Professional Professional Advocacy: Access Advocacy: Access Issues in TestingIssues in Testing

David KaplanDavid Kaplan

ACA Chief Professional OfficerACA Chief Professional Officer

dkaplan@counseling.orgdkaplan@counseling.org

ACA Institute For Leadership TrainingACA Institute For Leadership Training

July 2009July 2009

Fair Access Coalition Fair Access Coalition on Testingon Testing

www.fairaccess.orgwww.fairaccess.org

MissionMissionFACT is an independent FACT is an independent

organization of professionals organization of professionals dedicated to the protection and dedicated to the protection and

support of public access to support of public access to professionals and organizations professionals and organizations

who have demonstrated who have demonstrated competencecompetence in the in the

administration and interpretation administration and interpretation of assessment instruments, of assessment instruments,

including psychological tests.including psychological tests.

IndianaIndiana

Proposal to restrict Proposal to restrict 237237 tests to Psychologists tests to Psychologists: :

– DATDAT– GATBGATB– EDIEDI– MMPIMMPI– Suicidal Ideation QuestionnaireSuicidal Ideation Questionnaire– All Millon InventoriesAll Millon Inventories– State-Trait Anxiety InventoryState-Trait Anxiety Inventory– TATTAT

KentuckyKentucky Montana Montana WisconsinWisconsin MarylandMaryland OhioOhio North CarolinaNorth Carolina

““mental health mental health testing” testing”

vs.vs.“psychological “psychological

testingtesting””What do you think?What do you think?

SummarySummary

The counseling profession’s approach to The counseling profession’s approach to testing is to focus on competency rather testing is to focus on competency rather than credentials.than credentials.

FACT (FACT (www.fairaccess.orgwww.fairaccess.org) is here to help ) is here to help fight attempts to unfairly restrict fight attempts to unfairly restrict counselors’ assessment practices.counselors’ assessment practices.

Maybe it is time to give up “psychological Maybe it is time to give up “psychological testing” and use “mental health testing”.testing” and use “mental health testing”.