Mental health professionals bring with them a set of assumptions, identities, experiences, and values that shape how they engage with youth and their families and make sense of information. In this opening chapter, we invite readers to locate themselves in the work of mental health assessment by reflecting on their own lived experiences—as clients, caregivers, and clinicians—and by considering the broader systems that shape access to care. Effective, equitable, and empowering assessments start before the first question is asked, grounded in critical awareness of culture, context, and positionality. This chapter describes the sociocultural and systemic landscape in which this book is situated, and our positionalities as authors. In doing so, we model the reflexivity we ask of readers. We introduce the three fields that frame our approach to mental health assessment: clinical, cultural, and community psychology. We close by presenting the methods we use to share this approach throughout the book: Problematizing the status quo, portraying a principles-based approach, prompting critical reflection, and promoting thoughtful action. This chapter sets the stage for collaborative, culturally responsive mental health assessment rooted in social context.