Free · Professional-only · Canada

Finding assessment services: a guide for professionals

By Marilu Cardó, founder of Referral Circle · Reviewed 7 September 2026

Searching for an assessment starts with clarifying the professional service required. A topic such as ADHD does not, by itself, specify whether you need screening, a clinical assessment, formal diagnostic work or a comprehensive report. Referral Circle helps surface profile information; it does not determine what assessment a person needs.

Define the service before searching

Identify the assessment area, the population served, the relevant jurisdiction, the delivery format and any report requirement. Keep the search focused on these professional criteria. Do not enter names, dates of birth, histories, records or identifying circumstances.

Fictional example: “Adult ADHD assessment in Alberta, written report required.” After searching, review how those requirements were interpreted and refine the available filters. The example illustrates a search, not a recommendation for a particular assessment or practitioner.

Review the assessment profile

Assessment profiles can describe areas of work, service type, populations, report availability, pricing information and assessment availability. Review each relevant field. “Offers assessments” does not establish competence in every assessment area or eligibility to produce a report for every purpose.

Confirm credentials and scope independently

Check the relevant professional register or association information and clarify the specific service directly with the practitioner. For example, the College of Alberta Psychologists directs people to its member directory to check registration. A directory entry in Referral Circle is not a substitute for that check and email verification does not certify clinical credentials.

Clarify what the report must do

If an organisation will receive a report, determine its requirements through the appropriate professional process. Ask the prospective provider whether their service and report meet that purpose. Do not assume a screening result and a formal diagnostic report are interchangeable, or that a report will automatically be accepted by an insurer, school or other organisation.

Confirm capacity, cost and next steps

Assessment availability is separate from therapy availability. Ask about current capacity, the anticipated process, fees and report timelines. A listed starting fee may not describe the total cost of the service being considered. Referral Circle does not arrange the assessment or guarantee its suitability.

Once you have gathered the information, manage any referral and records through your usual professional processes. Clients do not need a Referral Circle account and are never asked to verify a referral through the platform.

Source for registration checking: College of Alberta Psychologists: Concerns and registration checking. This page explains use of the tool; it is not a national scope-of-practice guide.