What Should I Expect During My Psychological Consultative Exam?

If you have applied for Social Security Disability benefits and you’ve been scheduled for a consultative exam for a psychological condition, you might be wondering what to expect. Today we’re going to talk about what to expect during your psychological consultative examination, also known as a CE.

General What to Expect

First, it’s important to note that each doctor and psychological CE might be a little bit different, however, generally speaking, you can expect a short and sweet visit with the assigned doctor. When sending you for a consultative exam, Social Security orders certain tests and evaluations that they need to see, in order to assess your abilities and disabilities. This can mean, as mentioned above, each CE might be a little bit different than the next. The CE physician will establish your identity by reviewing your identification (such as your driver’s license) and will ask you questions about your symptoms, when they started, how often they pop up, how have they progressed, what is your treatment history, and what are your typical activities of daily living, and what do you have a hard time doing instead of your typical activities of daily living.

Past Medical History

When talking about your past medical history, the physician will want to know about any hospitalizations or any rehabilitation stays and other stays in another supportive living environment. They will also want to know about any other significant past illnesses, your work history and your education, and your legal history (if you have a significant string of difficulty with the law, they will want to know that).

Observation and Physical Exam

The doctor will also conduct a general physical exam, and they will include statements on your appearance and your behavior, as well as observations that they have made as to how you arrived at the appointment. Did you come by yourself? Did you arrive on time? Were you early? Were you late? If somebody else come with you, did somebody else drive you?

Mental Status Evaluation

The doctor will also conduct a mental status evaluation. When done, the physician will provide their opinion based on their brief interaction with you as to the nature and extent of your mental disorder and what your abilities and limitations are. Some abilities that the doctor will evaluate are: your ability to carry out instructions, your ability to maintain pace, your ability to handle stress, your ability to handle others, your ability to handle your own money, things like that. Once completed, the physician will write a report and send it to Social Security so they can review it and include it in your file, and it will help them make their ultimate determination on whether you’re disabled or not.

Social Security Disability Attorney

If you are disabled and unable to work and you have questions, click the scheduling link here or give me a call directly, so we can see what I can do to help you.