Crisis Assessment Tools: The Good, the Bad, and the Available

Behavioral clinicians, mental health counselors, psychiatric nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers are frequently called upon to make a rapid and accurate assessment of the magnitude of a client’s crisis state. Until recently, there has been a dearth of empirically based crisis assessment instruments with strong psychometrics. This article documents the need and explicates the rationale for the development of the Lewis and Roberts Multidimensional Crisis Assessment Scale (LewisRoberts MCAS). In addition, we identify and discuss the distinct differences between stressful life events, traumatic events, coping skills and other mediators of a crisis, and an active crisis episode. Finally, we examine the advantages and limitations of several crisis specific measurement tools used in a structured interview format. [Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 1:17‐28 (2001)]