Course Details

Course Description

Instruction on proper evaluation and keys to differential diagnosis will be a central theme of the course. Included will be information on the assessment of various psychotic symptoms and how to understand their etiology, the use of drug and alcohol screens, clients' medication lists, and more. Attendees will also discover ways of quickly assessing clients at risk for suicide, homicide, and medical compromise. Additional discussion will focus on the role of various information sources for accurate assessment of patients in each age group, including lab values, family members, and medical records. Ultimately, this essential course will teach participants to perform and document the MSE correctly and efficiently to improve both clinical care and liability protection.

Course Objectives

• Reduce your risk of negative ethical and legal implications that can result from incorrect completion of the mental status exam (MSE) • Quickly assess for suicide and violence • Learn which tools to employ in various scenarios, including: the Folstein Test/Mini Mental Status Exam, St. Louis University MSE, Suicide/Self-Harm Scale, CIWA, and ACUTE© • Assess and understand psychotic symptoms including the differing etiologies of various hallucinations, illusions, and delusions • Make accurate differential diagnoses through correct analysis of multiple considerations: client medications, physical health conditions mimicking psychiatric, substance abuse presentations, and more • Utilize multiple sources of information in considering differential diagnoses • Assess psychotic symptoms and determine if they indicate psychiatric, substance abuse, or medical illness • Administer evaluative tools appropriately and understand their utility • Determine which questions to ask, observations to make, and elements to assess according to American Psychiatric Association guidelines • Evaluate risk for suicide and violence quickly and effectively • Differentiate mental health conditions from substance abuse and medical presentations • Discuss the professional, ethical, and legal guidelines to be followed when conducting the MSE and recommending treatment