Cost: $200

This course will cover the core competency of clinical assessment as defined by NADD benchmarks for clinical excellence in IDD-MI dual diagnosis best practice.  Clinical assessment is an examination into a person’s mental health conducted by a professional who is trained and credentialed within his/her own discipline with the purpose of arriving at a mental health diagnosis or arriving at a formulation of a person’s problems. The expected outcome of a clinical assessment is to recommend relevant treatment, intervention and supports consistent with the findings of the examination.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students will:

  1. Understand the use of assessments including how guardianship status is assessed in persons with IDD and mental health needs and identify other special instances in which clinical assessment of these individuals might be requested.
  2. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the DM-ID-2 and knowledge of specific tools/instruments and strategies that have been used in the examination and assessment of individuals with IDD.
  3. Understand the limitations in using tools/instruments and strategies that are used for the general population and have not included individuals with IDD within the normative sample.
  4. Recognize the special challenges in clinical assessment of individuals with IDD and strategies that are used for the general population and have not included individuals with IDD within the normative sample and understand that limited communication and information processing problems will affect individuals’ ability to self-report.
  5. Demonstrate an ability to include information from observation, direct assessment of the individual and collateral sources of information into his/her assessment protocols.
  6. Demonstrate an appreciation of cultural factors impacting upon the assessment process and an appreciation of the multi-disciplinary nature of comprehensive clinical assessment.

Credit Hours

Success in this 1.0 credit hour course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of 15 hours over the length of the course in direct instruction as provided by the instructor and an additional 30 hours outside of class reading, reflecting, and evaluating the topics for a total of 45 hours.

Credit Criteria

Grading Scale: Badge/No Badge

Evaluation: 100% completion of badge criteria