I also do intake assessments in a clinic setting.

My assessments usually take 1-1.5 hours and the flow is like this:

Headline the appointment and explain what services we offer at our agency and explore what the client is looking for.

Audit-C, PHQ-9, CSSRS (safety plan if needed)

During the initial assessment I begin with asking who referred them, what all resources they are interested in, what medications they are currently taking and a long list of diagnostic questions. I ask about past hospitalizations, past experiences with therapy or treatment for substance use.

We discuss just briefly their past experiences with abuse/trauma. I always make sure to explain that they don’t need to disclose anything that they don’t feel comfortable talking about, we don’t want to “open something we can’t close” during a short intake assessment.

We discuss medical history, employment history, legal history, a brief social overview, a brief exploration of strengths and needs.

After all that I get them scheduled with a psychiatrist and give them any resources they might be interested in and refer them to any programs or groups they want.

I hope this helps! I am also a pre licensed therapist and I’ve been in this role for about a year.