In the first educational section of the Learn Bariatric Psychological Assessments course, you will learn the purpose of bariatric psychological assessments. More importantly, you will be able to identify why bariatric assessments are necessary for bariatric surgery patients, as well as recognize what these psychological assessments are not meant to do.

Bariatric psychological assessments are meant to educate and optimize clients for surgery, not necessarily pass/fail them to move forward with surgery. It is not our job to say that clients should have bariatric surgery or say that they are ready for surgery, as this is the decision of their surgeon. Our job is to educate clients on bariatric surgery, to ensure they have realistic expectations, and to make suggestions to the surgeon on whether the patient needs further treatment to support their outcomes post-surgery.

In the second section of this training, you will learn the requirements for bariatric assessments. We will go over the assessment document and identify where each item is gathered from the client and notated in the documentation to the surgeon. This document, put together by the ASMBS, explains the rationale for these evaluations and how they became sanctioned for use prior to a client’s surgery. This assessment document is the blueprint for all the information gathered by the provider to present to the bariatric surgeon.

In the fourth section, you will be shown the client documentation and clinician template for a full biopsychosocial evaluation. This thorough assessment meets clinical guidelines for best practice for bariatric assessments, and it is the first document to be completed for the surgeon. This document will be available for you to download and personalize at the end of the training series.

In the fifth section of this training, you’ll learn that the ASMBS recommends the use of psychological tests or screeners. Several free and in the public domain options are available and shown in this section. These documents will be available for download at the end of this training series.

In the sixth module in this course, we will go over the client-facing questionnaire, which covers bariatric specific information. It asks for past attempts at weight loss, exercise history, understanding of the surgery itself, and how it will impact their lives. The bariatric questionnaire will help you identify how much information to teach as well as what the client already knows. This document will be available for you to download and personalize at the end of the training series.

In the seventh section, we will look in depth at the potential outcomes for bariatric psychological assessments. It will teach you a green-yellow-orange-red conceptualization system for clearance. We will also cover possible contradictions to surgery and how to discuss them with clients, as well as covering situations when the client might need to complete other forms of treatment before being given clearance for surgery or as a condition for surgical clearance.

This section will cover the bariatric clearance letter, which is the second document you will send the surgeon. We will go through each section of the letter, identifying where the information comes from and different possible wording for each outcome or recommendation. This document will be for you to download and personalize at the end of the training series.

In the ninth section of this training, we will learn how to educate the client on bariatric surgery during their evaluation. This PowerPoint includes word-by-word scripting. The ASMBS requires that clients are educated on the type of surgery they wish to have, how the surgery physically works, how it will impact their minds and bodies, and what changes they will need to make after surgery to be successful. It will also cover when the client should know they should get back into therapy if issues arise in the future.

In the tenth section, we cover billing practices, how to identify pricing, and how to bill insurance for bariatric psychological assessments. It will also be covered how to discuss with clients your billing structure and why you use that billing structure (insurance/self-pay).

In the eleventh section of this training series, we cover marketing your new bariatric psychological assessment business, how to generate business to find more clients and referral sources for bariatric psychological assessments, and how to use the power of social media to increase visibility. This section focuses on the business aspects of conducting bariatric psychological assessments.

In the last education section, we will cover consultation, including how to build a network of other providers who also conduct bariatric psychological assessments. Consulting with other providers ensures that you are conducting your bariatric psychological assessments similarly to others for liability purposes. We will also discuss how to consult with the surgeons that you may work with, when it is appropriate to directly communicate concerns with them, or to consult with high-risk clients. Next, we will cover associations you can join to stay up-to-date with research and networking opportunities, including the ASMBS. And finally, we will conclude this training course with some final thoughts and other considerations for you as you move forward with these types of assessments.