CANS Assessments

In-person & Telehealth (OH & MI residents)

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Helping children and families access the right level of support

At Wildwood Counseling Services, we offer CANS assessments for children and adolescents who may need additional behavioral health support, service coordination, or updated documentation for ongoing care.

If you’ve been told your child needs a CANS completed or updated, we can help walk you through that process

“Children do well if they can”

What is a CANS assessment?

CANS stands for Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths.

It is a structured assessment tool used to better understand a child or teen’s:

  • emotional and behavioral needs

  • strengths and supports

  • daily functioning

  • trauma history or stressors

  • level of care and service needs

A CANS is often used to help determine what kinds of services, supports, or treatment may be most appropriate for a child or teen.

Who might need a CANS assessment?

A CANS assessment may be helpful for children or teens who:

  • are involved in OhioRISE

  • are being referred for higher levels of behavioral health support

  • need an updated assessment to continue receiving services

  • have multiple emotional, behavioral, trauma-related, or family stressors

  • are involved with case management, wraparound services, or child welfare systems

If you’re not sure whether your child needs one, that’s okay — we’re happy to help you figure that out.

When is a CANS usually needed?

Families are often asked to complete or update a CANS when:

  • starting certain behavioral health services

  • enrolling in or continuing with OhioRISE

  • needing a clearer picture of what supports may be helpful

  • a provider, care coordinator, or caseworker requests one

Sometimes parents hear “your child needs a CANS” without getting a clear explanation of what that means. If that’s been your experience, you’re not alone.

What to expect during this appointment:

Our goal is to make the process feel as straightforward and supportive as possible.

A CANS assessment typically includes:

  • gathering background information about your child

  • reviewing current concerns, symptoms, and strengths

  • discussing home, school, social, and emotional functioning

  • identifying what supports may be needed

We approach these assessments with a trauma-informed, family-centered lens, and we know that no child can be understood by a checklist alone.

This process is not about labeling your child — it’s about helping clarify what support may be most helpful.

Why families choose Wildwood for CANS assessments:

At Wildwood, we understand that many families seeking this type of assessment are already navigating a lot.

We aim to provide a process that feels:

  • clear

  • supportive

  • nonjudgmental

  • collaborative

  • grounded in real-life understanding of kids, trauma, behavior, and family stress

We also have experience working with children and families involved in:

  • foster care and adoption

  • trauma recovery

  • behavioral health systems

  • family stress and adjustment concerns

Who We Partner With:

We frequently collaborate with:

  • OhioRISE care coordination teams

  • Community mental health providers

  • Foster care and child welfare agencies

  • Schools and educational teams

  • Pediatric and developmental providers

If you’ve been told your child needs a CANS completed or updated, we’d be happy to help.

Schedule a CANS assessment

FAQS

Common questions about CANS

  • Just a quick, painless cheek swab. The sample is sent to the Genesight lab for analysis, and results are typically available in about one week.

  • Sometimes, yes — it depends on the situation and what the referral or service system requires. If your child already sees a provider at Wildwood, we can help determine whether this can be completed internally or whether a separate appointment is needed.

  • This can vary depending on your child’s needs and the information that needs to be gathered. We can help explain what to expect when scheduling.

  • Yes — if your child needs an updated CANS assessment for continued services or care coordination, we may be able to help with that as well.

  • No — although CANS assessments are commonly used within OhioRISE, they may also be requested in other behavioral health, child welfare, or care coordination settings.

  • If a provider, caseworker, care coordinator, or program has told you your child needs a CANS, or if you’re unsure what next steps your child needs, feel free to reach out and we can help point you in the right direction.