How Mental and Behavioral Health Assessments Can Provide a Clinical Foundation For Outpatient Therapy, Perinatal Care, and Eating Disorder Treatment

Thrive • Sep 22, 2022

By Director of Child and Adolescent Services Alexis Nicodemus, AMFT, APCC

Mental and behavioral health assessments are often administered by clinicians for new clients seeking care. Generally consisting of a series of questions for clients, assessments are intended to gain an overview of clients’ mental and behavioral health so treatment can align with their needs.

WHAT ARE MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS?

Clinicians often provide assessments to individuals beginning mental and behavioral health care as a way to obtain an initial understanding of their symptoms and conditions. Typically, an assessment takes a holistic approach by gathering information about biological, psychological, and social factors that may be influencing a person’s mental and behavioral health. After completing a client’s assessment, a clinician can make recommendations for their treatment and implement a plan for their care.

Mental and behavioral health assessments generally take about an hour and include questions about why a person is seeking care and what their goals for treatment may be. Not all assessments are the same, however. At Thrive Wellness, our assessments vary with each service, be it outpatient therapy , perinatal care , or eating disorder treatment .

OUTPATIENT THERAPY ASSESSMENTS

An outpatient therapy assessment consists of questions about a person’s:

Childhood
Current symptoms and when they started
Current family system
Employment history
Health history and any current or previous diagnoses
Family history
Mental and emotional state
Past trauma
Reason for seeking services
Social relationships
Support system

From there, the clinician recommends the frequency and length of weekly sessions that will be most effective for the client’s healing.

PERINATAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS

Perinatal health assessments involve many of the same questions as an outpatient therapy assessment in addition to perinatal-specific inquiries, such as

The person’s current state of the perinatal period which begins when an individual becomes pregnant and lasts up to one year postpartum
If their symptoms worsened during or after pregnancy
If they have any children and if so the ages of their children
Reason for seeking perinatal services

After obtaining answers to the questions above, the clinician can generally notice signs that the person may be struggling with a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD) . If this is the case, the clinician will dive deeper into the individual’s perinatal background and other contributing factors. They may ask questions about:

Any previous birth experiences, including any miscarriages or stillborns
Any pregnancy complications or safety concerns

Upon finishing a perinatal assessment, the clinician may suggest different levels of care depending on the severity of the client’s concerns. Outpatient perinatal services, which may include mental, behavioral, and physical health care may be most aligned with the person’s needs. Or, a more structured treatment program, such as Thrive Wellness’ It Takes A Village perinatal day program may be a better fit.

EATING DISORDER TREATMENT ASSESSMENTS

As with outpatient therapy and perinatal assessments, an eating disorder assessment contains inquiries into the biological, psychological, and social aspects that may be influencing a person’s disordered eating behaviors . Additionally, an eating disorder assessment gathers information about the eating disorder itself, by asking about:

Current nutritional intake
How the eating disorder has manifested
How the person views their body
Weight information , including the individual’s lowest, highest, and current weight

Following the eating disorder assessment, a registered dietitian administers a nutritional assessment to the client. The clinician may also request lab tests and an electrocardiogram (EKG) to gain a fuller understanding of the person’s medical state. From there, the clinician offers treatment recommendations that may involve residential treatment, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs .

DEEPLY-ROOTED HEALING AT THRIVE WELLNESS

At Thrive Wellness, our interdisciplinary clinicians work to understand clients’ mental, behavioral, and physical health struggles in order to create treatment plans that facilitate comprehensive wellness. Through collaborative, targeted care, our specialists treat individuals with eating disorders , perinatal mental health concerns , and other mental, behavioral , and physical health challenges. Reach out to learn more about our integrated health services .

While all Thrive Wellness locations offer interdisciplinary clinical teams who collaborate to treat eating disorders, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), and additional mental and behavioral health conditions, programs and services may vary by location.

About the Author

Director of Child and Adolescent Services Alexis Nicodemus, AMFT, APCC

Alexis Nicodemus earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with a minor in counseling as well as a master’s degree in counseling from Sacramento State University in California. Her clinical experience includes working in intensive outpatient programs as well as residential facilities for eating disorder recovery. As the director of child and adolescent services at Thrive Wellness Sacramento, Alexis helps to ensure that program curriculum is properly implemented, works to collect collateral contacts as needed to support treatment, and offers therapeutic services to clients experiencing eating disorders and co-existing conditions.

As a clinical therapist, Alexis employs modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and mindfulness practices to support clients struggling with mental and behavioral health concerns. Her passion is to assist individuals in the ways they most need in order to find joy, hope, and purpose along the path to healing. Alexis wants clients to know that while life inevitably presents challenges, they are not alone in facing them and there is always light at the end of the tunnel. She strongly promotes the importance of mental health, emphasizes that each of us matters, and advocates for seeking assistance when one’s well-being depends on it.

The post How Mental and Behavioral Health Assessments Can Provide a Clinical Foundation For Outpatient Therapy, Perinatal Care, and Eating Disorder Treatment first appeared on Thrive Wellness.

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Clean House, Healthy Mind: Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health

By Sage Tippie • 23 Apr, 2024

Spring Cleaning Benefits for Mental Health Spring is a time of new beginnings, change, and transitions, including in our homes. With the warmer weather kicking motivation into high gear, Spring can be a prime time to do a deep clean. Not only is a clean space aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but it can also help to improve your mental health. Learn about how tidying up your space can also tidy up your thoughts below along with tips for cleaning when you’re struggling with your mental health. 4 Reasons Why Cleaning is Beneficial to Mental health 1.Decreased Stress Not only does an uncluttered space provide a sense of calm, but the physical act of cleaning can release feel-good endorphins, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. As you cross tasks off your checklist, your body also releases Dopamine. Also known as the “happy hormone”, Dopamine provides a sense of accomplishment and pride that can promote motivation in other areas of our lives. 2. Improved Focus Studies have shown that an uncluttered space can also lead to an uncluttered mind. Your focus can be drawn away from important tasks by a chaotic, messy space. Research has also shown a connection between procrastination and clutter, as an unwillingness to tackle larger chores like cleaning can translate over into various areas of our lives. By keeping your space tidy, it can inspire you to stay on top of other major tasks like work and school assignments. 3. Regulated Emotions According to this 2015 study , cleaning can function as a practice in mindfulness, providing an increased sense of calm and inspiration. Slowing down while cleaning gives you room to relax and free your mind of burdens, stressors, and irritants that can affect your mental health. Cleaning can even be considered a practice of self-care as the action helps you to connect with yourself and the outcome allows you to better enjoy your own space. 4. Sense of Order and Control When experiencing mental health struggles, people may feel a lack of control over their lives and emotions. Cleaning even small areas of the home can provide an increased sense of order and control as you cross tasks off your to-do list. Through realizing your own power by simply completing minor tasks like cleaning, it can reaffirm your ability to do more. 10 Tips for Cleaning When Struggling with Mental Health Mental health struggles and disorders commonly create barriers to one’s ability to clean and properly practice personal hygiene. Although these behaviors are normal side effects of mental health disorders, we want to work to aid our clients in cleaning to the best of their ability even in difficult times. Below, Thrive Wellness occupational therapist Meadow Deason shares some helpful tips she gives to clients when they struggle with cleaning due to mental health conditions: 1.Ask For Help Having support to clean can make a huge difference. Do the cleaning with the person helping you and have them hold you accountable. 2. Don't Wait for Motivation Motivation might not come before action, but it can build as you begin to see the results of your efforts. 3. Start Small Start with one area or one task and go from there. For example, concentrate on your bedroom first and then move on to the living room and bathroom. 4. Do Something Daily Even if you do only one small cleaning task a day, doing that one task creates momentum and prevents small tasks from building up and becoming overwhelming. 5. Use Sensory Modulation Change your environment by playing music, adjusting the lighting, or using aromatherapy. This can help to put you in a new headspace for cleaning. 6. Start with "High Impact" Tasks Start with more intensive or all-over cleaning tasks such as picking up clutter or doing the dishes. The visual "noise" of some tasks makes a large impact on the entire space, building motivation to continue cleaning. 7. Make a To-Do List Write a detailed to-do list of tasks and cross them off as you go. Physically marking down what you’ve accomplished can promote increased motivation. 8. Reward Yourself Set up a reward system where you reward yourself with a favorite activity or item when you complete a task as an incentive to clean. 9. Use the Rocket Method Don't think about it, just choose a task, countdown from five or ten and then start. This can help you to avoid potential anxiety and dread that can prevent you from cleaning. 10. Gamify Tasks Make up a game for your tasks or time yourself to promote increased engagement in cleaning. Your ability to complete tasks can be affected by a multitude of different factors and conditions including OCD , anxiety, depression , ADHD , and more. If you are struggling with motivation due to your mental health, help is here at Thrive Wellness.

child getting bandaid from doctor while mother smiles

The Importance of Whole Family Primary Care: A Q&A with Dr. Stephanie Wright

26 Mar, 2024

By serving the whole family, physicians are able to have a better understanding of family dynamics, family health care goals, and history of disease in the family.