Access pathway
Psychological Testing Access
A psychological evaluation can be the key that unlocks the right school supports, the right diagnosis, and the right treatment. It is also one of the hardest mental health services for a family to afford.
What psychological testing is
Psychological testing, or a psychological evaluation, is a structured assessment conducted by a licensed psychologist. It typically combines interviews, standardized tests, questionnaires completed by caregivers or teachers, and a review of history to answer specific questions: Is this ADHD, anxiety, a learning difference, or something else? What supports would help at school? What treatment is most likely to work? The result is a written report with a diagnosis, if one applies, and recommendations.
Why access is difficult
- Cost. A comprehensive evaluation takes many hours of a psychologist's time, and insurance coverage is often partial, limited to certain diagnoses, or unavailable.
- Waits. Providers who offer sliding-scale fees or accept public insurance are few, and their waitlists are long.
- Complexity. Families are often unsure what kind of evaluation they need, who can perform it, or how to ask a school or pediatrician for a referral.
Our resource Why psychological testing can be hard to access, and what families can do goes into more depth.
How the Foundation helps
- Care navigation. One-on-one help understanding whether an evaluation is the right next step, what to ask for, and where affordable options exist.
- Reduced-cost evaluations, as funding allows. The Foundation directs charitable funds toward reducing the cost of psychological evaluations for children whose families cannot otherwise afford them. This assistance is limited by available funds and is decided case by case. It is never guaranteed.
- Education. Workshops and resource guides that help caregivers recognize when an evaluation may be warranted. See When a family may consider psychological testing.
Who performs the evaluations
Evaluations are performed by licensed psychologists, including partner practices, not by the Foundation. The Foundation's role is to help families reach an evaluation and, where charitable funds allow, to reduce its cost. Families can verify a Texas psychologist's license through the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council.
What the Foundation is, and is not. Carry Good Forward Foundation is a charitable foundation. It provides education, resources, and care navigation, and directs charitable funds toward access to care as funding allows. Clinical services such as psychological evaluations and psychotherapy are delivered by licensed providers, including partner practices, not by the Foundation itself. Assistance is never guaranteed and depends on available funding, partner capacity, and each family's situation.
How to inquire
Email howdy@carrygoodforward.com. It helps to include the general area where you live, whether the support is for a child or an adult, what kind of help you are looking for (an evaluation, therapy, or information), and whether cost is the main barrier. Please do not include detailed medical or personal records in a first email. See Get Help for what to expect.
Carry good forward with us.
Every gift, partnership, and hour of volunteer time helps close the distance between needing support and receiving it.