Free Grief Assessment, Evaluation and Testing

A MISSION FOR MICHAEL

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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. 

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.

What is Grief?

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:

  • An identity disruption
  • Marked disbelief about the death
  • Avoiding reminders of the person who died
  • Intense emotional pain including anger, sorrow, and bitterness
  • Having a hard time planning in the future, and returning to their daily routine
  • Feeling emotionally numb
  • Struggling to find meaning in life
  • Extreme longingness

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:

  • Intense sorrow and rumination about your loved one
  • Difficulty focusing on other things in your life
  • Having a difficult time accepting their death
  • Struggling to find meaning in your life
  • Experiencing a hard time trusting others
  • Having a hard time thinking about positive or happy moments with your loved one
  • Isolating from others, avoiding social activities
  • Depressive symptoms
  • Carrying guilt or blame for your loss

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.

When Is The Best Time To Schedule A Grief Assessment at AMFM?

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.

What is a Free and Confidential Grief Disorder Assessment?

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.

What Makes Grief Assessments Confidential and Private?

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:

  • Prolonged Grief Disorder-13 (PG-13): This grief measurement tool is a 13-item questionnaire that explores symptoms such as yearning, emotional numbness, and difficulty moving forward. This grief impact assessment aims to understand the severity of your symptoms, and the impact they have on your overall functioning.
  • Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG): The ICG is a grief counseling assessment that focuses on emotional experiences, such as bitterness, detachment, and the persistence of grief-related distress.
  • Complicated Grief Assessment (CGA): The CGA is an assessment of grief intensity that identifies symptoms like avoidance and persistent yearning. Therapists can use this grief reaction assessment to understand your needs for treatment, and determine which therapeutic approaches and interventions would be a good fit for you.
  • Beck Depression Inventory (BDI): The BDI can be used to assess for co-existing depressive symptoms. This is a 21-item standardized mental health assessment that evaluates your mood, behaviors, and physical symptoms. This is a widely used diagnostic assessment tool, that can also be used to gauge changes in depressive symptoms over time.
  • Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D): The CES-D can be used during an assessment of mental health symptoms for depression. This tool uses a self-report scale to understand the symptoms you experience and their intensity.
  • Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9): The PHQ-9 is commonly used to assess for depression. This is a nine-question mental health assessment questionnaire that targets specific depressive symptoms. This can be used to formulate a clinical diagnosis as well as monitor progress.
  • EQ-5D: This psychological testing measure evaluates your mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression symptom. This is used to understand the toll that your mental health symptoms are having on your overall health.
  • Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD): The Hamilton Raring Scale for Depression can be used during an assessment for mental disorders. This can be used to reach a clinical diagnosis, and to track your progress in treatment.
  • Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS): This assessment targets depressive symptoms. There are ten items in this clinical assessment that are used to understand your mood, self-esteem, and overall daily functioning. Your therapist can better understand the severity of your symptoms and track your progress with this psychological evaluation tool.

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:

  • “When did your loss occur?”
    • This can help your therapist assess the duration of your symptoms, which is necessary for diagnosing grief disorders.
  • “Can you tell me about the person you lost?”
    • Knowing more about the individual person can help your therapist understand the significance of your loss. You may react differently to the loss of a partner, parent, child, or friend.
  • “Would you say that your loss was a surprise or traumatic?”
    • Those who experience sudden or traumatic losses are at a higher risk for some grief disorders.
  • “Can you tell me about the specific emotions or behaviors that you have been experiencing?”
    • This can identify specific symptoms that you’re experiencing such as sadness, anger, or social withdrawal.
  • “How often would you say that you think about your loved one?”
    • Aims to understand your preoccupation with the loss, another symptom associated with a grief disorder.
  • “Can you tell me about how often you’ve engaged in special hobbies or interests lately?”
    • Your therapist can better understand the effects of your grief on everyday functioning
  • “What has helped you cope with this loss?”
    • One component of your treatment is to help you cope with the psychological distress you experience. This helps your therapist know where they could focus during sessions.
  • “Can you tell me about who has been supporting you?”
    • Social support can make a difference for those experiencing a grief disorder, this helps your therapist understand who has, or has not, be supporting you during this challenging time.

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:

  • “Have you used substances to manage your grief?”
    • This helps your therapist determine if more questions are needed regarding substance use. Substances are sometimes used as a coping mechanism for grief.
  • “Can you tell me what your typical use of substances looks like?”
    • Learning about the frequency and duration of your use is helpful to determine the intensity of your substance use
  • “Do you feel as though your able to control, or limit, your substance use?”
    • Loss of control over the use of substances is a key symptom associated with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs)
  • “Have you needed to continue using to avoid feeling unwell?”
    • Another key symptom associated with substance use disorders is the development of withdrawal symptoms. We encourage you to be honest about the severity of your symptoms because there is health risks associated with withdrawal.
  • “Would you say that you need to drink or use more to experience the same level of relief?”
    • This question is targeting the development of a tolerance, another symptom associated with an addiction.
  • “Have you struggled with an addiction in the past?”
    • This question can help your therapist understand your previous experiences with drug and alcohol abuse.

How to Schedule a Free Confidential Grief Mental Health Assessment Near Me?

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.

What Are Potential Causes of Grief that Will Be Assessed For?

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.

Educational Challenges and Social Stress

Those who experience educational difficulties that affect their future goals may experience grief due to the changes to their future. Social pressures like bullying can also be an ongoing source of stress and grief that can lead to difficulties with self-worth and having a sense of meaning in life.

Transformation in Personal Relationships

Changes in personal relationships can lead to feelings of grief. This can include break-ups, divorce, friendships shifts, and changes within your familial relationships. These changes can disrupt your sense of stability, and profoundly impact your emotional well-being. Therapy and counseling allow you to process these changes, and learn how to move forward with them.

Adjustments in Family Dynamics

Divorce, moving, and serious illnesses can lead to feelings of grief for those affected. This grief can be related to losing what you expected your future to look like or include, such as retirement or growing old together. These situations can cause feelings of anxiety and instability, which often benefit from professional support.

Identity Struggles and Traumatic Experiences

Identity conflicts and trauma can lead to grief as you come to accept your experiences. You may find yourself grieving the loss of who you thought you were before, particular roles, or even your innocence. Professional support can focus on addressing internal conflicts and underlying trauma contributing to your grief disorder.

Navigating Major Life Changes

Major life changes, including life transitions, can bring new roles and responsibilities into your life. This can create a sense of loss, and grief for the way your life was. You may have this reaction after changes that are perceived as being positive, like changing careers, moving, or retiring.

Grieving the Loss of a Loved One or Peer

The loss of a loved one or friend is the most recognized cause of grief. The loss of a pet can have a similar effect for some. You may experience a combination of physical and mental health symptoms that affect your daily functioning, making it challenging to manage your responsibilities.
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    Find out about our free and confidential mental health assessments and evaluations

    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. 

    How Much Does a Grief Assessment Cost?

    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.

    Emotional man talking to a psychologist at a mental health therapy appointment.

    What Are The Next Steps if Diagnosed With Grief During an Assessment?

    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.

    • The American Psychological Association (APA) indicated that prolonged grief disorder affect between seven and ten percent of those experiencing bereavement.
    • Research has indicated that for those struggling with prolonged grief disorder, the  most common symptom was difficulty accepting the loss of their loved one.  
    • A research study exploring the prevalence of grief disorder among family members of U.S. military personnel who died found that rates of prolonged grief disorder were higher than complex bereavement disorder. 
    • An estimated 49% of those who experienced a traumatic loss develop prolonged grief disorder, compared to 9.8% of those who experience a natural loss.
    • Studies have shown that some of the highest rates of prolonged grief rates were highest among  bereaved parents followed by spouses and partners, and siblings. 

    Check if your health insurance will cover the cost of mental health treatment.