Assessment and Diagnosis Training Program
Enroll in the Online Self-Study and complete the training on your own schedule.
12 CE hours and the Assessment and Diagnosis Training Certificate are available for behavioral health clinicians.
Accurate assessment and diagnosis are foundational to quality mental health care and ethical clinical practice. By sharpening your understanding of how mental disorders are defined, labeled, and treated, you can more effectively support your clients and enhance your professional impact.
Building on your existing expertise with a structured approach to diagnostic processes can save you time, improve client outcomes, and foster greater confidence in your work—an invitation to explore a richer skillset awaits you here.
Dr. Jason Buckles, Ph.D., LPCC, brings decades of direct experience in both academic and clinical settings, focusing on intellectual disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions. His background includes roles with the New Mexico Department of Health, behavior consultation agencies, and university-level teaching on DSM assessment. This extensive expertise aligns seamlessly with the core learning objectives of this training program, ensuring that participants receive actionable, evidence-based strategies.
Instructor
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Jason earned his Bachelor’s in Psychology at New York University in 1996. While there he worked on diagnostic projects at Bellevue Hospital and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He earned his Master’s in Counseling at The University of New Mexico in 2001 and PhD in Special Education at The University of New Mexico in 2016. His dissertation focused on the experiences of direct support professionals who support people with sexually challenging behavior. Since 2002 Jason has been owner of Talkabout Inc., a Behavior Consultation agency specializing in supports for people with intellectual disability and concurrent mental health diagnoses. From 2012 through 2016 Jason was the Statewide Clinical Director of the New Mexico Department of Health – Bureau of Behavioral Support overseeing statewide systems of behavioral support consultation. From 2016-2019 Jason was the Executive Director of A Better Way of Living, a CQL accredited agency that provides life-wide supports for people with intellectual disability. He is currently a contracting consultant with the New Mexico Department of Health where he supervises the sexual risk screening program, the ongoing development of behavior support systems, and provides statewide trainings on co-occurring mental health conditions for people with intellectual disability among other topics. For several years Jason has also served as the Program Manager for the Developmental Disability/Mental Illness project with the University of New Mexico. For most of the past 20 years he was a part time instructor at both The University of New Mexico teaching Introduction to Intellectual Disability and at New Mexico Highlands University teaching DSM Assessment for Counselors.
In this online self-study program, you’ll explore the evolution of diagnostic frameworks, from historical foundations to the nuances of DSM-5-TR. Dr. Buckles will guide you through the ethical application of assessment tools, the significance of comprehensive mental status evaluations, and the finer points of diagnosing categories like anxiety, trauma-related, and psychotic disorders. By integrating real-world case examples and longitudinal analysis methods, you will gain the skills to streamline your diagnostic process and better serve diverse populations.
Key Takeaways:
- Deeper Diagnostic Insight: Master the historical and social underpinnings of the DSM model to enhance clarity and accuracy in your diagnoses.
- Ethical Decision-Making: Learn methods for evaluating mental status that align with responsible, person-centered care and ethical obligations.
- Inclusive Assessment Strategies: Discover how to adapt diagnostic practices for special circumstances and varied populations, including those with intellectual disability or cognitive and communication differences.
Why This Course?
- Trusted Continuing Education Leader: Telehealth Certification Institute is dedicated to equipping you with top-tier knowledge grounded in excellence, kindness, and innovation.
- Expert-Led Content: With Dr. Buckles’ extensive background in state-level program leadership and university teaching, you gain insights that go beyond standard diagnostic guidelines.
- Holistic and Inclusive Approach: Our course emphasizes growth, collaboration, and wellness, ensuring that your learning experience is both comprehensive and ethically aligned.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the historical pathways to our current system of definition, assessment, and labeling of mental disorders.
- Examine the social construction paradigm as it relates to the foundations and structure of the DSM model.
- Discuss aspects of the history of treatment planning in relation to the ethics of how mental disorders have been defined.
- Discuss the terminology and methods associated with comprehensive and longitudinal completion of the mental status examination.
- Explain significant changes made between DSM-5 and DSM-5-TR.
- Specifically detail diagnostic requirements for a range of categories, including stressor and trauma-related disorders, depressive and bipolar conditions, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and psychotic disorders.
- Illustrate ways to consider the ethical and responsible application of DSM-5-TR processes.
- Discuss aspects of considerations for special circumstances and populations, such as bereavement, cognitive and communication differences, and adjustments for persons with intellectual disability.
Whether you are new to the profession or a seasoned practitioner, deepening your diagnostic capabilities can significantly enhance your clinical outcomes and professional confidence. We warmly invite you to join this 12 CE-hour, online self-study certificate program and discover how a more robust diagnostic approach can advance both your practice and the well-being of those you serve.
**DSM and DSM-5 are registered trademarks of the American Psychiatric Association. The American Psychiatric Association is not affiliated with nor endorses this seminar.
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Availability: From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.
Who Should Attend: This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.
Teaching Methods: This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.
How to attend: Directions for completing a course can be found by clicking here.
This program was recorded January 21 and 22, 2025.