Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment Service
This assessment service provides individuals and their families with one stop for a diagnosis and recommendations for specific treatment and community support.
During a two- to three-week stay at The Menninger Clinic, individuals participate in an intensive interdisciplinary assessment in a structured inpatient setting. The assessment includes:
- Psychiatric evaluation
- Extensive neuropsychological testing
- MRI
- Psychological testing
- Psychosocial evaluation
- Family system study
- Neurological consult
- Additional tests are ordered as needed and may include PET Scan, sleep study and genotyping (determines drug metabolism profile)
The comprehensive assessment helps the assessment team understand the source of a person’s difficulties in the areas of behavior, self-perception, brain functioning, social environment and the body’s ability to make use of psychiatric medications.
Individuals and their families receive:
- A comprehensive understanding of the patient and contributors to their complex or recurring problems
- A plan for continued treatment that is supported by the patient, family and referring professionals
- Support and education
- Renewed hope
Why consider an assessment?
The program is designed for individuals who:
- Are experiencing cognitive difficulties
- Are not making adequate progress in other treatment settings
- Have co-occurring symptoms and can benefit from an assessment to determine what treatment program may fit their needs
- Were referred by their clinician
- Desire a second opinion
- Are experiencing little relief from current medications and need to have medications reassessed
Menninger offers this service based on years of success with a structured and systematic approach to patient evaluations.
The inpatient setting for the comprehensive assessment allows the adult to interact with other patients with similar challenges and for the staff to observe interpersonal, behavioral, addictive, medical and sleep patterns.
Staff have found that the intensive work done during the assessment presents the opportunity for developing a therapeutic relationship and collaboration among the patient, family and assessment team.
The team combines their findings with information from prior treaters, the patient and his/her family to complete the comprehensive diagnostic picture and develop treatment recommendations.
How does the process work?
The patient is admitted to the Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment Service for approximately two to three weeks. Family members are encouraged to stay in Houston for the first two days to:
- Meet with the various assessment team members and provide information about the patient and family’s experience
- Establish common goals
- Review the assessment schedule and plan communication about the patient’s progress
One of the team’s strengths is its experience in working with families regardless of where they live. The staff updates family members and referring professionals about its findings and progress throughout the patient’s stay.
Staff members on the assessment team represent the clinical perspectives of a psychologist, neuropsychiatrist, internist, social worker, rehabilitation specialist, addictions counselor, nursing and senior staff specialists.
During the brief stay, the patient:
- Engages in diagnostic processes with various members of the assessment team
- Participates in medication review
- Learns about the assessment process, mental illness and treatments, stress management and healthy living
- Learns about effective coping strategies and optimal use of treatment through supportive patient groups and coaching from staff
Once diagnostic tests are complete, the team meets with the patient and family either in person or by conference call to share its summary of diagnostic findings and preliminary treatment recommendations.
Within a few days, the team meets again with the patient and family to address any issues that may affect the recommendations before a final report is written, including diagnosis and recommendations. The full written report is also shared with the patient’s referring professional. If continued hospitalization is recommended by the team, it will refer the patient to an appropriate treatment setting.
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