What to expect at CCED: Adult Assessments
Posted by Sarah Emerman on Fri, Jul 30, 2010 @ 01:39 PM
By Sarah Emerman, Joanna Hardis, and Dr. Mark Warren
When you first come in for your ninety minute assessment you will be asked to bring the paper work that was emailed to you after your intake. In addition, we ask that clients come thirty minutes early to fill out standardized measures regarding your eating disorder behaviors and mood. To give a context and history to the measures, your clinician will ask questions to understand how your illness started, how it's evolved, what's worked and hasn't in terms of treatment and what you'd like to work on. It is often recommended that you bring someone you trust to your assessment, so that they may support you during the process and help you gather and retain information. You and the clinician will discuss your reason for seeking treatment, your family and social history, and how the eating disorder has impacted your life. She will ask specific information about your behaviors, and the frequency of your symptoms in order to get a sense of the eating disorder. The clinician will also provide psychoeducation about eating disorders and the evidence based treatment available at CCED.
The assessment will usually conclude with the clinician taking your height and weight, followed by a conversation about what the best and most appropriate care would be for you. Our responsibility is to make two things clear: what we think is best and what is possible given your goals and real life situation. If we agree on a plan, we will move forward with that plan. If we do not come to an agreement, we will enter a period we refer to as motivation and commitment, where we try to ascertain as clearly as possible what you want, what that means for your health and well being, and how to get it. In some situations we will recommend in house treatment and in other cases we may decide together that the best option for you is elsewhere. If we feel this is best, we will assist you in finding that care.
The assessment is not only an opportunity for us to get to know you, but also for you to get to know CCED. Goodness of fit is a vital part of treatment and we strive to make sure that clients leave the assessment knowing what we’re about and why we do what we do. Our hope is that we have an appropriate program for you. We want to give you the opportunity to see what is available at CCED and decide what your best plan for achieving your goals will be.
Should you have any questions or would like to set up an assessment please contact (216) 765-0500.