Confidential, accurate assessment is a critical feature of the PIER model and one that can lead directly to recovery.
Early intervention depends on an accurate and comprehensive assessment. The PIER Model relies on the Structured Interview for the Psychosis-Risk Syndromes (SIPS), a reliable and internationally-used assessment tool for the potential client. Training and Certification in SIPS is done by Barbara Walsh, PhD, of the PRIME Clinic at Yale University, where the instrument was developed.
The Assessment component of The PIER Model includes the following phases:
- Screenings. Potential clients are identified via anonymous phone screenings.
- SIPS Assessment. During an office visit, a trained SIPS interviewer asks questions about the onset, frequency, duration and intensity of symptoms to determine severity and function.
- Follow-up. A clinician conducts a follow-up SIPS at 6 and 12 months to monitor symptoms.
“Following confidential assessment, with her permission, we developed an intervention plan that helped her stay in school.”Mother of PIER Model Client
PIER Model Training & Certification includes the opportunity for certification in the SIPS assessment and helps to facilitate essential clinical intervention at a critical time.