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Date Posted: 12:18:39 06/26/03 Thu
Author: Hans Laven
Subject: Watch out for psychological tests

If CYFS refer you for psychological assessment or treatment, be careful about this process and especially about filling out assessment questionnaires or participating in tests. While I am not at liberty to discuss any cases, it may be enough to say that it is possible for a parent to be referred for counselling to a psychologist who will then convince the parent to participate in a personality test. The parent might be led to believe this is part of the assessment process for the counselling, but in referring the parent CYFS can make it clear that they would like some professional evidence to justify their decision in uplifting the children. The "counselling" becomes mainly a facade for obtaining some professional dirt on the parent. The psychologist is paid by CYFS and will be keen to accommodate what CYFS wants in the hope of getting further contracts. Even though the personality test might not give results suggesting that the parent is dangerous, the psychologist can pick out and report bad-sounding aspects of the test results and can add to this critical comments about the parent's presentation in the sessions. The parent, all the time believing that they are just undertaking counselling to address CYFS concerns, is then surprised to see the psychologist has prepared a damning report that is used to prevent any return of the children. Believe me, it happens.
Lessons from the story:
- if referred for counselling, get in writing from the counsellor an agreement about the purpose of the work and the nature of any reporting back, and have this looked over by your lawyer before proceeding
- do not agree to participate in personality assessments which, more than many other assessment tools, are open to massive interpretation and misuse
- if CYFS recommends counselling, do not attend counselling or treatment paid for by CYFS because of the risk that CYFS will thereby exploit the process. Instead, pay for it and the report privately if possible, or ask if it can be provided through the free Family Court counselling system which is confidential and allows only minimal forms of reporting back.

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