The Importance of Continuing Education in Assessment for Psychologists

Things change in this world. The only constant truth is that humans are always evolving. Just when we think we have the right definition for something, a new pattern emerges, prompting us to expand our understanding and reshape our perspectives on client assessment.

For me, the importance of developing and teaching through the Assessment Academy stems from my belief that identifying our clients' mental health challenges requires accurate and knowledgeable use of assessments. This accuracy is essential for ensuring they receive the help they need. This will be a major driving force as I prioritize assessment education in my work. I understand its significance in the field and its critical connection to how we help clients manage their diagnoses, ultimately helping them live their best lives.

When you Google why assessment training is important, the main article that shows up is from the APA, and it says the same thing: improving the quality of care for our clients. Have you read what they have said lately? If we do not approach the learning as a way to empirically look at the data with the same problem-solving forethought as we were taught to, then we are not ethically doing our jobs well.

Further, there is an expansion in the mental health field, asking other disciplines to assess more, with no more training. The Assessment Academy was designed also to meet this gap - reach disciplines and providers being asked to do more, with less.

There are many reasons to enhance our clinical competence in order to adapt to the new and revised versions of testing. I am passionate about ensuring that everyone understands these changes and how they affect our ethical standards and the validity of our tools for helping our communities. If we do not share our testing tools and updates, we risk losing accuracy over time, which can impact normative data that is critical for reliable assessments.

Many people assume that computers, AI, and automated programming perform psychological assessment work accurately; however, it's worth noting that relying solely on technology can lead to oversights. Just like you wouldn’t want to see a robot struggling to make your dinner, we must recognize that human assessments can bring depth to what might otherwise be interpreted as a black-and-white computer code. That said, leveraging technology to our advantage is one of my favorite strategies, used responsibly, of course.

You don’t need to explain how remote assessments and tele-assessment have transformed our field; their impact is clear. I recognize the challenges of administering these tests under new demands and protocols, and I understand the vital importance of protecting privacy. These issues are significant, which is why the Academy is dedicated to empowering others through training. Together, we can embrace innovation and rise to the occasion, mastering the art of evaluation in a rapidly changing landscape.