Functional Assessments
Functional Assessments
A comprehensive FA is a narrative that describes how the person’s mental health symptoms impact their day-to-day functioning in a variety of roles and settings. It is important to look at how factors other than mental health symptoms impact life functioning.
Refer to Functional Assessments for complete information.
LOCUS
Assessment of functional ability informs the level of care utilization system (LOCUS) assessment, which determines the service intensity needs of the individual. Refer to the LOCUS section for more information.
Interpretive Summary The interpretive summary is used to synthesize the information obtained from the three-tier assessment process (diagnostic, functional, and LOCUS) to prioritize direction for the upcoming individual treatment plan. It is an essential bridge or link from assessment to service planning.
An interpretive summary does the following:
- Identifies what outcomes the person desires relative to his or her life circumstances and preferences
- Describes how the mental health symptoms are affecting the person’s and his or her family’s life
- Summarizes the nature of the functional barriers as they relate to symptoms of the mental illness to establish the priorities for the next treatment plan
- Examines the person’s strengths, abilities, and resources
- Examines how the person’s strengths, abilities, and resources can be engaged to improve functioning and move forward on identified desirable recovery outcomes
- Establishes the priorities for the initial and subsequent individual treatment plan
- Recommends services and interventions