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• Back-to-back conferences for PAR and the SDS!

  

  It will be our busiest week of the summer as we attend two conferences, giving us more chances to meet with our Customers! First, the National Career Development Association (NCDA) Global Career Development Conference will be held June 27-29 in Houston. Then we’ll be heading to Boston for the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Annual Conference from June 29-July 2. At both conferences, we’ll be featuring the Self-Directed Search (SDS). If you’re attending either conference, stop by the SDS booth (#101 at NCDA and #1108 at ASCA) to pick up a FREE SDS sample pack! You can also enter a raffle to win an SDS print kit. We’ll have product samples, and conference attendees will be eligible to take the SDS for free for a limited time. Stop by our booth for details, or just to say hello! One more thing—we’ll be offering special discounts on any purchases made at the SDS booth during both conferences. You’ll save 15% on your order and we’ll include free ground shipping. We hope to see you in Houston or Boston!

• Clinician’s Corner: Forensic Evaluations and the PAI

  

  Mark Ruiz, PhD, ABPP, is a licensed psychologist at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and coauthor of the Personality Assessment Inventory Interpretive Report for Correctional Settings (PAI-CS). He specializes in competency to stand trial, mental state at the time of offense, violence and sexual recidivism risk assessment, and sentencing mitigation. In today’s blog, PAR Project Director Sierra Iwanicki, PhD, talks to him about the use of the Personality Assessment Inventory™ (PAI®) in forensic evaluations, how he became drawn to the field, and where he thinks forensic psychology is going in the future. How did you become involved in forensic evaluations? It happened by accident. During my undergraduate and graduate training, I had brief experiences working with juvenile and adult offenders. I took some workshops about competency and sanity evaluations through the University of South Florida. Following the workshops, some opportunities to do court-ordered evaluations opened in the county I was in and it took off from there. Why is it helpful to include a measure of personality in these evaluations? Psychological testing that can address multiple clinical issues in an objective ...

• A look back on 2018's new releases

  

  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 ...

• Community PARtners in 2022

  

  One of PAR’s core values is to give back to the community—and we’ve started 2022 off with plenty of activities that help the causes we support in our area. Here are some highlights:  January: Several PAR staff members joined forces with Feeding Tampa Bay to support their Mega-Pantry program. Held several times per week in various locations around Tampa, the Mega-Pantry distributes fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, dry goods, and more in a drive-through-style event to those in our community who are experiencing food insecurity. The beautiful weather provided an ideal backdrop as PAR staff members sorted food and loaded hundreds of cars with enough food to feed each family for a week.  Feeding Tampa Bay is dedicated to eradicating hunger in the Tampa Bay region by 2025. For more information, visit Feeding Tampa Bay.  February: The PARty Animals took home first place at this year’s Bark in the Park, an annual fundraiser for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay (HSTB). One of PAR’s most popular staff events, it combines our mission of giving back with our love of animals. Between holding ...

• Assess written language disorders with the FAW

  

  Students spend nearly 60% of their school day engaged in the process of written expression. Deficits in the writing process can wreak havoc on students’ education. The Feifer Assessment of Writing (FAW) examines the underlying processes that support proficient written language skills. In addition to identifying the possibility of dysgraphia, the FAW is able to determine the specific subtype of dysgraphia. And now, clinicians can save time and effort by scoring the FAW on PARiConnect. What is the FAW? The Feifer Assessment of Writing (FAW) is a diagnostic achievement test designed to examine the underlying cognitive, motoric, and linguistic processes that support proficient written language skills. It is the third and final member of the Feifer family of diagnostic achievement test batteries, joining the Feifer Assessment of Reading (FAR) and the Feifer Assessment of Mathematics (FAM). Results of the FAW help specify, from a neuropsychological perspective, exactly why a student struggles with written language so clinicians can develop appropriate, customized interventions. It also provides additional information about a student’s writing skills that allow users to dig deeper into a student’s abilities. A screening ...

• May is Mental Health Awareness Month

  

  Each May, Mental Health Awareness Month seeks to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. Throughout the year, but especially in May, mental health providers play a crucial role in promoting awareness and taking action to improve the mental health of our communities. What is Mental Health Awareness Month? Mental Health Awareness Month began in the United States in 1949 as Mental Health Week. It was expanded to a month-long observance in 1980. The goal of Mental Health Awareness Month is to raise awareness about mental health and wellness, reduce the stigma surrounding mental health conditions, and promote greater access to mental health services and resources. Why is Mental Health Awareness Month important? In the U.S., more than 1 in 5 adults are living with a mental illness. Yet despite the prevalence of mental illness, stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health are significant barriers to treatment and recovery. Mental health and physical health are equal components to a healthy lifestyle, but many individuals fail to receive the support and care they need. Mental Health Awareness ...