CHAPTER 5 ASSESSMENT, EVIDENCE-GUIDED PRACTICE, AND PRACTICE EVALUATION A ssessment is an ongoing process, as well as a product that pro- vides both workers and clients with guidance and direction in their work. In the beginning phase, an assessment provides both with a place to start. This initial “contract” remains flexible and may be— and often is—revised as new information surfaces and workers and clients achieve a greater understanding of the issues that they need to address. As a process, the worker’s assessment attends to what is going on during the session and what is conveyed through clients’ verbal and nonverbal and direct and indirect communication. Summary of Content 1. Assessment Tasks The worker and client form a partnership to develop an assessment of how their work together will be helpful. This involves three tasks: 1. Collecting relevant information 2. Organizing the information in a way that reveals patterns and provides direction 3. Analyzing the information to identify the strengths and limitations of clients and their environments, including their cultural identity and position within the social structure