The use of automated assessment with seriously mentally ill clients

Despite the skepticism of many behavioral healthcare practitioners that their clients are "much too ill" to interact positively with a computer-based assessment system, this article describes a successful program that integrates computerized interactions for seriously mentally ill adults into its overall information management. At the core of this information system is a 30- to 45-minute assessment using eight basic scales plus clinical data. According to a satisfaction survey, clients generally are quite open to interacting with the computer--when it is presented as an adjunct to the work of clinicians.