Diagnostic Screening

The Diagnostic screening is for those youth for whom treatment direction and service need is yet to be identified. These youth are in need of a comprehensive assessment to aid the placing agency in determining the particular and individual needs of the youth. This screening will help in choosing a direction for care which may prove to be more successful for the child and reduce the chance of failed interventions.
Youth referred are those who are court adjudicated dependent or delinquent for whom a service provision is yet to be identified and a plan of intervention is yet to be implemented. They are also those youth who have failed within a previous placement/community intervention and are in need of an identification of strengths and needs in determining future service provision.

The Diagnostic Screening will consist of a combination of the following:

•  Academic testing
•  Psychological screening and review
•  Direct observation to assess psychosocial development, educational needs, peer __interactions, group interactions, and general adherence to the routine
•  Interviews with appropriate parties
•  Review of records provided
•  Psychiatric Evaluation
•  Parent interviews
•  Inventories to aid in client evaluation
•  Other related testing as deemed necessary

The screening is usually 45 days in length and conducted while the child is in shelter care.