens and young adults can be unsure about change and therapy in general, ASAP helps to empower families from the start. Our team will help you to draw from existing strengths and build resilience for coping during difficult times. We are looking forward to helping you take the first steps toward recovery!

ASAP works with families, schools, courts, physicians, and other mental health providers when there are concerns about behaviors in young people aged 12-26.  Assessments take approximately 2 hours, are available most days during the week, and involve the client and at least one parent/guardian for any client under age 20.

Teen Assessments

ASAP professionals meet individually with the teen and parents to get a more thorough perspective on the issues you have been facing.  Parents are encouraged to provide information about family history, their child’s development, awareness of any existing substance use patterns, concerning behaviors, and to provide details about past strategies the family has used to help their teen.  Teens are encouraged to share about their family life, mental health concerns, problematic behaviors, any existing alcohol and other drug use history, school/work performance, and their social life. Teens who are 18 or 19 can be considered for teen and young adult programming depending on their life circumstances and maturity.

Young Adult Assessments

Clients age 20 and older do not need to bring a parent with them, but they may choose to have a support person. The general structure of the appointment remains the same, with a conversational assessment first, followed by mental health and substance use measures. If a parent or other caregiver comes with, they can provide additional longitudinal and family history information.

Evidence-based assessment helps us provide accurate, appropriate, and effective treatment recommendations.

All assessments include psychological measures to help ensure we are making the most helpful recommendation. If substance use is a concern, we also include administration of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screen Inventory (SASSI-A2), a scientifically validated assessment test that helps our assessment professionals determine problem severity and your teen’s level of honesty.  Upon completion of the assessment, you will usually leave our office with a level of care recommendation, and have clear direction as to the next steps. Occasionally, our staff will consult with other care providers to help determine the right next step.

We know that particularly at the outset of treatment, many clients are not sure if treatment will be helpful for them.  Our clinical staff is ready to provide you with strategies for getting your child to the assessment and to engage in treatment once a recommendation has been made.