Providing Low-Fee Psychological Assessments as a Community Service August 19, 2007 Christopher E. Overtree, Ph.D. Director, the Psychological Services Center, University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Our Program Begins with a Social Justice Agenda Needs assessment demonstrated demand due to waiting lists and high costs Made providing low-fee psychological assessment services a fundamental part of our pedagogical and outreach mission Sought university start-up funds which allowed our program to begin and become sustaining in 2 years

Practical Considerations Created an assessment practicum, supervised by a faculty member ($6000 per year cost) for 3 students Organized an advertising blitz which included press releases, radio spots, newspaper ads, and targeted mailings Created a streamlined assessment protocol which made the screening, fee-setting, and initial appointments administratively simple

Statistics Fees based on number of hours in face-to-face testing. Clients’ are not charged for supervision time or report-writing “Standard” hourly rate of $90 per/hour can slide to $0 depending on client’s financial situation (the local going rate is $150 per hour) Cost of Program: ~$10,000 Income Generated: ~$12,000 Estimated value of services provided: ~$45,000 (based on going rates)

Intangible Benefits Raised our profile in the local community which increased referrals for all services Instilled mindfulness of and dedication to providing “pro-bono” services in our students Expanded our in-house training and strengthened our assessment curriculum

Questions? Christopher E. Overtree, Ph.D. The Psychological Services Center e: overtree@psych.umass.edu o: 413.545.5943 w: www.umass.edu/psc