Comprehensive Mental Health Assessment Clinic
A mental health assessment is a critical first step before starting treatment.
Many people can tell when they are struggling with their mental health, but often do not know where to begin in finding the right treatment. Specifically, people may not understand the symptoms they are experiencing and if they meet criteria for a diagnosis. In other instances, people may have tried certain treatments or worked with therapists, but do not feel like they are making much progress, and want to find out more about their mental health to help formulate a better treatment plan. These are a few of the reasons why receiving a mental health assessment can be very helpful:
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You are not feeling like yourself, but you are not sure what is going on with your mental health or how to start feeling better
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You have a sense of what is going on with your mental health (e.g., depression), but you want a better understanding of the factors that are contributing to/causing your symptoms
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You want to know if you meet criteria for a specific mental health disorder
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You have been previously provided a mental health diagnosis, but want to check if you still meet criteria for that diagnosis or if there are additional diagnoses you meet criteria for
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You have been receiving mental health treatment but are not finding the relief you would like from your symptoms
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You need a psychological assessment completed, and need an assessment report, to apply for accommodations at school or work or disability leave
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You would like to have your own psychological assessment report to give to other clinicians and doctors involved in your care, or family members, so that everyone is on the same page
At Veridian Wellness Clinics, the Comprehensive Mental Health Assessment Clinic provides thorough mental health assessments to help clarify the mental health condition(s) that are causing your struggles, and provide treatment recommendations and a roadmap to help you start improving your mental health and quality of life. ​The comprehensive mental health assessment service includes a psychological intake session, psychological testing, a feedback/results sharing session, and a comprehensive psychological assessment report that will be shared with you.
By receiving an assessment, not only will you have a more thorough understanding of your current mental health challenges, you will also have more concrete steps of how to move forward with getting help. If you are struggling with your mental health, but are not sure what to do next, receiving an assessment is a helpful first step.
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What to expect from your assessment
Thorough psychological assessments helps you understand your symptoms, diagnosis, and make sense of your current challenges, and provide a clearer direction of how/where to seek psychological treatment moving forward. At the end of your assessment, you will be provided with a comprehensive assessment report that outlines your background history, the results from your psychological testing, a description of your mental health that helps you to understand why you are experiencing symptoms or challenges, a list of diagnoses that best describe your functioning, and recommendations about the most evidence-based therapy and psychological treatment(s) for your particular concerns. These reports are helpful to send to your GP, therapist, or other health care providers involved in your care to ensure your care team is aware of your history, symptoms, and situation.
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Assessment Overview
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A psychological assessment with emphases on clarifying mental health diagnosis and providing psychological treatment recommendations (ex. which type of therapy is most evidence-based for your concerns), brief behavioral recommendations, and recommendations for how to move forward in seeking psychological treatment
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This assessment is most helpful if you are interested in learning about what psychological/therapy treatments may be most helpful for you, and different options and pathways to move forward in seeking psychological treatment
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Costs
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Mental health assessment that involve a psychologist/clinician are not covered by MSP in BC and private payment is required
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The cost of VWC's comprehensive mental health assessment (also called a psychodiagnostic assessment) is $1,800. $900 will be charged at your first intake appointment, and the remaining $900 will be charged at your final feedback appointment
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You may self-refer to receive a mental health assessment at VWC and a physician referral is not required