Assessment

Assessment tools are important for service delivery.  They provide a means of screening clients for prioritization purposes (for Housing First for instance), as well as planning, system navigation and case management.  Assessment can involve a short ‘screener’ with some basic questions that the client answers.  A deeper assessment should involve more engagement with the client, and combine the self report of the client as well as the views of the staff or case worker.  The best assessment tools should be strengths-based, not just looking at risk and vulnerability, but also the assets of the client.  No single assessment tool can do everything, however, and there are a variety of other assessment tools and processes that can more effectively identify specific health conditions, disabling conditions, and support needs, etc.  Finally, assessment tools should support decision-making, not determine decisions or outcomes.