Trauma touches people at every level of our society: children who have witnessed violence; soldiers with posttraumatic stress disorder; adults who have experienced traumatic losses. PAR is proud to offer a number of assessment instruments that can assist in the evaluation and treatment of trauma across the age range.
Here are just some of the trauma-based instruments we have available:
Trauma Symptom Inventory-2 (TSI-2): The gold-standard measure to evaluate the effects of traumatic events in adults ages 18 years and older.
Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC): The first broadband trauma measure for children ages 3 to 12 years who have been exposed to traumatic events.
Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC): Allows you to measure posttraumatic stress and related symptomatology in children ages 8 to 16 years.
Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children Screening Form (TSCC-SF) and Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children Screening Form (TSCYC-SF): Allow you to quickly screen children from ages 3 to 17 years for symptoms of trauma and determine if follow-up evaluation and treatment is warranted.
Detailed Assessment of Posttraumatic Stress (DAPS): A self-report instrument for adults ages 18 and above that provides a detailed assessment of PTSD in a short amount of time.
The TSCYC, TSCC, TSCYC-SF, TSCC-SF, and TSI-2 are also available in Spanish.
College can be difficult even for the most prepared of students. For some, it’s the first time away from home and the first time they’ve had to manage and organize their lives independently. The academic year is now more than halfway complete, and many of these students have adapted successfully to college life and are thriving.
But for students with an undiagnosed anxiety disorder or ADHD, poor coping skills and feelings of incompetence, low self-esteem, and helplessness may persist. Their grades may have slipped, and they may even be at risk of dropping—or failing—out of school. They likely don’t realize that their academic difficulties are related to treatable medical conditions.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million adults in the United States ages 18 and older have an anxiety disorder—yet only 36% of them seek treatment. Moreover, up to 44% of individuals with an attention deficit disorder were first identified at the postsecondary level.
The Kane Learning Difficulties Assessment (KLDA) is a self-report screening tool designed to identify students who struggle unknowingly with a condition that affects learning such as an anxiety disorder, ADHD, an executive function deficit, or a specific learning disability.
The KLDA can be administered by any instructor, counselor, tutor, or coach and takes just 15 minutes to complete. It evaluates difficulties with reading, writing, math, listening, concentration, memory, organization, time management, oral presentation, self-control, and anxiety. The test is scored online via PARiConnect and provides a report with valuable information about the student’s individual learning strengths and weaknesses. It also identifies if the student is at risk of an undiagnosed learning difficulty so he or she can seek treatment.
The KLDA report helps both students and teachers by providing specific interventions and accommodations that address the student’s identified academic weaknesses.
Help struggling students get the help they need to get their college careers—and their lives—back on track. Learn more at www.parinc.com/KLDA.
In order to facilitate research using the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), we are now offering comprehensive bibliographies through Mendeley, a free reference management tool. In addition, a white paper describing this research repository and explaining its creation and use has been created.
After accessing the Mendeley link, you will be prompted to create an account. Mendeley includes a desktop application and a cloud-based system for ease of use when finding references and citing them within a document. Use of this free resource is encouraged to facilitate research on the topics related to the PAI. Individuals who do not wish to create an online account may visit the Resources tab on the PAI product page to view Word documents of these bibliographies.
In addition to the PAI, PAR offers Mendeley bibliographies for the PDD Behavior Inventory (PDDBI), the Standard SDS, and the Student SDS. More will be added to the website soon!
Last week, United Way Suncoast recognized several local individuals who have made significant contributions to the organization, inducting these individuals into a United Way Roundtable that has just 500 members worldwide. We are incredibly proud that PAR founders Bob and Cathy Smith were two of the honorees.
The Smiths began their relationship with the United Way in 1977 and became members of the Tocqueville Society in 1998. Bob and Cathy’s spirit of generosity and philanthropy has not stopped with their personal devotion to the United Way, though. They have encouraged PAR staff to actively participate in United Way activities in the area, donating both time and resources. In fact, PAR has had 100% employee participation in our annual United Way drive for more than 20 years! Other honorees at last week’s celebration represented organizations such as Raymond James, Publix, Ferman Automotive, and the Siemer Institute. To be among the company of these other organizations is simply inspiring.
Congratulations, Bob and Cathy! This is an amazing testament to your dedication to United Way for more than 40 years!
Watch the video that was shown at the ceremony.
The beginning of a new year is a common time for people to evaluate jobs and careers. Are your clients seeking occupations to better align with their passions? With the Self-Directed Search (SDS) it’s easier than ever to help your clients explore career options that best match their personality types!
The SDS is the gold standard in career personality assessment. Since its release in 1971, the SDS has been used more than 36 million times. The SDS is based on Dr. John Holland’s theory, known as the RIASEC theory, that both people and working environments can be classified according to six basic types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. One of the main ideas of this theory is that the closer your personality type aligns with your work environment type, the more likely you are to find fulfillment at work.
The SDS was recently rebranded, repackaged, and refreshed! A bold new look and a cleaner, more user-friendly interface means clients can easily learn more about their personality and find a career that fits.
The online SDS experience also features interactive and highly customizable digital reports.
So if your clients are exploring occupations or want a career change, the SDS will greatly improve their search.
Visit self-directed-search.com to learn more!
PAR has announced the recipient of its fifth-annual program to benefit worthy charities. “PAR has been incredibly fortunate as a company,” stated Kristin Greco, MBA, Chief Executive Officer. “Rather than sending our Customers an end-of-year gift, a few years ago, we decided to make a charitable contribution on behalf of our Customers to an organization chosen by those we serve. This is the fourth year we have done so, each year selecting a new charity to honor.”
In November, PAR mailed an end-of-year communication to select Customers, thanking them for their business and asking them to choose their favorite organization from a list as a way to acknowledge the important work they do throughout the year. Most PAR Customers are involved in psychological assessment, educational assessment, or mental health work.
Now that results have been tallied, PAR is proud to announce that on behalf of its Customers, a $5,000 donation will be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. “We are so inspired by the work our Customers do, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America is doing work that is important to them,” said Greco. “It is an honor to be able to pay it forward to such a worthy organization.”
Though commonly thought of as a sports injury, concussion can occur as the result of everyday play, too. Each year, more than 1 million children and adolescents are diagnosed with a concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). About 30% of these injuries are non-sports related.
When children and adolescents return to school following a diagnosis of concussion, they may have functional difficulties (like trouble concentrating, memory problems, and irritability) that can affect their ability to perform and learn in school.
The new PostConcussion Executive Inventory™ is an evidence-based instrument for children ages 5 to 18 years used to assess functioning and monitor recovery following concussion. It measures change in cognitive and emotional regulation to determine if postconcussion-related behaviors are due to concussion or were present prior to injury. This information helps schools develop appropriate return-to-learn plans that address the student’s specific postinjury needs, which may include temporary accommodations and interventions.
Items for the PostConcussion Executive Inventory, the first in a new ConcussTrack suite of products, were selected from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition, the gold-standard rating form for executive function testing.
Learn more about students returning to school following concussion on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HEADS UP to Schools webpage.
Don’t let the clock run out on 2018 without taking advantage of our end-of-year discount! Save 10% on all purchases of $500 or more! Use Promo Code 8YJ when placing your order by December 31, 2018.
Offer cannot be combined with any other promotion, discount, coupon or special offer or applied to previously placed orders.
What a year! So many new products were added to our shelves in 2018. Here's a quick look back on what PAR released this year (and a preview of what's to come before the new year!).
In January, we published the SPECTRA: Indices of Psychopathology, a multiscale measure of psychopathology and functioning based on the quantitative (three-factor) model of psychopathology. The only instrument based exclusively on quantitative model research, clinicians can use the SPECTRA to evaluate individuals in a variety of settings.
Published in early May, the Personality Assessment Screener–Observer (PAS-O) is an informant report designed to be used in conjunction with the Personality Assessment Screener (PAS) to get a well-rounded picture of a client’s functioning. The PAS was developed from the gold-standard test of personality – the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI).
This summer, we published the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) Screening Form and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC) Screening Form. These 12-item forms were developed based on a critical need for standardized screening measures that can quickly evaluate trauma symptomatology and risk in children to inform follow-up testing and treatment.
In October, PAR welcomed a new member of the family: InVista. This new division helps Customers better hire, develop, and retain talent using the power of PAR’s proven values and personality instruments and 40 years of success. The best-in-class platform brings science and technology to the hiring market to help businesses improve their hiring process and provide candidates with an exceptional testing experience.
In mid-December, we will be publishing the PostConcussion Executive Inventory, a test that assesses and monitors recovery from concussion in children by comparing retrospective preinjury ratings to postinjury ratings. It is powered by the gold-standard instrument for executive function, the Behavior Rating Scale of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF2), and helps when developing treatment recommendations, providing accommodations in school, and managing activities and expectations at home.
What a year!
PAR has a long and proud tradition of giving back to the communities we serve through donations of time and financial support. This is something we do not only during the holiday season, but all year long.
Here’s a look back at some of the events and organizations our company and employees supported in 2018.
January: Announced the recipient of our fourth annual Pay-it-Forward campaign, where select Customers choose an organization to receive a $5,000 donation. The charity selected by our Customers was Prevent Child Abuse America.
February: PAR employees participated in the annual Cup of Compassion breakfast, a fund-raising event that benefits the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
March: PAR employees volunteered for Camp Circle of Love, a no-cost annual weekend retreat for children in Hillsborough county ages 6 to 18 years who have experienced the death of a loved one.
For the 7th year in a row, the PAR team was named Top Dog at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s annual Bark in the Park fundraising event.
April: PAR staff participated in and donated to fundraising walks supporting Southeastern Guide Dogs and Autism Speaks. In addition, several PAR employees spent their lunch hour volunteering at Trinity Café, a restaurant in Tampa that serves free hot lunches to those in need.
June: PAR employees and their families took to the lanes to raise money and awareness for the American Heart Association during our annual Bowling for Hearts event.
August: Another group of PAR employees volunteered to serve lunch at Trinity Café, providing over 200 free hot lunches to those in need.
September: PAR’s annual United Way Week took place and for the 21st consecutive year, 100% of PAR staff contributed. Employees raised over $93,000 to benefit United Way Suncoast and their partner agencies. With PAR’s matching contribution, a total of just under $140,000 will help make a difference in the lives of so many.
October: A group of PAR staffers attended Tuxes & Tails, the premier annual fundraiser for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. Other employees participated in United Way Suncoast’s Day of Caring by volunteering to clean and organize warehouse space for Metropolitan Ministries, an agency that cares for the homeless and those at risk.
November: PAR had employees take part in two different fundraising events: the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and the to Stop Soldier Suicide Veteran’s Day 5K. Also, PAR staff met with students from the Hillsborough County PACE Center for Girls to announce winners of PAR’s annual Holiday Card Contest, in which an original design drawn by one of the girls is used on PAR’s annual holiday cards.
December: PAR held its annual Angel Trees event. Trees are placed in our lobby and we coordinate with local charities to decorate the trees with ornaments listing gifts for local children in need. PAR staff members then choose ornaments and donate gifts to the children. This year we worked with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Redland’s Christian Migrant Association, and Heart Gallery of Tampa to provide help to nearly 150 children.