8242 Evaluation
8242.1 Psychosocial Assessment
CPS February 2013
A caseworker may authorize a psychosocial assessment if:
• the caseworker suspects the presence of a mental, behavioral, or intellectual and developmental disability;
• a copy of a current psychosocial assessment, psychological testing, or psychiatric evaluation (conducted with the past 14 months) is not available;
• there is no other source of payment, such as Medicaid, private insurance, or a community resource; and
• a CPS program director has provided approval for the psychosocial assessment; or
• the court orders a psychosocial assessment.
Assessments for Children in DFPS Conservatorship
For children in DFPS conservatorship, caseworkers should continue seeking psychosocial assessments through STAR Health using current processes.
8242.11 Determining Eligibility for Psychosocial Assessment
CPS February 2013
Eligible clients include:
• children and their parents or caregivers in open CPS cases; or
• foster, kinship, legal risk, and prospective adoptive parents (when this service helps to determine or maintain appropriate placement).
Medicaid covers only the eligible client. Staff use Title IV-B funds to cover psychosocial assessment for family members and foster and adoptive parents.
8242.12 Identifying Available Services for Psychosocial Assessment
CPS February 2013
The psychosocial assessment available by contract must include the:
• reason for referral. This is a summary of the individual’s involvement with CPS and the caseworker’s needs and concerns;
• current status. This is a description of the individual’s current emotional and interpersonal functioning and problems (including information about pertinent family, health, legal, educational, and vocational functioning);
• history. This is a summary of the individual’s history in regard to issues described above (in current status);
• formulation or clinical summary:
• If the individual is a parent, a statement of the adequacy of the individual’s parenting skills (strengths and weaknesses),
• If the individual is a child, a statement of the adequacy of the individual’s academic and interpersonal functioning (strengths and weaknesses) as well as the individual’s likely behavior at school, placement, or home;
• diagnostic impression, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM); and
• recommendations by the clinician of appropriate interventions (as well as typically considered interventions which are not recommended for this individual).
8242.13 Referring Clients for Psychosocial Assessment
CPS February 2013
For complete referral instructions, see 8161.1 Active Cases — Authorizing, Extending, or Terminating Direct Services
Approval by the program director to issue Form 2054 for a psychosocial assessment indicates that the service is needed and no other funding exists to cover the costs. DFPS Purchase of Service funds should be utilized as a last resort.
8242.14 Using IMPACT to Authorize Psychosocial Assessment
CPS February 2013
To authorize a psychosocial assessment, caseworkers must enter the following details into the IMPACT case management system:
| IMPACT Field |
IMPACT Entry |
|---|---|
Stage |
INV, FPR, SUB, FSU, FRE, ADO |
Category |
Evaluation/Testing |
Service |
Psycho-Social Assessments |
Unit of Service |
Hour |
Service Code |
86U |
Note: These services are authorized in the name of the individual to be assessed.
When IMPACT Is Unavailable
If the IMPACT case management system is not functioning or the caseworker is otherwise unable to access it, the caseworker may authorize a psychosocial assessment by submitting a paper copy of Form 2054, Service Authorization.
For complete instructions, see 8164 Manual Authorization — Submitting a Paper Form.
8242.15 Adding, Extending, and Reauthorizing Psychosocial Assessment Services
CPS February 2013
To authorize additional units of service, or extend or reauthorize the service, the caseworker must follow the procedures in 8161.1 Active Cases — Authorizing, Extending, or Terminating Direct Services.
8242.16 Terminating Service for Psychosocial Assessment
CPS February 2013
If the psychosocial assessment is being terminated before the end date on Form 2054, Service Authorization, see 8161.1 Active Cases — Authorizing, Extending, or Terminating Direct Services.
8242.2 Psychological Testing
CPS February 2013
A caseworker may authorize psychological testing if:
• the caseworker suspects the presence of a mental, behavioral, or intellectual and developmental disability;
• a licensed clinician who has conducted a psychosocial assessment or a psychiatrist who has conducted a psychiatric evaluation recommends psychological testing;
• a copy of a current psychosocial assessment, psychological testing or psychiatric evaluation (conducted with the past 14 months) is not available;
• there is no other source of payment, such as Medicaid, private insurance or a community resource; and
• a CPS program director has provided approval for the psychological testing; or
• the court orders psychological testing.
Testing for Children in DFPS Conservatorship
For children in DFPS conservatorship, caseworkers should continue seeking psychological testing through STAR Health using current processes.
8242.21 Determining Eligibility for Psychological Testing
CPS February 2013
Eligible clients include:
• Children and their parents or caregivers in open CPS cases;
• Foster, kinship, legal-risk, and prospective adoptive parents (when this service helps to determine or maintain appropriate placement).
Medicaid covers only the eligible client. Staff use Title IV-B funds to cover psychological evaluation for family members and foster and adoptive parents.
8242.22 Identifying Available Services for Psychological Testing
CPS February 2013
The psychological testing services available by contract must include:
• a formal, face-to-face clinical interview and assessment to determine the client’s level of functioning, including IQ, propensity to violence or suicide, ability to adapt to situations, whether or not the placement or continued living with a family of a particular race or ethnicity would be detrimental and so on. The interview must include the administration of psychological and developmental tests;
• a written evaluation made by the psychologist interpreting the client’s level of functioning;
• diagnostic impression, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM);
• a meeting with the client to interpret the test results, as requested;
• an oral report, as requested;
• an appearance in court to provide testimony, when needed; and
• participation in a staffing consultation for the purpose of case planning, as needed.
38242.2 Referring Clients for Psychological Testing
CPS February 2013
For complete referral instructions, see 8161.1 Active Cases — Authorizing, Extending, or Terminating Direct Services.
Approval to Issue a Service Authorization (Form 2054)
Approval by the program director to issue Form 2054 for psychological testing indicates that the service is needed and no other funding exists to cover the costs. DFPS Purchase of Service funds should be utilized as a last resort.
8242.24 Using IMPACT to Authorize Psychological Testing
CPS February 2013
To authorize an evaluation, staff must enter the following details into the IMPACT case management system:
| IMPACT Field |
IMPACT Entry |
|---|---|
Stage |
INV, FPR, SUB, FSU, FRE, ADO |
Category |
Evaluation/Testing |
Service |
Psylogical/Dev Eval/Test |
Unit of Service |
Hour |
Service Code |
86A |
Note: These services are authorized in the name of the individual to be tested.
When IMPACT Is Unavailable
If the IMPACT case management system is not functioning or the caseworker is otherwise unable to access it, the caseworker may authorize psychological testing by submitting a paper copy of Form 2054, Service Authorization.
For complete instructions, see 8164 Manual Authorization — Submitting a Paper Form.
8242.25 Adding, Extending, and Reauthorizing Services for Psychological Testing
CPS February 2013
To authorize additional units of service, or extend or reauthorize the service, the worker must follow the procedures in 8161.1 Active Cases — Authorizing, Extending, or Terminating Direct Services.
8242.26 Terminating Service for Psychological Testing
CPS February 2013
If the psychological testing is being terminated before the end date on Form 2054, Service Authorization, see 8161.1 Active Cases — Authorizing, Extending, or Terminating Direct Services.
8242.3 Psychiatric Evaluation
CPS February 2013
A caseworker may authorize a psychiatric evaluation if:
• the caseworker suspects the presence of a mental, behavioral, or intellectual and developmental disability;
• psychological test results or a licensed clinician who has conducted a psychosocial assessment recommends a psychiatric evaluation;
• a copy of a current psychosocial assessment, psychological testing or psychiatric evaluation (conducted within the past 14 months) is not available;
• there is no other source of payment, such as Medicaid, private insurance, or a community resource; and
• a CPS program director has provided approval for the psychiatric evaluation; or
• the court orders a psychiatric evaluation.
Psychiatric Evaluations for Children in DFPS Conservatorship
For children in DFPS conservatorship, caseworkers should continue seeking psychiatric evaluations through STAR Health using current processes.
8242.31 Determining Eligibility for Psychiatric Evaluation
CPS February 2013
Eligible clients include:
• children and their parents or caregivers in open CPS cases; or
• foster, kinship, legal-risk, and prospective adoptive parents (when the service helps to determine or maintain an appropriate placement).
Medicaid will cover only the eligible client. Title IV-B funds should be used to cover psychiatric evaluation for family members and foster and adoptive parents.
8242.32 Identifying Available Services for Psychiatric Evaluation
CPS February 2013
The psychiatric evaluation services available through the contract must include:
• a formal, face-to-face clinical interview and assessment by a psychiatrist to determine the level of the client’s functioning, and, if appropriate, diagnosis. The level of the client’s functioning might include issues such as IQ, propensity to violence or suicide, or ability to adapt to situations. This interview must include the administration of psychological and developmental tests;
• a written evaluation made by the psychiatrist interpreting the client’s level of functioning, and, if appropriate, diagnosis;
• diagnostic impression, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM);
• appearance in court to provide testimony, if requested; and
• participation in staffings for the client’s case planning, if requested.
8242.33 Referring Clients for Psychiatric Evaluation
CPS February 2013
For complete referral instructions, see 8161.1 Active Cases — Authorizing, Extending, or Terminating Direct Services.
Approval to Use Purchase of Service Funds
Approval by the program director to issue Form 2054 for a psychiatric evaluation indicates that the service is needed and no other funding exists to cover the costs. DFPS Purchase of Service funds should be utilized as a last resort.
8242.34 Using IMPACT to Authorize a Psychiatric Evaluation
CPS February 2013
To authorize an evaluation, caseworkers must enter the following details into the IMPACT case management system:
| IMPACT Field |
IMPACT Entry |
|---|---|
Stage |
INV, FPR, SUB, FSU, FRE, ADO |
Category |
Evaluation/Testing |
Service |
Psychiatric Eval |
Unit of Service |
Session |
Service Code |
86B |
When IMPACT Is Unavailable
If the IMPACT case management system is not functioning or the caseworker is otherwise unable to access it, the caseworker may authorize psychiatric evaluation by submitting a paper copy of Form 2054, Service Authorization.
For complete instructions, see 8164 Manual Authorization — Submitting a Paper Form.
8242.35 Adding, Extending, and Reauthorizing Services for Psychiatric Evaluation
CPS February 2013
To authorize additional units of service, or extend or reauthorize the service, the caseworker must follow the procedures in 8161.1 Active Cases — Authorizing, Extending, or Terminating Direct Services.
8242.36 Terminating Service for Psychiatric Evaluation
CPS February 2013
If the psychiatric evaluation is being terminated before the end date on Form 2054, Service Authorization, see 8161.1 Active Cases — Authorizing, Extending, or Terminating Direct Services.