Identifying Areas That Need To Be Assessed YOUTHFUL LEVEL OF SERVICE/CASE MANAGEMENT INVENTORY Training Presented by: Brian Lovins Division of Criminal Justice University of Cincinnati PO Box 210389 Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0389 (513) 556-1913 www.uc.edu/criminaljustice TARGETS FOR CHANGE Identifying Areas That Need To Be Assessed

Objectives To review the principles of effective classification To score the YLS/CMI reliably and accurately To apply the results of the YLS/CMI to case plans

What is Risk When we refer to risk Risk of recidivism High risk likely to recidivate Low risk not as likely Risk is based on the chance of committing a new offense. Discuss what the participants believe risk to re-offend to mean. Discuss that risk assessment tools are used as a means of predicting future behavior. Discuss with them how “high risk” means that offenders are more likely to commit a new offense, but that it does not mean that they will reoffend. Similarly, “low risk” means that offenders are less likely to commit a new offense but it does not mean that they won’t.

Actuarial Risk Assessment Predicts the likelihood of a youth to get in trouble again For low risk, assume 1 out of 10 reoffend 1 person will reoffend, but we do not know which one Same for high risk, assume 6 out of 10 reoffend 6 will reoffend, but we don’t know which ones

Identifying Areas That Need To Be Assessed Principles of Effective Classification TARGETS FOR CHANGE Identifying Areas That Need To Be Assessed

Principles of Effective Classification Risk Need Responsivity Professional Discretion Introduce these as the principles of effective classification. These principles are the basis of the YLS/CMI and other current risk assessment tools. Risk = who Need = what Responsivity = barriers

Risk Principle Most intensive treatment should be reserved for higher risk offenders Must survey important risk factors to produce an accurate measure of risk How do we know which factors to assess? Risk principle has 2 components – Match interventions to risk level. Identify risk level by assessing dynamic and static risk factors. How do we know which factors are tied to risk? We’ll briefly look at the research to help define them.

Major Risk Factors Antisocial attitudes Antisocial peers Antisocial personality History of antisocial behavior Family Education/employment Substance abuse From research time and time again, these factors show up as risks. Make sure to define antisocial as “against society” or the opposite of prosocial. Distinguish it from asocial, not interested in engaging with others. Note that antisocial personality is NOT Antisocial Personality Disorder. We don’t diagnosis adolescents with personality disorders. We are talking about personality traits that put them at risk to engage in antisocial behaviors.

Need Principle By assessing and targeting offenders’ criminogenic needs we can reduce the likelihood of recidivism Interventions must be very focused and target the needs that are related to risk Remind participants that criminogenic needs are dynamic risk factors. Where the risk principle illustrates WHO we should target for treatment (highest risk offenders), the need principle illustrates WHAT we should target (criminogenic needs).

Criminogenic Needs (Dynamic Risk Factors) Antisocial attitudes Antisocial peers Antisocial personality Family Education/employment Substance abuse Research tells us these are the dynamic risk factors, or criminogenic needs, toward which we should provide correctional interventions.

Targeting Criminogenic Needs Family Vocational skills Anger/antisocial feelings Self-control Pro-social modeling Antisocial attitudes Substance abuse treatment Reducing antisocial peer contacts Relapse prevention

Responsivity The neglected principle Offenders respond differently to treatment strategies Offenders adjust differentially to correctional environments Easiest to think of as “barriers” to treatment Assessment of responsivity is important to maximize benefits of treatment Where the risk principle illustrates WHO we should target, and the need principle illustrates WHAT we should target, the responsivity principle illustrates how these should be targeted, or what BARRIERS should be removed. Barriers to treatment – we must assess to help make more responsive to treatment. Have participants brainstorm barriers that their clients experience.

Responsivity Internal Factors Motivation Personality Characteristics (anxiety, psychopathy, self-esteem) Cognitive deficiencies Demographics (age, race, sex, ethnicity) Motivation addresses how motivated the youth is to change his/her behavior. Most correctional treatment is geared towards highly motivated youth. There are not very many highly motivated youth when they get placed in a program/supervision. Discuss how motivation/personality characteristics/mental health can become barriers to treatment.

Responsivity External Factors Counselor characteristics Setting Institutional Community Type of treatment Support network Some barriers are within the youth but some of the characteristics are about us. What characteristics do we have that might be barriers to getting the youth engaged. Discuss how external factors can also operate as barriers to treatment.

Professional Discretion Also known as override Consider risk, need, and responsivity Determine if placements dictated by assessment are the most appropriate With general caseloads, overrides should occur 10% of the time or less Override rates will increase if you have a specialized caseload (sex offenders and severe mental health problems) Consider other risk assessments There is always an out if necessary. Emphasize that assessors should not override an item. The instrument should be scored as intended and then an override should be considered if he/she has evidence that the risk level is not accurate.

Identifying Areas That Need To Be Assessed The Instrument TARGETS FOR CHANGE Hand out instrument and user’s manual. Identifying Areas That Need To Be Assessed

Key Elements of the YLS/CMI The YLS/CMI collects 42 pieces of information The items are scored in a 0-1 format The items are added together to produce an overall score The items are grouped into 8 subcomponents All but one of the subcomponents contain dynamic items There is a professional override section X = 1 POINT 8 subcomponents = major risk factors

Subcomponents of the YLS/CMI— Part I Criminal History (5) Family Circumstances and Parenting (6) Education and Employment (7) Peer Relations (4) Substance Abuse (5) Leisure and Recreation (3) Personality and Behavior (7) Attitudes and Orientation (5) The numbers in parentheses are the number of items in each subcomponent. Go through the instrument and explain each section. Explain scoring for Part II.

Subcomponents of the YLS/CMI— Part II Summary of Risks and Needs Total score is calculated and overall risk level determined

Subcomponents of the YLS/CMI— Part III Problems pertaining to family and parents Not scored for risk scale 11 items Youth 28 items This is the responsivity page.

Subcomponents of the YLS/CMI— Part IV Your Assessment of the Juvenile’s General Risk/Need Level Professional discretion

Source of Information Regarding the Offender Interview with the offender Criminal history Interview with parents School records Institutional records Interviews with other professionals Psychological personality tests Behavioral ratings/checklists from clinicians Before interviewing the offender, the assessor may want to review any available criminal history or probation records. This can help in addressing discrepancies in the information provided by the offender. Interview will be primary source, but the more you have, the better. DON’T SCORE AS YOU GO…LOSE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY.

Risk Levels for YLS/CMI Low Risk 0-8 Moderate Risk 9-22 High Risk 23-34 Very High Risk 35-42

Videotape Exercise #1 1. Score independently 2. Break into small groups (4-6) 3. Don’t just compare overall or section scores; discuss the scoring of each item 4. Discuss why you marked an item as a risk factor and why you didn’t mark certain items as risk factors The object of this exercise is to build your understanding of the scoring criteria Document the group scores then go over each item and discuss as a group.

Review the scoring exercise Write your individual and group scores on the board Discuss Scoring of Videotape Exercise #1 Review each item Work with participants to understand each item

Identifying Areas That Need To Be Assessed Effective Interviewing TARGETS FOR CHANGE HAND OUT INTERVIEW GUIDE. UC developed, so okay to copy or change. Just give UC credit. Identifying Areas That Need To Be Assessed

Interviewing Objectives Develop knowledge and skills necessary to collect information for a valid and reliable assessment Reiterate that they probably already have good interviewing skills, so we will review basics. How does this differ from what you currently do? Be sure to focus on current, not historical data or we lose dynamic aspect. Interview should be about 45-60 minutes. Video tape follow-up available – UC has seen some that get too much info, get convoluted and score incorrectly.

The Interview Process Goal Environment Information gathering Ensure environment is conducive to disclosure of information Environment Relaxed Open Review the goal of the YLS/CMI and LS/CMI interview as one of information gathering. Point out that the information being gathered is somewhat sensitive so it is important for the interviewer to create an open and comfortable environment for the interview. Point out the importance of the interview environment. Remind participants to minimize distractions and interruptions during the process.

The Interview Process Structure—assessment should be semi-structured Purpose of assessment should be explained Interview length should be approximately one hour If interviewing youth he/she should be met with independently Stress the importance of explaining to the offender the purpose of the interview at the beginning of the interview. The interview should be semi-structured meaning the interviewer should follow an interview guide and ask the questions in a structured manner (i.e. not skipping around). The interview should last roughly an hour. It may take longer initially as you get used to the structure of the assessment and the process. Also, if you have had no prior contact with an offender, the interview may take longer than one for an offender with whom you have a prior relationship. When interviewing the parents of a youth or the spouse/partner of an adult offender, those interviews should be conducted separately whenever possible. This can help to ensure the most accurate information is gathered from each source. Offenders may not reveal important information in the presence of others. As well, potential tension between family members may bleed over into the interview if they are interviewed together.

Interview Skills The interviewer sets the tone Patience Open-mindedness Attentiveness Try not to correct or teach Therapeutic intervention will undermine goal of information gathering Point out that the interviewer is in control of the interview. It is their responsibility to set an open engaging tone. Remind participants that the interview is an information gathering process, not a therapeutic intervention. The interviewer should keep an open-mind while asking questions and do not begin correcting behavior during this process. Assume the best. Suspend judgment.

Good Listening Skills Nonverbal attending Eye contact Facial expressions Posture Devoting full attention Reflective listening Paraphrase information Provide listening cues Review these points as things to be aware of and use during the interview.

Questions: Good vs. Bad Use Avoid Open-ended questions Follow-up questions Avoid Close-ended questions Double-barreled questions Biased questions Review each of these types of questions and their effects. Open-ended and follow-up questions are the most effective for and interview of this type. They provide the most information and facilitate conversation. Close-ended question (i.e. yes or no) can be useful to begin a new section in the interview but caution against depending on these. If an interview is comprised of predominantly this kind of question, it is not likely that adequate information is being gathered. Double-barreled questions (asking multiple questions at the same time) may result in the interviewer not being sure which question is being answered. Biased questions (where the answer is implied in the question) make it difficult to get accurate objective information.

The Challenging Interview Dealing with inconsistencies Use collateral information/resources Lightly challenge inconsistent information Dealing with oppositional behavior Offer choices Offer a break Redirect You can use this slide to talk about other problems participants have had in conducting interviews. Engage them in discussing these problems and how to address them.

Evaluating the Interview Was the interview conducted adequately? Structure and environment Did the individual respond to questions? Establishing trust Was I attentive? Engage in active listening Was I willing to suspend judgment? Assuming best Review these as general ways to ensure the interview was conducted well. These questions don’t have to be formally answered, but can be general points to review after each interview. You can use creative questions without being leading. For example, how old were you the first time you got high?

Evaluating the Interview What are the problem areas? Asking open-ended questions Did I explore the problem areas in detail? Asking follow-up questions Did I overcome any problems with the interview? Dealing with silence or excessive talking Dealing with inconsistencies Are the results valid? More points to review to make sure the interview was adequately conducted. Review these questions as things that participants can ask themselves to ensure. Who did most of the talking?

Interviewing Practice Break into pairs and practice conducting a YLS/CMI interviews. One person should role play a typical offender while the other conducts the interview. Each partner will have an opportunity to practice the interviewing skills we discussed. This exercise is designed to give participants an understanding of the importance of using open-ended questions in the YLS/CMI and LS/CMI interview. Make sure to debrief after the exercise and discuss the difference in the information obtained with each type of question.

Videotape Exercise #2 1. Score independently 2. Break into small groups (4-6) 3. Don’t just compare overall or section scores; discuss the scoring of each item 4. Discuss why you marked an item as a risk factor and why you didn’t mark certain items as risk factors The object of this exercise is to build your understanding of the scoring criteria

Identifying Areas That Need To Be Assessed Case Planning TARGETS FOR CHANGE Identifying Areas That Need To Be Assessed

Case Planning Overview Case plan and interventions should be linked to assessment Areas where a problem is identified should be addressed with some intervention activities If there is no problem no action is required Continue the discussion of how assessment drives effective correctional interventions. Discuss that the case plan should be linked directly to the results of the assessment (i.e. highest risk clients should get the most intensive interventions for the longest durations and target areas should be areas identified as problems by the assessment). Reiterate the importance of not addressing areas that are not identified as problems by the assessment (the need principle). If multiple problem areas, begin with “high” and work your way down.

Case Plan Development NEEDS/PROBLEMS – should be based on assessment GOALS – longer term outcomes – where offender should be after your interventions OBJECTIVES – offender’s short-term measurable and verifiable steps to reach goal TECHNIQUES – your actions to help offender reach longer term goal Look at and tally subcomponents…identify needs…what are the problems? Discuss long-term goals. Objectives - how will he meet the goals Should be concrete Look at as baby steps to reach goal Techniques - what we will do to help reach goals…see next slide

Techniques 3 areas should be addressed: Supervision techniques Referrals Face to face contact Supervision – ua, reporting field tests, curfew, house arrest Referral – evaluation/treatment, employment program, vocational Face to face – written cog-beh assignments targeting crim needs, review journals, skill-building, logging time, action steps, motivational interviewing techniques, cost-benefit analysis

Case Planning Exercise Use the information you obtained from the videotaped assessment to develop a case plan on the following pages Break into small groups (4-6) and develop a case plan that addresses all of the need areas Identify the problems as identified by the assessment, the goals, and objectives that will be used to reach those goals This exercise is designed for the participants to practice using the assessment information to design a case plan. On review, make sure that objectives identified reflect what is available in their agencies. This will help them generalize this exercise to their everyday use of the assessment. When reviewing the case plan make sure that the participants keep the risk, need and responsivity principles in mind. Also discuss the prioritizing of needs (i.e. which needs to address first). Participants can use the next slides to develop the case plan.

Example—Substance Abuse Problem Goal Objectives Techniques Use of Marijuana Eliminate use of marijuana Participate in substance abuse assessment Refer for substance abuse assessment List benefits of participating in and cons for not complying with treatment Cost-benefit analysis Attend and participate in all substance abuse treatment group activities Refer for services/Monitor with drug screens/Updates from tx provider and offender. Improve coping skills to deal effectively with problems. Identify high risk situations/ thoughts/feelings/behaviors for substance use. Functional analysis Attend and participate in all skill building treatment group activities. Refer for services/Monitor for participation/Updates from tx provider and offender. McInnis, W.P., Dennis, W.D., Myers, M.A., Sullivan, K.O., & Jongsma, A.E. 2002. The Juvenile Justice and Residential Care Treatment Planner. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Case Planning—Family Circumstances and Parenting Problem Goal Objectives Techniques

Case Planning—Education and Employment Problem Goal Objectives Techniques

Case Planning—Peer Relations Problem Goal Objectives Techniques

Case Planning—Substance Abuse Problem Goal Objectives Techniques

Case Planning—Leisure and Recreation Problem Goal Objectives Techniques

Case Planning—Personality and Behavior Problem Goal Objectives Techniques

Case Planning—Attitudes and Orientations Problem Goal Objectives Techniques

Videotape #3 Scoring 1. Score independently 2. Break into small groups (4-6) 3. Don’t just compare overall or section scores; discuss the scoring of each item 4. Discuss why you marked an item as a risk factor and why you didn’t mark certain items as risk factors The object of this exercise is to build your understanding of the scoring criteria

Summary Assessment is the cornerstone of effective correctional interventions The information gathered during an assessment should be used to determine levels of supervision and treatment The information should also be used to identify needs and develop a case plan Reassessments can be used to gauge progress in reducing risk of recidivism Point out the importance of obtaining a valid and accurate assessment of an offender’s risk, especially as it relates to treatment/intervention decisions. Highlight the importance of using the assessment information to guide supervision and treatment decisions. This is a good place to review the risk principle again. When conducting reassessments, not that an appropriate amount of time should have passes since the reassessment ideally, 6 to 12 months. Most importantly, note that reassessment should be activity-driven. Reassessments should occur after some intervention designed to target risk has occurred.

Summary Make sure you practice scoring the assessment before actually using it Multiple raters when you first start Videotape assessment and have someone review and compare scoring Use an interview guide Consult the administration guide when scoring If this agency is conducting a follow up training, go over the instructions for submitting a videotaped assessment. Point out that agencies can make changes to the interview guide to better fit their specific needs. However, stress the importance of using an interview guide, especially when they first begin using the assessment.