Mental Health Assessment with Children and Adolescents

Beschreibung

“Timely and transformative… redefines psychological assessment by embracing a framework grounded in justice, relational accountability, and cultural humility.”—Dr. Debra M. Kawahara, President, American Psychological Association (2025) “A must-read for emerging mental health professionals… masterfully integrates clinical, community, and cultural psychology.”—Dr. Masha Y. Ivanova, University of Vermont, USA “A brilliant evaluation manual… grounded in clinical training, lived experience, and deep respect for culture and community.”—Dr. Yvette Flóres, University of California, USA “A compelling invitation to reimagine mental health assessment as a liberatory practice.”—Dr. Gwen V. Mitchell, University of Denver, USA “I wish this book existed while I was in training. I am thrilled that now I have the opportunity to assign it—whether it’s for advanced trainees conducting case assessments or beginning-level master’s students learning about case conceptualization.” —Dr. Sherry C. Wang, Santa Clara University, USA This groundbreaking textbook offers an accessible, comprehensive guide to conducting clinical interviews and mental health assessments with children and adolescents. Designed for students and professionals in psychology, counseling, therapy, and social work, it walks readers through every stage of the assessment process—from referral to feedback—while centering culture, context, and collaboration. Authors Sara Buckingham and Gerald Oster integrate principles from clinical, cultural, and community psychology (the ‘3 Cs’) to present a justice-oriented framework that acknowledges the structures and systems surrounding youth. With practical tools, reproducible resources, and real-world applications across diverse settings—including schools, clinics, hospitals, and legal systems—this book empowers clinicians to foster engagement, deepen understanding, and generate meaningful recommendations. Sara L. Buckingham, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and Associate Professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, USA. She co-directs the Center for Community Engagement and Learning and leads the Crossroads Research Collective, a group of research-practitioners working at the intersections of the ‘3 Cs’. Her work focuses on culturally responsive practices and family engagement in mental health. Gerald D. Oster, PhD, has over 40 years of experience as a licensed psychologist and is the author of 13 books on interviewing and assessment. A former Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Maryland Medical School, USA, he has trained generations of clinicians in developmental psychology and psychological testing.

This groundbreaking textbook offers an accessible, comprehensive guide to conducting clinical interviews and mental health assessments with children and adolescents. Designed for students and professionals in psychology, counseling, therapy, and social work, it walks readers through every stage of the assessment process—from referral to feedback—while centering culture, context, and collaboration.

Authors Sara Buckingham and Gerald Oster integrate principles from clinical, cultural, and community psychology (the ‘3 Cs’) to present a justice-oriented framework that acknowledges the structures and systems surrounding youth. With practical tools, reproducible resources, and real-world applications across diverse settings—including schools, clinics, hospitals, and legal systems—this book empowers clinicians to foster engagement, deepen understanding, and generate meaningful recommendations.

Autor*in

Sara L. Buckingham

Themen in »Mental Health Assessment with Children and Adolescents«

clinical interviewing Adolescent Mental Health Multicultural Counseling cultural psychology multicultural psychology developmental psychology Cultural Diversity in Mental Health culturally and contextually responsive clinical practice report writing psychological testing

Stimmen zu »Mental Health Assessment with Children and Adolescents«

“Timely and transformative, this book redefines psychological assessment by moving beyond conventional limitations and embracing a framework grounded in justice, relational accountability, and cultural humility. Through the integration of clinical, cultural, and community psychology, it equips mental health professionals in understanding and supporting youth as whole people in context. Essential reading for anyone committed to ethical, liberatory, and life-affirming practices.” (Debra M. Kawahara, PhD, 2025 President of the American Psychological Association, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Distinguished Professor, California School of Professional Psychology)

“This volume masterfully integrates concepts from clinical, community, and cultural psychology into a principles-based framework for conducting culturally- and contextually- informed assessment.  Through practical illustrations and engaging exercises, the authors guide the reader through the assessment process, beginning with a reflective examination of the reader's own cultural and developmental contexts. Enhancing the volume's impact, the authors’ thoughtfulness, compassion, and humility deeply engage the reader. This is a must-read for emerging mental health professionals of diverse disciplines!” (Masha Y. Ivanova, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families)

“Dr. B and Dr. O offer us a brilliant evaluation manual for working with diverse youth and families—grounded in their clinical training, lived experience, and extensive work with these populations. From the first chapter, it is clear this is not your typical ‘what-to-do’ book. Instead, the authors situate the book and themselves as psychologists who embody respect for culture, communities, and the diverse populations with whom they work. By naming and reflecting on their own privilege, they invite us to examine our assumptions and the lenses that guide our work. This book makes an outstanding contribution to the field and should be required for all clinicians and evaluators.” (Yvette Flóres, PhD, Community-Clinical Psychologist, Distinguished Emerita Professor, University of California, Davis)

“This book promises to be a transformational text for mental health stakeholders who wish to practice in ways that honor sociopolitical realities that impact people’s lives. The authors, Drs B and O, use their positionality in powerful ways to model ways to disrupt the context-minimization that dominates Eurocentric mental health systems. This book's focus on collaboration brings a certain ‘we-ness’ to the process of assessment, as also a critical reflexivity and principled flexibility which can easily extend to other parts of the mental health system. It is a compelling resource for those seeking liberatory mental health practices.” (Gitika Talwar, PhD, Community-Clinical Psychologist, Founder, Pranh Healing & Wellness, pranhwellness.com)

“A groundbreaking, soulfully written book that bridges clinical wisdom, cultural humility, and social justice. Drs. Buckingham and Oster offer a compelling invitation to reimagine mental health assessment as a liberatory practice. A must-read for anyone teaching or working at the intersection of psychology and equity.” (Gwen V. Mitchell, PsyD, Professor and Program Co-Director, MA International Disaster Psychology: Trauma & Global Mental Health, University of Denver)

“I wish this book existed while I was in training. I am thrilled that now I have the opportunity to assign it to my counseling psychology graduate students—whether it’s for advanced trainees conducting case assessments or beginning-level master’s students learning about case conceptualization. From now on, students no longer have to piece it together on their own, they can draw from the expertise of Buckingham and Oster to use a framework to guide their practices! I am excited to assign this book in clinical application classes as well as foundational core courses, such as multicultural counseling!” (Sherry C. Wang, PhD, Associate Dean of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI), Associate Professor, School of Education and Counseling Psychology Santa Clara University)

“In this book, Drs. Buckingham and Oster provide a splendidly written, deeply thoughtful, and especially timely book on how to integrate culture and context into clinical interviewing, testing, and assessment of children, adolescents, and their families. By masterfully synthesizing clinical, community, social, and multicultural psychology, the authors have created a text that should be essential reading in mental health assessment courses offered in a variety of graduate programs -- e.g., clinical, applied developmental, and school psychology; clinical social work; and clinical professional counseling. Course instructors and graduate program directors are strongly encouraged to check out this superb book.” (Robert H. Deluty, PhD, Associate Dean Emeritus of the Graduate School, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Author, “The Matter of Families” (2022) and “Parent/Child, Teacher/Student, Doctor/Patient” (2023))

“Mental Health Assessment with Children and Adolescents: An Integrated Clinical, Community, and Cultural Psychology Framework addresses a critical gap in our field. There remains a lack of research, coursework, and clinical training focused on cultural and community-based assessment for youth. This book offers a meaningful step in bridging that gap in our field. It is an essential resource for those committed to attuned and competent approaches to evaluating and supporting the mental health of diverse youth.” (Philippa Thomas, PsyD, Psychologist, HealthPoint)

“If there are still clinicians who believe that children and adolescents can be adequately assessed by interview or psychological testing alone—without an understanding of the family and the various systems that influence youth—this important book by Buckingham and Oster should serve as a needed corrective. Youth are shaped by a range of individuals, agencies, and programs beyond themselves: families, schools, healthcare providers, social service agencies, and probation offices, as well as their own developmental trajectories and environmental circumstances. The cultural and ecological context that is necessarily part of their lives—and their assessments—is crucial. Buckingham and Oster emphasize these dimensions to support more complete and meaningful assessments. Their book is well-written, timely, and indeed timeless in its reminder to students and practitioners alike of the complexity required in the assessment of youth.” (Stewart Gabel, MD, PhD, Former Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital, Denver, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine (1992–2002), Medical Director, Division of Children and Family Services, Office of Mental Health, New York State (2007–2012), Currently in private practice, Author, “Leaders and Health Care Organizational Change: Art, Politics and Process”; “How Dehumanization Leads to Murder and Genocide: Lessons from the Nazi Era”; “Understanding Psychological Testing in Children: A Guide for Health Professionals; and Difficult Moments in Child Psychotherapy”)

Details

Link teilen