This release is to remind staff that all Medi-Cal psychological testing by a private practitioner/psychologist of children who are under the Department's supervision must be approved by the Department of Mental Health.  This includes:

• All testing by a psychologist for school or educational problems, behavior problems, emotional problems, and/or developmental problems.

• All testing by a psychologist for children who are in their parents' home, in adoptive planning, or placed with a relative, in a foster family home, a Foster Family Agency home, group home or residential treatment center.

In June of 1998, Policy #0600-501.5, Psychological Testing ro DCFS-Supervised Children, was put into place to ensure that our children receive coordinated and qulity testing.  In order to accomplish that end, the Department of Mental Health:

• Tracks our referrals;

• Consults with Children's Social Workers to assist in completion of treatment as well as testing referrals; and,

• Evaluates the quality of the psychologist's testing report.

Therefore, staff are reminded that:

• If you need to submit a request for testing, please complete a DCFS 5005 (Rev. 6/98), Request for Psychological Testing Report, and fax it to Mental Health at (213) 487-9658.

• If you receive a psychological testing report that is inadequate, please fax the report immediately to Mental Health (213) 487-9658 and request the name of another psychologist.

• If you run into any difficulties having a child tested, please call the Department of Mental Health at (213) 738-2415.

Please remember that poor quality reports place incorrect diagnoses and inappropriately/unhelpful recommendation into a child's case record.  Also, that psychological testing of children is never to be done routinely (i.e., automatically on an annual basis) or simply because the caregiver requests it.  All Medi-Cal testing by a psychologist requires the approval of the Children's Social Worker, Supervising Children's Social Worker and the Department of Mental Health.