Event type: BCPA Lunch and Learn Series presents
Topic: Disability Assessments for Disability Determination Services (DDS)
Date: Friday, August 14, 2026
Time: 12pm - 1pm CDT
Location: Zoom
CE Credit: 1 CE Hour
CE Credits Available to: Licensed Psychologists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists
Cost: No cost for members of BCPA
Register Here: August Workshop
Disability Assessments for Disability Determination Services (DDS)
Presented by Dr. Kevin Harris
Doctors play an integral role in performing assessments for patients seeking disability services, and psychologists serve an important function in performing psychological evaluations to assess individuals for mental disorders. The purpose of these psychological evaluations is to gather clinical psychological information and data from the client (and possibly guardian), as requested by the Disability Determination Division (Disability Determination Services, or DDS) of the Social Security Administration, to assist the disability examiner and the agency clinical staff in making a determination of the presence of a qualifying disability and the client’s eligibility for Social Security benefits. This presentation provides an informal conversational overview of the principles of disability assessment of individuals with potential mental illnesses, qualifications to perform DDS assessments, psychological assessment measures approved for use in DDS clinical interview and mental status examinations, IQ assessments, and full battery assessments, and the components of mental status evaluations and functional assessments performed during all DDS assessments. This informal talk will give attendees ample time to ask questions and discuss the ins and outs of DDS assessments.
Learning Objectives:
1. To be able to identify at least three types of DDS assessments.
2. To be able to identify at least three psychological assessment measures used in DDS assessments.
3. To be able to answer at least three qualifications to perform DDS assessments.
Dr. Harris is a licensed psychologist at Algos Behavioral Health Services. He specializes in assessment, including neurocognitive assessment and presurgical evaluations for bariatric and spinal cord simulator surgeries, as well as in the psychology of religion and spirituality. He has his Ph.D. in counseling psychology and was a former assistant professor at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin and Our Lady of the Lake University. He is a co-editor of the books “Assessing Spirituality in a Diverse World” and “Measures of Religiosity and Spirituality.” His research and clinical interests include the psychology of religion and spirituality, the psychology of music, integrative models of psychology, the definitions of religiousness, spirituality, faith, and the sacred, Paganism and counseling, and theatre and therapy.
Please sign up here: August Workshop
With any questions, please email: bexarpsych@gmail.com.
