Abstract
This chapter defines the fundamentals of case conceptualizationCase conceptualization and presents a case conceptualization model designed to support evidence-based practiceEvidence-based practice in serving children and adolescents. This science-informedCase conceptualizationscience informed case conceptualization model helps guide the treatment process throughout treatment and is designed to cut across age groups, disorders, and theoretical treatment approaches. Evidence-based practice emphasizes using research and clinical information to inform clinical decision-making. Although discussions have often focused on evidence-based treatments, evidence-based practiceEvidence-based practice is a broader concept that encompasses treatment, assessment, case conceptualization, and the relationship between client and therapist. Case conceptualization is defined as developing a complete picture of a client to generate a treatment plan by collecting data that are used to generate hypotheses about the causes, antecedents, and maintaining influences for an individual client’s problems within a biopsychosocial context. When done well, case conceptualization blends data generated by evidence-based assessmentEvidence-based assessment, the research literature on psychopathology and treatments, and information about a client’s characteristics, values, and preferences in order to generate a personalized, evidence-informed treatment plan. Adopting a scientific approach to case conceptualization helps therapists guide the clinical decision-Clinical decision-makingmaking process from intake to termination.