Adoption Psychological Evaluation
Are You Going Through An Adoption And In Need Of A Psychological Evaluation?
Does the adoption agency you’re applying to require a psychological evaluation? Are you unsure who is qualified to provide you with an assessment that will fulfill the agency’s requirements?
If you are in the midst of the adoption proceedings, you may be at the point where the agency requires that you and your partner undergo a competency evaluation test and psychological assessment to ensure you will be suitable parents. With everything else you’re required to do within the process, tracking down a therapist who knows what questionnaires and testing to administer is yet another box on your “to do” list.
The Adoption Process Takes Perseverance
There is no question that when you decide to adopt, you’re agreeing to undertake an expensive, drawn-out, and time-consuming process. And if you and your partner are seeking to adopt a child from another country, it can be an even more complex process that requires more hoop-jumping than domestic adoption.
Depending on which adoption agency you are going through, it isn’t always easy to find the evaluation they require. You need assurance that at the end of the day, your psychological evaluation will conclude that you will be good parents and allow you to move through the adoption process. This way, you will be one step closer to bringing a child home to live with you.
Your psychological evaluation can be the make-or-break of becoming a parent. Because of how much rides on it, you want to make sure you’re working with someone who is reputable and you can trust to do a good job. Dr. Val has performed hundreds of adoption psychological evaluations and will take special care with your assessment.
An Evaluation Should Gauge Your Readiness To Become A Parent
About 135,000 children are adopted into American families each year. Excluding stepparent adoptions, about 59 percent of adopted children come from the foster system, 26 percent are from other countries, and 15 percent are voluntarily relinquished babies born within the United States.
Although the reasons people are unable to have their own children are numerous, one thing unites all adoptive families—their willingness to open their homes to non-biological children and make them a part of the family. Arriving at this decision can sometimes be rife with heartbreak and tears, but it is almost always worth it in the end.
Adoption isn’t something to enter into lightly. We have to be intelligent, flexible, patient, and emotionally stable to make it through the gauntlet that the adoption process lays before us. Fortunately, once the psychological evaluation is completed, the vast majority of prospective adopters are found to be psychologically sound and ready for parenthood.
A Good Psychological Evaluation Will Be A Conversation-Starter For Parenting
Besides being a prerequisite for adoption, a good psychological evaluation will go beyond the minimum screening process that keeps children safe. Although the content of the evaluation is determined by each agency, ideally it will be thought-provoking and offer helpful insight into what it takes to be a parent. Above all, it will assess your emotional readiness for this profound responsibility.
We provide psychological evaluations for international adoptions that are universally required as well as for people working with domestic agencies that have assessment requirements. Not only do we want to make sure we check the box, but we also want the evaluation to be valuable to you. Deciding to adopt may be the most important decision you ever make. That’s why we want to ensure you learn everything you need to learn.
An Adoption Psychological Evaluation Can Be StraightForward and Convenient
When you first read through the requirements for adoption, the process can seem daunting. Amidst everything else you need to fill out, track down, and submit, the last thing you want to worry about is the psychological evaluation most adoption agencies require. Regardless of your agency’s specific requirements, we will ensure that you submit exactly what your agency is looking for so that you no longer have to fret over your psychological screening.
Because each adoption agency requires different types of evaluations, we offer an array of different tests, including the mandatory questionnaire and interview, the Beck Anxiety & Depression Inventory, and in-depth personality tests like the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). Because some domestic and all international adoption agencies require a psychological evaluation, we stay up to date on all measures of testing.
An Overview Of The Process
We aim to make the evaluation process as streamlined as possible. After you contact us, we will set up an in-person appointment where you will complete a mandatory in-person interview. At the time you make this appointment, we will send you whatever additional questionnaires your agency may require so that you can bring the completed documents with you the day we meet in person.
For your in-person interview, you and your partner may have to attend this appointment individually or together, depending on your agency’s requirements. There are standard questions we are required to ask you about emotional stability, family history, who makes certain decisions in the family, and how anger is dealt with.
You can expect your appointment to take approximately 1.5-2 hours. In addition to your face-to-face interview, you will also have multiple forms to complete while at our office. You will need to bring in the completed and signed forms you were emailed along with your payment. Once you complete the in-person appointment, the completed psychological evaluation report will be sent to the agency within two weeks.
Review And Referrals
Once the report is complete, you will get an opportunity to review it with us. This review allows you to receive an objective overview of your parental aptitude. If we see any red flags, we will discuss them with you and determine if you are interested in expanding your parenting skills or addressing previous family trauma. We try to make the process informational for you, talking about areas that could strengthen your relationship or providing referrals for therapeutic services and parenting resources if needed.
Receiving an assessment doesn’t have to be complicated. When you partner with us, you can rest assured that your psychological evaluation will be exactly what the adoption agency asked for. Our goal is to help you finalize this pivotal step in your journey and ensure that you have the love, compassion, and dedication to raise adopted children.
But You May Wonder Whether An Adoption Psychological Evaluation Is Right For You …
Will you be able to turn around the psychological evaluation in time?
With adoption proceedings, we understand that timing is everything, including turning in the psychological evaluation on time. When you are ready to schedule the in-person appointment with us, the first available appointment is usually within two weeks, depending on the current caseload. You can expect our appointment together to take approximately 1.5-2 hours. Thereafter, it will take up to two additional weeks for us to complete the evaluation and send it to the agency.
How expensive will obtaining a psychological evaluation for adoption be?
Our fees for completing the psychological evaluation for adoption are in keeping with industry standards and will meet each of the requirements your agency stipulates. The good news is that health insurance sometimes covers some of the cost of psychological testing and assessments, so it’s worth checking to see if you are eligible for some out-of-pocket reimbursement.
What are some of the issues I may not have considered when it comes to adopting a child?
Although a psychological evaluation is one of many requirements for adoption, the insight it can offer regarding your emotional health and readiness to become a parent can be incredibly valuable. Your dedication to the challenge of going through the adoption process speaks volumes about your commitment to parenthood. Reviewing the results of your psychological testing and assessment can be a helpful conversation starter for how to incorporate a child into your family and, perhaps, prompt you to learn some basic parenting skills.
The Psychological Evaluations We Offer Are Accepted By All Agencies
When you select Los Gatos Assessment Center for your evaluation, you can rest assured that the process will go smoothly and be completed within your agency’s required timeframe. If you would like to find out more about the adoption psychological evaluations we offer, please contact us today.
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