Measures for Clinical Practice: A Sourcebook

Today, as the legitimacy of various forms of therapeutic intervention is under attack, and as practitioners in all areas of the human services are increasingly held accountable for monitoring and evaluating their practices in an objective manner, a sound familiarity with objective measurement techniques has become essential. In addition, practitioners must also be concerned with satisfying state, agency, or insurance company guidelines.

Now, this updated and expanded two-volume edition of Fischer and Corcoran's standard reference enables professionals to gather this vital information easily and effectively. In "Measures for Clinical Practice, Volume 1: Couples, Families and Children" and "Volume 2: Adults," Joel Fischer and Kevin Corcoran provide an extensive collection of over 320 "rapid assessment instruments" (RAIs), including questionnaires and scales, which assess virtually any problem commonly encountered in clinical practice. All instruments are actually reprinted in the book, and are critiqued by the authors to aid in their selection. The instruments included are brief and easy to administer and will be useful for all types of practice and all theoretical orientations.

Introducing the compendium of instruments, Fischer and Corcoran explain the principles of measurement and how to apply them in practice. They explore the range of assessment techniques available, including behavioral observations, rating scales, and client logs, as well as unobtrusive, electromechanical, and standardized measures. After examining the advantages and disadvantages of rapid assessment instruments, they show practitioners how to effectively select, administer, score, and interpret thesemeasures as part of the treatment process.

This fully updated and expanded two-volume edition will be essential to every practitioner and student of social work, psychology, psychiatry, nursing, counseling, and the rehabilitative therapies.

Kevin Corcoran, Ph.D., J.D., is a professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at Portland State University.