Exploring Life & Business with Jennifer Ryan of Elevated Insights Assessment

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Ryan.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Elevated Insights Assessment came to fruition when Drs. Kate Colón and Jennifer “Jenn” Paz Ryan recognized the huge need for psychological assessment in the community. Both graduates from the University of Denver’s Clinical Psychology program, Jenn and Kate found themselves overlapping in their training interests throughout grad school focusing on pediatrics and neuropsychological assessments. Having both trained at Children’s Hospital of Colorado, they began to observe extended waitlisting and over reliance on larger entities such as the hospital or community mental health centers. In 2015, Elevated Insights Assessment (EIA) was founded. Since then, Kate and Jenn have made it their mission to increase access to care for all. EIA is one of a small number of private practices in the state of Colorado that accepts Colorado Health First Medicaid. Jenn is also bilingual (English/Spanish) and bicultural (originally from Colombia, SA) and has created a strong bilingual team to ensure that our Latino/Hispanic community has equal access to assessment services. EIA maintains high standards of care and each psychologist and staff member are continually provided with opportunities for growth, professional and personal development, and a safe work space. In turn clients (ranging from 18 months of age through the lifespan) are treated with compassion and respect, emphasizing strengths and promoting empowerment.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definintely not. Creating and growing a business has not been without significant struggles. Kate and Jenn did not go to business school and the road has not always been easy. Medicaid in particularly has been an ongoing challenge. It took us almost 2 years to get paneled within their system (which had not converted to digital). Over the years, Medicaid has experienced substantial cuts and shifts, making it increasingly difficult for small practices such as EIA to stay afloat. We have participated in several advocacy groups over the years with some success. However, the system remains really fractured and HCPF and those making decisions that impact our community, truly do not understand what Testing psychologists really do. Psychologists have spent at least 4 years obtaining their doctorate. Testing psychologists such as those working at EIA have spent additional time in training gaining expertise in psychological and neuropsychological assessment. Yet the system does not yet recognize the niche and expertise that is required for testing and currently reimburses masters level clincians at a higher rate. This truly hurts testing psychologists that accept Medicaid, resulting in a limited number of private providers.

How do you define success?
At Elevated Insights Assessment, success is defined not simply by the number of clients we serve, but by the depth and quality of the impact we make in each individual’s life. Guided by our vision to empower individuals with clarity and self-understanding, we measure success through the following lenses:

1. Meaningful Client Outcomes:
Success means our clients leave each assessment with actionable insights, greater self-awareness, and a renewed sense of hope and direction. We strive for every client to feel seen, heard, and supported throughout their journey.

2. Upholding Our Values:
We are committed to integrity, empathy, and excellence in every interaction. Success is reflected in the trust our clients place in us, the ethical standards we uphold, and the compassionate care we deliver.

3. Advancing Our Mission:
Our mission to provide accessible, high-quality psychological assessments to our community guides our daily work. Success is achieved when we break down barriers to care, advocate for our clients’ needs, and foster a culture of inclusivity and respect.

4. Professional Growth and Collaboration:
We define success by the ongoing growth and satisfaction of our team. When our clinicians feel supported, valued, and inspired to learn, we know we are succeeding as an organization.

5. Community Impact:
Success extends beyond our office walls. We aim to enhance mental health awareness and support systems within our community, measuring our impact by the partnerships we build and the positive change we inspire.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://elevatedinsights.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatedinsightsassessment
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-paz-ryan-m-ed-psy-d-13655351/
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-e-col%C3%B3n-psy-d-02562825/