Psychological Assessment Services provides psychological testing to assist in the process of diagnosis and treatment planning. Testing and interpretation is performed by staff psychologists, psychology residents, and doctoral level psychology interns. This service is primarily used by medical staff and therapists seeking objective information regarding a client’s condition and prognosis. WBH has a designated testing center that coordinates resources and scheduling for the testing that takes place center-wide.
We conduct a wide range of psychological and neuropsychological testing, including testing to determine your diagnosis and/or your treatment needs. We commonly test for such conditions as: mood disorders, anxiety disorders, dementia, cognitive functioning, etc.
As the contracted Medicaid provider, we cannot use Medicaid funding to conduct certain types of psychological evaluations. The types of evaluations NOT covered include: testing to determine eligibility for bariatric or other surgeries, testing to determine eligibility for SSDI/DSPD, parental fitness evaluations, custody evaluations, court-ordered evaluations, and some others.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I think I need psychological testing?
If you are a client at WBH, talk to your treatment team and they can help determine if psychological testing would be appropriate for you. If you are not a client at WBH but have Medicaid insurance, talk to your doctor or therapist about whether testing is needed. Your doctor or therapist will send a referral to WBH on your behalf.
Can you accept my insurance?
Currently, Wasatch Behavioral Health is the contracted Medicaid provider. If you have any other primary insurance, we encourage you to contact your insurance company to locate in-network psychological testing.
What should I expect at my testing appointment?
Testing will vary depending on your specific needs, but common activites include completing questionnaires to provide information about your symptoms and behaviors, participating in problem-solving activities or other similar tasks, and participating in an interview. If your child is being tested, he or she may meet alone with the evaluator, or you may be invited to participate. You will notice we like to keep our testing center as quiet as possible to make it easier for you to focus during testing. As a result, we ask that you silence your cell phones and electronic devices. If your child is being tested, please make an effort to arrange care for your other children during that time. If you cannot do so, we encourage you to wait with your children outside of the testing center if possible to maintain a quiet environment for our clients completing testing. If you cannot keep your testing appointment we ask that you provide at least 24 hours notice that you need to reschedule so we can offer that time to someone else. Due to there often being a wait list for services, we may not be able to reschedule you if an appointment is missed without notice.
What is expected of me at my testing appointment?
Please be sure to get good sleep and to eat a meal prior to your testing appointment. Dress comfortably and bring your eyeglasses and/or hearing aids if you use them. If you are being tested for ADHD we ask that you not take any stimulant medications (including ADHD medication, caffeinated drinks, and street drugs) prior to your appointment since these substances make it harder for us to determine whether you have ADHD. Please arrive on time and put your electronic devices into silent mode while you are in the testing center. These things will help us provide the best possible service to you and will help you get accurate results.
Why does testing take so much time?
When you come to our clinic, we want to get to know you, your needs, and your concerns thoroughly. Usually psychological testing involves 2-4 appointments lasting approximately 2 hours each. After you complete testing, we will have results prepared for you and for your treatment team within 2 weeks.
What should I bring to my testing appointment?
If you have completed testing before, please bring those records to your first testing appointment. Please feel free to bring any records you think may be relevant. If you are attending a follow-up appointment with us, we may have provided you with copies of questionnaires to return. If you wear eyeglasses or hearing aids, please bring those to your appointment.
Will I get my results?
After you complete your psychological evaluation, a report will be written explaining your test results, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations. We will invite you to attend a feedback session, where we will discuss your results in detail and answer any questions you may have. We will provide you (or the legal guardian) with a copy of your psychological report at that appointment. If you require more copies later, our records department can usually provide additional copies for a small fee to cover the cost of their services.