A MISSION FOR MICHAEL
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If we are not an appropriate provider for care, we will assist in finding a care provider that can help.
For most of us, there are times in our life where we struggle with our mental health, including grief and loss. Mental health counseling can be a source of support and compassion for those who find themselves grappling with a recent loss. With locations in California, Washington, and Virginia, A Mission For Michael can support you during challenging times.
At AMFM Mental Health Treatment Centers, we can provide you with treatment for a range of mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, complicated grief, and dual diagnosis conditions. Before beginning treatment, you’ll participate in a psychological evaluation, which can include a grief assessment. We are going to focus on what a grief evaluation entails, and what you can expect after your clinical assessment at one of our locations.
Grief is a natural emotional response to loss. Grief looks different for everyone, and often varies with each loss you experience. You may find yourself struggling with emotions like anger, sadness, confusion, and guilt. When we think of grief, we commonly think about the death of a loved one or friend.
Grief can also appear at the loss of a relationship, a job, and in unexpected life changes like a divorce. There are some situations that we know are coming, then there are others that are unexpected and rock our world. The grief process varies greatly, and for some, continue to cause significant psychological distress and functional impairment.
You may have heard about the stages of grief before. These stages were identified by a psychiatrist, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in 1969. This framework for grief includes stages for denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It is important to note that these stages can occur in a different order, and you may find yourself lingering in one stage longer than others. Whatever your experience is with grief, know that your emotions and experience are valid. This can be one of the more challenging transitions we experience in life.
Yes, trained and qualified therapists can conduct a grief and loss assessment using various bereavement assessment tools. These tools, combined with a psychological assessment of grief symptoms, allow mental health professionals to provide a diagnosis for commonly occurring grief disorders.
If you have been struggling with physical or psychological distress since experiencing a loss, we encourage you to contact A Mission For Michael today. Our admission counselors can help you understand the benefits of a complicated grief assessment and a prolonged grief disorder assessment.
When you meet with a therapist for a prolonged grief disorder assessment, they can use a behavioral health assessment, grief assessment scales, and a grief questionnaire to understand the extent of your symptoms and impairment. They will also ask about your mental health history, and assess for co-occurring diagnoses in an emotional wellness assessment.
A psychological assessment of grief will explore the various ways that your grief is affecting your day-to-day life. This can include intense and overwhelming emotions, as well as avoidance tendencies. Other mental health evaluation tools can be used to assess for dual diagnosis condition. The information gathered is then compared to mental health diagnostic criteria to determine if your symptoms align with a mental health condition, like prolonged grief disorder. Once you have completed your comprehensive mental health evaluation, your therapist will help you understand how your grief is connected to the psychological, emotional, and behavioral challenges that you’re experiencing.
Prolonged grief disorder is known for intense, long-lasting grief that affects your daily functioning. This grief lasts longer than a typical mourning period. You may find yourself preoccupied with the person that you have lost at least one year ago. The American Psychological Association estimated that seven to ten percent of those who experience grief develop this condition.
Examples of other prolonged grief disorder symptoms include:
Those who have a history of depression or bipolar disorder may be at a higher risk of developing prolonged grief disorder. Sudden and traumatic deaths often have a higher risk of leading to this disorder for longed ones. Additionally, this condition can have co-existing conditions like PTSD and long-term sleep disturbances.
Complicated grief is known for causing continued feelings of loss that are debilitating that do not lessen in intensity over time. Also known as persistent complex bereavement disorder, this condition can include long-lasting painful, and severe emotions that make it difficult to resume your life.
Some of the symptoms associated with complicated grief disorder include:
Complicated grief can occur for a number of situations, which makes it impossible to narrow down an exact cause. Research has helped us understand that this disorder is more common among older females. Some of the situations that can trigger complicated grief include the unexpected or violent death of a loved one, death of a child, losing someone your dependent on, being isolated before the loss, and having a history of depression, separation anxiety disorder, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Call us today, our admission counselors can help you understand the benefits of a complicated grief assessment and set you up for your mental health screening.
In a perfect world, the ideal time to schedule a grief assessment is when you begin to notice signs of emotional distress that fall outside the normative mourning process. For those who are unable to ask for help when this occurs, reaching out today is the next best option. Grief can be overwhelming, which responds well to counseling and therapy.
A Mission For Michael admission counselors provide you with access to professional support around the clock. We can provide you with immediate support, and schedule you for a prolonged grief disorder assessment. Though early intervention is ideal, we are here to support you regardless of where you fall within the grieving process.
A confidential and free assessment focuses on exploring your unique symptoms and challenges with the use of various grief diagnostic tools. This can include a grief coping assessment, a bereavement impact scale, or a grief symptom inventory. The use of these assessment measures allows mental health professionals to provide you with a personalized recommendation for treatment.
Grief and loss assessment tools often include questions about the emotions that cause distress, and your ability to cope with them. Grief diagnostic tools can help provide you with personalized, and effective care.
The simple answer is that grief assessments are confidential because you are protected by health privacy laws, including HIPAA. Many find that having this protection provides them with a sense of safety, allowing them to be honest about their experiences and challenges. This level of privacy is carried over into clinical assessments, and therapy and counseling programs.
There are some situations where confidentiality may need to be broken, which can vary across the country. An example of this would be if there is an imminent risk to your safety, or that of someone else.
There are many types of mental health professionals who can be trained to assess and treat complex grief disorders. This includes psychologists, licensed mental health counselors, and psychiatrists. Professionals who provide treatment for complex grief often have additional training and clinical experiences, qualifying them for these treatment programs.
It is important to note that these professionals each play a different role in treatment. As an example, psychologists may focus on diagnostic and assessment measures, whereas mental health counselors provide therapy and counseling services. Psychologists can provide medication management services for those who would benefit from the use of medication management services for symptoms like depression and anxiety.
Therapists can use a variety of grief and during the mental health assessment process. Psychological assessments for grief and loss can target various symptoms and underlying symptoms, which can account for the different grief and loss assessment tolls that are used.
Examples of mental health assessment tools that can be used in a grief therapy evaluation include:
The questions that you’re asked are dependent on the type of grief assessment being used. There are structured grief evaluations that have specific questions that need to be asked, whereas a psychological evaluation may be more fluid. This allows your therapist to ask questions based off your conversation together.
The general theme of the questions that you’re asked involve the emotional, mental, and physical experiences you have that are caused by your grief. These questions can help your therapist understand your experiences so they can provide the appropriate care.
Examples of questions that can be used to understand your grieving experience, and the severity of your symptoms include:
Addiction-related questions may be included during a grief and loss assessment. In some cases, complex and long-lasting grief can contribute to the misuse or abuse of alcohol. Those who find themselves overwhelmed with their grief may find that using substances provides a reprieve from their grief.
Over time, substance misuse and abuse can lead to substance use disorders. This does require dual diagnosis treatment, which may include a medically supervised detox for those experiencing moderate to severe symptoms. Examples of questions that may be asked to gauge your substance use include:
If you have been struggling with your mental health since the loss of a loved one, we encourage you to contact A Mission For Michael for a grief assessment test. After a complete assessment of the mourning process, we can review which treatment options align with your needs. Dial (866) 478-4383 today.
During a grief assessment, several common causes of grief are explored to better understand your experience with grief. This allows your therapist to personalize your treatment, ensuring your needs are being met. While this is not a full list, common causes include personal relationships, family dynamics, identity issues, and significant life changes.
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We accept most major insurance providers and can check your coverage levels for you.
If we are not an appropriate provider for care, we will assist in finding a care provider that can help.
Grief assessments provided by A Mission For Michael are free of cost, allowing you to receive personalized support and treatment recommendations without worrying about paying for it. With other providers, the cost of grief assessments can vary from $100 to $300 per hour. Those who require comprehensive or complex evaluations may pay between $500 to $2,500.
In some cases, you may be able to use insurance coverage to pay for the costs associated with grief assessment. We encourage you to contact us today to learn more about our available grief and loss assessment. We will then provide you with appropriate treatment recommendations, and help you explore various ways to pay for treatment.
For those who receive a diagnosis of a grief disorder after one of our psychological assessments for grief and loss, the next step is determining which treatment options are ideal for you. Those who are experiencing moderate to severe symptoms may require the structure and intensity of a residential treatment program.
At AMFM, we provide personalized treatment plans to address your unique needs and lifestyle. Treatment plans can include a variety of therapy and counseling activities, addressing the various areas of your life that were affected by your loss. Our treatment facilities offer a range of holistic treatments like yoga therapy, narrative therapy, and music therapy. The combination of these services can help you process your grief and improve your emotional health.
Yes, you can schedule an assessment for a loved one who has been struggling with grief. It is not uncommon for partners, parents, siblings, or even children, to reach out to a loved one that they have seen struggle with a loss. Some find that having help scheduling a grief assessment makes the first step in getting help easy.
It is important to respect your loved one autonomy, and understand that participation in a grief evaluation and subsequent treatment is their choice. Grief is a tricky emotional experience that requires patience and compassion. If you would like to learn more about support someone who’s struggling with grief, we encourage you to call us today.
Call us or start the process online today. All communication is confidential.
If we are not an appropriate provider for care, we will assist in finding a care provider that can help.
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