Here you will find our quarterly newsletters and articles about various mental health issues & topics
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Volume II- Issue I
What Should I Know When Looking for a Psychologist?
When setting up an appointment for a Psychological Evaluation remember a Psychologist must be licensed as a Psychologist and be
experienced in testing and evaluation. A Psychologist should be able to answer your questions, be clear and understandable, provide
suggestions for social, academic and clinical problems. Once the testing and report are completed the Psychologist should also be willing to
discuss the report with you and be willing to specify when your report will be delivered.
The Psychological Report should be usable. The report should include specific responses to your specific questions and examples of how
the results affect functioning. As the parent or guardian be sure to ask specific questions such as How did the Psychologist arrive at these
results? Also, be sure to ask for an explanation of anything that is unclear.
The Psychological evaluation for a child should always include a full Wechsler battery. This is necessary information for clinical and
academic analysis. Choices of additional test instruments will depend on your specific questions. The Psychologist will be able to explain
why they chose the instruments they did. The test battery for an adult is selected to answer the questions posed.
Exploration of the need for neuropsychological evaluation includes review and analysis of inconsistencies within the standard test battery.
For example, the child cannot read fluently but their vocabulary score is average or they can see very accurately but they appear clumsy
and uncoordinated. If the results of the standard evaluation do not make logical sense a neuropsychological assessment may be warranted.
A neuropsychological assessment breaks all intellectual areas into smaller components. For example, attention is divided into 4 areas of
sustained attention, impulse control, shifting and stability of responding. Language is broken down into auditory skills, visual skills, sound
reproduction and word retrieval. A neuropsychological evaluation will not tell you if there is “brain damage” but will tell you what an
individual can do and what they cannot do compared to others their age.
Our promise is to schedule each evaluation as quickly as possible and to complete the assessment and provide a report within one week
following testing. Please contact Bill McDonnell or Margo Fallon at 816-561-2374 if you would like to set up an appointment.
McDonnell & Associates Welcomes Maura Conry, Pharm D, LCSW, LSCSW
Our newest therapist is a clinical social worker/pharmacist known nationally and locally for her work in interdisciplinary collaboration for
accurate medication safety in the home. Maura consults on national initiatives in Washington DC where she recently presented at a US
Senate briefing on self-neglect and care of older women. In 2007 Maura served on the National Interdisciplinary Continuity of Care
Summit to support patients and families in the changing health care environment.
Maura brings years of experience in inpatient and intensive out patient (IOP) therapeutic services supporting transition from hospital to
community. In addition to her work with adult clients, she has a strong background with seniors and families. For more information visit
www.mcdonnellandassociates.net or contact Maura at 816-561-2374.
What Should I Know When Looking for a Psychologist?
When setting up an appointment for a Psychological Evaluation remember a Psychologist must be licensed as a Psychologist and be
experienced in testing and evaluation. A Psychologist should be able to answer your questions, be clear and understandable, provide
suggestions for social, academic and clinical problems. Once the testing and report are completed the Psychologist should also be willing to
discuss the report with you and be willing to specify when your report will be delivered.
The Psychological Report should be usable. The report should include specific responses to your specific questions and examples of how
the results affect functioning. As the parent or guardian be sure to ask specific questions such as How did the Psychologist arrive at these
results? Also, be sure to ask for an explanation of anything that is unclear.
The Psychological evaluation for a child should always include a full Wechsler battery. This is necessary information for clinical and
academic analysis. Choices of additional test instruments will depend on your specific questions. The Psychologist will be able to explain
why they chose the instruments they did. The test battery for an adult is selected to answer the questions posed.
Exploration of the need for neuropsychological evaluation includes review and analysis of inconsistencies within the standard test battery.
For example, the child cannot read fluently but their vocabulary score is average or they can see very accurately but they appear clumsy
and uncoordinated. If the results of the standard evaluation do not make logical sense a neuropsychological assessment may be warranted.
A neuropsychological assessment breaks all intellectual areas into smaller components. For example, attention is divided into 4 areas of
sustained attention, impulse control, shifting and stability of responding. Language is broken down into auditory skills, visual skills, sound
reproduction and word retrieval. A neuropsychological evaluation will not tell you if there is “brain damage” but will tell you what an
individual can do and what they cannot do compared to others their age.
Our promise is to schedule each evaluation as quickly as possible and to complete the assessment and provide a report within one week
following testing. Please contact Bill McDonnell or Margo Fallon at 816-561-2374 if you would like to set up an appointment.
McDonnell & Associates Welcomes Maura Conry, Pharm D, LCSW, LSCSW
Our newest therapist is a clinical social worker/pharmacist known nationally and locally for her work in interdisciplinary collaboration for
accurate medication safety in the home. Maura consults on national initiatives in Washington DC where she recently presented at a US
Senate briefing on self-neglect and care of older women. In 2007 Maura served on the National Interdisciplinary Continuity of Care
Summit to support patients and families in the changing health care environment.
Maura brings years of experience in inpatient and intensive out patient (IOP) therapeutic services supporting transition from hospital to
community. In addition to her work with adult clients, she has a strong background with seniors and families. For more information visit
www.mcdonnellandassociates.net or contact Maura at 816-561-2374.
McDonnell and Associates Newsletter Archives
Volume I, Issue I: New State Contract Service Codes
Volume I, Issue II: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program
Volume I, Issue I: New State Contract Service Codes
Volume I, Issue II: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program