Manual

CAARS 2 Manual

Chapter 1: Principles of Use

Principles of Use

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  • The CAARS 2 is not recommended for individuals who are unwilling or unable to respond honestly. Administrators may wish to read the items aloud to raters with poor vision or whose reading abilities are suspected to be below the recommended level (see Reading Levels earlier in this chapter for breakdown per form). Raters may approach the CAARS 2 with varying degrees of insight, observational skill, candor, bias, and defensiveness; these characteristics need to be evaluated by the clinician when considering the accuracy and usefulness of the results.

  • MHS (the publisher) and its authors are not responsible for the use of the CAARS 2 in any manner other than that which is outlined in this manual. Users of the assessment who diverge from the procedures or applications described in this manual should provide a valid rationale for doing so.

  • It is recommended that the CAARS 2 be used as part of a larger evaluation process, with other assessment methods and collateral information, such as interviews, other assessment evaluation tools, individual history, and behavioral observations when available, in addition to qualified professional judgment. The CAARS 2 should not be used as the sole criterion for decision making; combining CAARS 2 results with information from a variety of sources will help to ensure a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of the individual.

  • The CAARS 2 was carefully and rigorously developed to provide a set of items and scales that meaningfully contribute to the area being evaluated. Any assessment has inherent limitations; however, when used appropriately, this assessment can be extremely useful in eliciting information from raters so as to contribute to effective next steps, long-term planning, and efficacy of progress plans implemented.

  • The qualified professional is responsible for ensuring access to the assessment and interpretation of results remain secure and are released only to qualified individuals who will safeguard their proper use.
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