Member care in missions has long been on my heart, having served as a missionary with my husband and 4 children with SIM and then working in the sending office, helping people prepare to go. Member care starts before a person leaves, through to after they finish, and all the comings and goings in between. Having lived through the processes of transition, language learning, and re-entry I know how challenging it can be and how helpful it is to have self-understanding and the support of a caring organization who has ‘got your back’. Psychological assessment has been used by many mission agencies in NZ since the 1990s as part of their whole member care package.

Some may have concerns that this addition to the application process might be an unwelcome extra expense, might be intrusive and might even seem dismissive of a person’s sense of call. It has been helpful in the last year or two that Dr Katherine Thompson, working out of the Melbourne School of Divinity has been researching and writing on the purpose and value of psychological assessment for cross-cultural workers. She identified the main reasons and purposes that a psychological assessment hopes to meet:

1. Screening for risk and vulnerability in applicants is essential, as past experiences may predispose them to challenges such as unhealthy relationships, burnout, undiagnosed or untreated mental health conditions, addictions, or difficulties in functioning.
2. Increasing self-awareness for the individual. Assessment includes objective personality measures which can give new insight or words to articulate the ways in which each person is unique. This leads to increased understanding of what good self-care is for them, and of what their default behaviours might be, such as self-isolating under stress, or avoiding difficult conversations. Guided conversations can also help the person identify their coping strategies and what they have learned from previous difficulties.
3. Determining fit for role. My own research into fit-for-role for missionaries showed that being a good fit with the requirements of their role was linked to higher well-being. It is helpful for an external and experienced assessor to consider whether the proposed work and context will be a good fit for the person in terms of social support, physical challenges, team support and skills required and what member care support is appropriate.

Our group of 4 (currently) in NZ are all Christian psychologists or counsellors who have personal experience of missions and/or long experience working in the support and training of mission partners. We understand what a sense of call is and can give an independent view of whether their sense of call is a good fit with their abilities, resilience and personality and what support might be needed. We are equally committed to ensuring the safety of all and upholding the reputation of the missions community. We believe that psychological assessment plays a crucial role in addressing risks to vulnerable individuals who interact with faith-based communities, as these concerns exist in all contexts.

A psychological assessment puts tools for a personal development plan in the hands of the individual and their agency. The assessment report includes recommendations for preparation and ongoing development. It puts concerns on the table so that open discussion can take place between the missionary and their member care team. Individuals have a big part to play in their own member care- knowing what they need and how to have discussions about it with the right people. This might include counselling before departure to process unresolved trauma or past mental health struggles, further learning, regular mentoring or accountability, or developing some habits for a healthier lifestyle. As far as possible, the psychological assessment process aims to reduce potential harm for candidates, their family, team, and local partners.

Our process involves having the individual first complete a ‘life history questionnaire’ where we ask questions about past events such as sexual abuse, childhood trauma, family of origin, current relationships, self-esteem, drug and alcohol use, physical and mental health, addictions and many more. We have them complete some psychometric tests which are scored and interpreted before an interview, usually by zoom for convenience, of about 90 minutes. Then a report is written up, identifying strengths, vulnerabilities and recommendations and this is shared with the individual for their comment or questioning, before it is released to the agency. This ensures we are open with the individual about any gaps we see in the attributes or tools they will need.

Assessment most often takes place as part of the initial application, but can also be used if an experienced worker is changing location, role or agency, or as a well-being review if there has been burnout or other signs of distress.