Course Syllabus
HR 5613 - Assessment and Evaluation in Counseling
Faculty Contact Information
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Description
Assessment is the cornerstone of any type of treatment – one must have an informed idea about what one is treating in order to prescribe meaningful interventions. The focus of this course will be the administration, scoring, and interpretation of selected mental health screening instruments, interpersonal, and personality tests.
Attention will also be directed to the client’s response and approach to the evaluation setting, as sources of clinical data. You will develop skills in the practical application of the clinical inference process. You will also be exposed to a conceptual framework and guidelines for writing test reports, and a rationale for the various sections of the report. Thus, there is a clinical emphasis in this class, while grounding this emphasis in theoretical and research-based assumptions.
The general theoretical orientation of the instructor is psychodynamic, informed by developmental, ego-psychological, self-psychological, interpersonal, and systems perspectives. Because the theoretical and clinical tradition most associated with the area of projective techniques is broadly psychodynamic, this will be the main theoretical perspective drawn on in the class.
Learning Outcomes & CACREP Standards
Assessment & Evaluation in Counseling
| Learning Outcome | CACREP Standard |
|---|---|
|
historical perspectives concerning the nature and meaning of assessment and testing in counseling |
3.G.1 |
|
basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing, norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments, and group and individual assessments |
3.G.2 |
|
statistical concepts, including scales of measurement, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, and correlations |
3.G.3 |
|
reliability and validity in the use of assessments |
3.G.4 |
|
culturally sustaining and developmental considerations for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessments, including individual accommodations and environmental modifications |
3.G.5 |
|
ethical and legal considerations for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessments |
3.G.6 |
|
use of culturally sustaining and developmentally appropriate assessments for diagnostic and intervention planning purposes |
3.G.7 |
|
use of assessments in academic/educational, career, personal, and social development |
3.G.8 |
|
use of environmental assessments and systematic behavioral observations |
3.G.9 |
|
use of structured interviewing, symptom checklists, and personality and psychological testing |
3.G.10 |
|
diagnostic processes, including differential diagnosis and the use of current diagnostic classification systems |
3.G.11 |
|
procedures to identify client characteristics, protective factors, risk factors, and warning signs of mental health and behavioral disorders |
3.G.16 |
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Track
| Learning Outcome | CACREP Standard |
|---|---|
| etiology, nomenclature, diagnosis, treatment, referral, and prevention of mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders | 5.C.1 |
|
intake interview, mental status evaluation, biopsychosocial history, mental health history, and psychological assessment for treatment planning and caseload management |
5.C.4 |
Course Prerequisites
- HR 5003 - Theoretical Foundations in Human Relations Counseling / HR 5533 - Counseling Theories in CMHC
- HR 5402 - Psycho-Social Development / HR 5923 - Human Growth & Development
- HR 5883 - Introduction to the Counseling Profession
- HR 5483 - Diagnosis in Human Relations Counseling
- HR 5453 - Ethics in Human Relations Counseling
- HR 5643 - Crisis Intervention / Crisis Intervention and Trauma Counseling
- HR 5893 - Psychopharmacology
- HR 5663 - Psychopathology
- HR 5433 - Group Counseling
Course Materials
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
- Note: Please use the DSM-5 TR
- This manual can be accessed through the OU Library by using your OU 4 x 4 and password.
- Note: Please use the DSM-5 TR
- Whiston, S.C. (2017). Principles and applications of assessment in counseling. (5th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | CACREP Standards | Description | Points/Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class Participation | 3.G.1; 3.G.2; 3.G.3; 3.G.4; 3.G.5; 3.G.6; 3.G.7; 3.G.8; 3.G.9; 3.G.10; 3.G.11; 3.G.16 | Asynchronous Live Sessions (every other week) & Scavenger Hunt | 15% |
| Quizzes | 3.G.2; 3.G.3; 3.G.4; 3.G.5; 3.G.6; 3.G.7; 3.G.8; 3.G.9; 3.G.10; 3.G.11 | Weekly quizzes based upon the readings and media from each learning module. | 40% |
| *Counseling Diagnostic Reports | 3.G.2; 3.G.3; 3.G.4; 3.G.5; 3.G.6; 3.G.7; 3.G.10; 3.G.11;3.G.16 | 3 case studies that will be completed throughout the semester, plus one final report. | 25% |
| *Assessment Report Presentation | 3.G.2; 3.G.3; 3.G.4; 3.G.5; 3.G.6; 3.G.7; 3.G.10; 3.G.11;3.G.16 | Overview of 1 case study from the Counseling Diagnostic Reports. | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
*Indicates Key Performance Indicator (KPI). This is an intentional formative assessment to assure you take away the core information necessary to be a successful professional counselor.
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Class Participation
Participation points will consist of:
- Assessment Scavenger Hunt - This will take place on the Buros Testing website and will test your knowledge in determining which assessments are appropriate for your client, and understand and determine appropriate reliability and validity
- Attendance/participation in the Live Session is part of the grade mix. If you are unable to attend in real-time, be sure to post that you were unable to attend, watch the recording and respond, summarize, or interact with it in some way.
There are two ways in which you can earn points for the Live Session. Remember, these Live Sessions will count toward your final grade.
- Participate Live: This option should be your preferred choice. When possible, you should attend and participate in the Live Sessions in real-time. To get credit for your attendance, type in the date and time of the session you attended by clicking on the red "Start Assignment" button at the top of this page. Your self-reported attendance log will be cross-checked against the attendance tracker in Zoom.
- Make-Up (Watch Recording-Submit Written Summary): In the event that your time zone, work or personal schedule makes it impossible for you to attend, you will need to review the recording of the Live Session and write a paragraph summarizing the Live Session from your perspective. Click on the "Start Assignment" button to type (or copy/paste) your paragraph into the text field.
Quizzes
Periodically, you will be required to complete a quiz based on the week's readings and media. You will be given two attempts and the higher of the 2 grades will be recorded.
*Counseling Diagnostic Reports
KPI Goal: Add here
This assignment will consist of three case studies that will be completed throughout this course. You will give formal and informal tests, interpret assessments, make observations, diagnose, and design a treatment plan for your clients. Using these case studies, assessments, and your interpretation of them, you will then create a treatment plan including an overview of the case, intake MSE, and your assessment interpretations and recommendations. Each report will be submitted to Canvas. We suggest you keep these case reports in a personal assessment portfolio for future use.
In this course, it is important that you understand the position of a client in the assessment process, so this may mean that you will be conducting assessments on your classmates, friends, family, and/or self. You will need to have your "pretend client" complete an informed consent. All information is confidential in this setting and should remain so per the ACA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. You may share only the information you are comfortable sharing for the requirements of this course.
- Note: If a student counselor shares their client assessment information outside of the class, it is a violation of the Ethical Code of Conduct for a professional counselor and will result in disciplinary action by the Instructor and the Chair of the Department.
*Assessment Report Presentation
KPI Goal: Students will be able to select, deliver, and interpret mental health assessments while using the results to create appropriate counseling goals and treatment plans.
For this assignment, you will choose 1 of your case studies from the Counseling Diagnostic Reports and give a presentation including the following:
- An overview of the case
- Intake
- MSE
- Formal assessment interpretations and recommendations
These presentations will be approximately 10 minutes. Students will submit a PowerPoint with recorded video and/or sound giving their presentation.
Course Policies
Communication
Please send messages directly through your OU email instead of Canvas. I will reply within 24 hours M-F and will check email twice a day Saturday and Sunday.
I prefer to be addressed as Dr. H and I highly encourage you to communicate with me via email and text if needed. This is a significant portion of your graduate studies and I am here to support you!
Feedback
We will be working on cases in each practicum meeting. You will be able to get feedback from your peers in group supervision and I will give feedback on your tapes and tape scripts. If you have issues with clients, be sure to bring it up in our meetings, schedule a meeting with me and always involve your site supervisor!
Late Policy
Please be on time with your hours logs and video recordings. I need to have time to watch your videos and give feedback.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
per CACREP Standards 1.I. & 1.M.8
The OU CMHC program fosters a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. Our OU Human Relations faculty and students are diverse in their cultures and beliefs. Throughout the OU environment, including the CMHC program, we uphold the pillars of awareness, education, and advocacy. We critically examine campus climate with its biases, assumptions, institutional structure, and worldviews. We strive together to mitigate inequities, to grow intellectually and personally through meaningful diversity interactions, conscious conversations, and meaningful experiences. We work to reduce barriers, to promote conscious civil conversations, and to help all contribute as individuals, community members, and professionals in preparing our students to compete in a diverse, global, and integrated world.
As faculty of the CMHC program and mental health professionals, we strive to uphold ACA ethical guidelines important to the counseling profession in addition to the OU values of empathy, accountability, civil dialogue, collaboration, equity, integrity, and mutual respect. The goal of the CMHC program is to engage, serve and yield qualified and diverse students, equipping them with the tools needed to serve, educate, and empower our diverse communities.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|