Assessments

Psychological Assessments

Psychological assessments are an important tool to better understand and approach specific challenges and abilities.

Their purpose is to help make peoples lives better by providing them valuable information about themselves.

Types of Assessment

For Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

General Mental Health Assessment (3-6 hours)

A general mental health assessment to review level of functioning and look at possible diagnosis when appropriate.

This includes a:

Interview (minimum 3 sessions)
Review of assessment tools used
Review of any historical documents provided (i.e. previous reports, medical documents)

ADHD – Specific Assessment (4.5 hours)

An assessment of whether a person qualifies for a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

This includes a:

Interview (minimum 4 sessions)
Review of assessment tools
Review of historical documents (i.e. report cards, previous reports, medical documents)

Written Reports

The below written reports are independent of the above assessments and available on request

Comprehensive Mental Health Report (2.5 - 5 hours)

*Also called a Psychiatric Evaluation Report

This written document is a comprehensive description of a person’s current and past presenting psychological symptoms, relevant medical issues, psychosocial functioning, relevant family history, risk and protective factors, mental status exam, diagnostic impressions, DSM-5 diagnoses (if relevant), and treatment recommendations.

A Comprehensive Mental Health Report may be required for the following:

Short- or Long-Term Leave of absence from a place of employment
Support for return to work after a short- or long-term leave of absence.
Federal or Provincial Government applications for disability supports,
Applications to Department of Veterans’ Affairs for supports
Legal representative (lawyers) or insurance agency requests for information about the psychological impacts of an incident (e.g., motor vehicle collisions, or workplace injuries)
Applications for Academic accommodations

Note: this is not an exhaustive list and other situations may apply

Brief Psychological Report (1.5 - 2.5 hours)

This is a 4-6 page document meant to communicate supporting evidence gathered (history of presenting issues, relevant medical, family history, risk and protective factors), diagnostic conclusions, and treatment recommendations.

The document is primarily for communicating with other psychologists, psychiatrists, and primary care physicians.

Referral or Summary Letter (0.5 - 1.5 hours)

This is a short letter summarizing diagnostic findings and recommendations. Used for referrals or updates where a complete report is not required or requested.

A letter may include:

A brief description of the referral request.
Summary of a recent report (within the past 12 months), with new information about recovery progress, relevant changes in symptoms or psychosocial functioning, and may include updates to previous recommendations.

Such a letter may be provided in response to a physician request for an update regarding an ongoing mutual patient/client.

Miscellaneous paperwork for Psychologist to complete:

Novel Applications, Renewal Forms, Progress Reports

Short-term disability forms and applications
Long-term disability forms and applications
Government of Canada Disability applications/renewals (i.e., Disability Tax Credit Certificates [DTCC], or Canada Pension Plan Disability [CCP-D]
Veterans Affairs applications
Post-secondary Educational Institution forms and applications for accommodation supports
Applications for accommodation supports at places of employment

Note: this is not an exhaustive list of possible applications – please enquire about any forms or applications not mentioned above.

The above applications for support may or may not require the inclusion of a full or brief psychological report. Such requirements are agency specific.

The completion of all official paperwork (such as applications or progress reports) will have associated costs billed by the standing hourly rate, and prorated to the nearest 15 minute interval. (minimum time =0.5hr).

For forms and applications that do not request a separate psychological report, but which require the information, analysis, and conclusions that would normally be included in a full psychological report, the estimated time is equivalent to that of a comprehensive psychological report plus the time for completion of paperwork.

Fee Structure

Hours and Costs

Assessment fee will be determined at the conclusion of the assessment by the number of hours taken to complete the assessment.

Payment is due prior to the completion of the assessment.

The hourly pro-rated rate for an psychological services including assessments and other reports is prorated at $200/hour (using 15 minute blocks).

Below is a rough estimate of the time to complete each assessment:

Assessment and other services fee = $200/hr.

Type of Assessment	Interview Time	Report Prep Time	Total Estimated Time
General Mental Health Evaluation	3-5 hours	Comprehensive Report = 2.5 - 5 hours	5.5 - 10 hours
ADHD Assessment	4-6 hours	Brief Psychological Report = 1.5 = 2.5 hours	4.5-7.5 hours
Initial Phone Consultation	15 minutes	No cost	15 minutes
Other Paperwork		Minimum 0.5 hours (e.g. progress update for insurance) Typically 1-2+ hours	TBD

Assured Psychology follows the Psychological Association of Alberta’s (PAA) recommended fee structure: https://psychologistsassociation.ab.ca/about-paa/resources/recommended-fee-schedule/

Contact Us

Helping couples build a secure & lasting bond is what we love to do

We are accepting new clients. Appointments are available throughout the week during daytime and evening hours. We’re located in comfortable office spaces in the Hillhurst/Kensington Area of NW Calgary, AB.

Any questions you may have about counselling or assessments we hope this website can answer but if not please contact us and we would be happy to address it.