Assessment tools have two primary purposes: 1) to measure illness and diagnose clients, and 2) to measure a client’s response to treatment. Often, you will find that multiple assessment tools are designed to measure the same condition or response. Not all tools, however, are appropriate for use in all clinical situations. You must consider the strengths and weaknesses of each tool to select the appropriate assessment tool for your client. For this Discussion, as you examine the assessment tool assigned to you by the Course Instructor, consider its use in psychotherapy.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Analyze psychometric properties of assessment tools
• Evaluate appropriate use of assessment tools in psychotherapy
• Compare assessment tools used in psychotherapy

Assignment

Post an explanation of the psychometric properties of PTSD checklist (PCL-5) assessment tool. Explain when it is appropriate to use this assessment tool with clients, including whether the tool can be used to evaluate the efficacy of psychopharmacologic medications. Support your approach with evidence-based literature.