Training on JCP Assessment Instruments

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Training on JCP Assessment Instruments Barbara
Seljan, OJDDA Consultant This project is
supported by a Juvenile Accountability Block
Grant from the Department of Justice, Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
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Presented by

• Barbara Seljan
• [phone]
• Email yjplanning_at_qwest.net

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Acknowledgements

• Oregons Juvenile Crime Prevention Risk/Screen
  Assessment and Interim Review were developed by
  the Oregon Juvenile Department Directors
  Association (OJDDA) with support from a Juvenile
  Accountability Incentive Block Grant.
• Juliette Mackin, Ph.D. Principal Investigator
  NPC Research
• Barbara Seljan, OJDDA Project Coordinator
• Paul Yovanoff, Ph.D., Item Response Model

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Background and Rationale

• Oregons Juvenile Crime
• Prevention Strategy
• called for a consistent,
• statewide method for
• identifying youth most
• at risk of committing
• crimes.

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RISK ASSESSMENT

• A JCP assessment must be conducted at intake for
  any youth who is assigned to a juvenile
  department counselor for assessment or case
  management.
• Specific juvenile department policies vary, so
  check with your department.

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Background and Development

• An instrument was designed to identify high-risk
  youth by assessing five key domains
• School issues
• Behavior issues
• Family functioning
• Substance use
• Peer association

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Item Development

• Domains were research-based and prescribed by
  legislation.
• Items are behavioral
• Items include indicators of both static and
  dynamic risks
• Follow up assessments provide information about
  dynamic risk and protective factor change

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MAXIMZING PREDICTIVE ACCURACY AND RISK REDUCTION

• Use simple rather than complex methods of
  composite scale construction and scoring
•  Assign risk levels in accordance with useful
  levels such as low, moderate, high which
  translate into meaningful differential action
  such as less versus more intensive service
•  

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MAXIMZING PREDICTIVE ACCURACY AND RISK REDUCTION

•  
• More intensive service for higher risk cases
• Set criminogenic needs as intermediate targets
  (the majority of targets must fall within the
  dynamic risk factor set).
•  
• ? Employ effective treatment methods (e.g.
  cognitive behavioral methods)
•  
• ? Re-assess on dynamic risk factors
•  

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Reliability and Validity

• Testing showed high rates of inter-rater and
  scale reliability
• Individual and combined risk indicators and
  protective factors have been validated

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Reliability

• Inter-rater reliability
• 90 accuracy rate among screeners
• Scale reliability
• Risk items showed high inter-correlation,
  supporting the hypothesis that the scale taps
  into a risk construct.

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Validity Study

• 89 of users felt that the screen very
  accurately or accurately summarized a youths
  risk.
• Items work well as a risk construct, and fit well
  into 4 of the 5 hypothesized domains.
• All but one of the original risk factors were
  valid indicators of re-offending.

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Purposes of JCP Assessment

• Assess risk protective factors

5 JCP Risk Domain 22 Risk Factors 10 Protective
Factors 5 Mental Health Indicators Other
Indicators
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Purposes of JCP Assessment

• Point to other assessments

Specialized Screens/Assessments Mental
Health Alcohol and Drug Education Strength-Based E
ducation Sex Offender
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RISK ASSESSMENT, CASE CLASSIFICATION AND CASE
MANAGEMENT
Case plan For addressing risks, utilizing
strengths, developing competencies, and insuring
accountability and public safety   Goals
Objectives/ Conditions Interventions  
Specialized Screens   Mental Health Suicide
Assessment of risk and criminogenic needs
Specialized Assessments   Strength-Based Alcohol
and Drug Mental Health Educational Sex Offender
Other
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Re-Assessment vs Interim Review

• The Interim Review measures change in dynamic
  risk and protective factors
• Youth can also be re-assessed for risk to
  re-offend by repeating a JCP Risk Assessment
• A re-assessment instrument that takes into
  account response to supervision and interventions
  is being planned.

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RISK REDUCTION

• Use risk level to help determine intensity of
  service
• Use identified risks as targets for case planning
• Utilize strengths increase protective factors

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TYPES OF INDICATORS

• Categories

• Static Risk
• Dynamic Risk
• Evaluation Measures
• Protective Factors
• Other Indicators

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What role do protective factors play?

• Because protective factors reduce risk of
  re-offending, they are important to identify
• Protective factors can be incorporated into case
  planning

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What is the probability that a youth will
re-offend?

• A method called Item Response Theory was used
  to model the chance that a youth will re-offend.
• The model uses a simple additive scale of risk
  indicators

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IRT Probability Curve for Re-offending
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Statewide Distribution of Risks
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RISK CLASSIFICATION MODEL

• Locally Determined
• 3 suggested levels
• LOW 0 to 8
• MEDIUM 9 to 13
• HIGH 14 and above
• Permit and track overrides (up or down)

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Using the OJCP Assessment

• Review training materials
• Practice
• Remember to gather information from multiple data
  sources if possible (youth, parents, school,
  official records, etc.)

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Training Materials

• Screen/Assessment Instructions
• Interim Review Instructions
• Sample Interview Questions
• Screen/Assessment
• Re-Assessment
• Parent and Youth Surveys

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Training Materials

• Interviewing tips
• Supplemental information and instruments for
  additional screening, assessment and referral
• Self-training and Inter-rater Reliability
  Exercises

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Self-Training and Inter-rater Reliability
Exercises

• Three Sample Cases
• Answer Sheets
• Inter-rater comparisons

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Part 1. Background Information and Mandatory
Data Fields
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ASSESSMENT DATE

• This is a mandatory field.
• Enter date assessment process was initiated.
• Usually begins with youth interview, and may be
  completed several days later after gathering
  information from collateral sources
• The assessment should be completed within a week
  of the assessment date.

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LOCKED DATE

• After the locked date the assessment is
  considered completed and no additional
  information can be entered.
• Users can enter a date no later than 30 days from
  initial data entry date.
• Users can enter todays date, but should not do
  so until they have completed entering all other
  data. Otherwise they will be locked out of the
  assessment.

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Language, Race and Culture Interview Issues

• Establish rapport
• Ask youth to self-identify race, ethnicity, and
  his/her initials
• Demonstrate sensitivity to cultural norms
• Determine need for interpreter

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Part II. Indicators

• Sample Interview Questions
• (Instrument provides item definitions and space
  for scoring it is not a structured interview)
• Parent and Youth Surveys

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General Guidelines for Questioning

• Open with questions that put client at ease.
• Make questions simple--avoid jargon.
• Ask questions one at a time.
• Avoid questions that ask why
• Ask open-ended questions
• Be non-judgmental
• Allow time for silence

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Interview issues

• Redirect questions to the youth when the parent
  answers for him/her
• Use age-appropriate language
• Be sensitive when probing for family information

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Interview issues

• Respond to disclosures of trauma
• Follow up with additional assessments if
  indicated

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Interview issues

• Probe for circumstances that may underlie problem
  behavior--such as learning disabilities, mental
  health issues.
• Ask questions that help determine if further
  screening is needed

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Interview issues

• Probe whether substance use is casual or serious.
• Probe for cultural protective factors and ethnic
  identity issues.
• Help youth avoid thinking errors such as
  minimizing or lying by omission

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Handling Conflicting Information

• Parents and youth often provide conflicting
  information. For example, a youth may say
  his/her drinking is not a problem. The parent
  says it is.
• Options
• Example Probe to clarify whether drinking is
  affecting youths behavior
• Check other sources has youth been arrested for
  a drug-related crime? Been in trouble at school
  or had trouble getting to school because of drug
  or alcohol use?

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Other Screens/Assessments

• Identify other screens/assessments already
  conducted
• Record dates of assessments
• Use information from other assessments

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Areas for Additional Screening

• Mental Health
• Violence
• Alcohol and other drug
• Suicide
• Strengths-based

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Violence Indicators

• Yes checked in one or more of the items marked
  s
• Ages 6-11
• Criminal offense (item 3.3)
• Early substance abuse (item 5.2)
• Ages 12-14
• Involvement with antisocial peers (item 2.1)
• Social isolation (item 2.2)

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Areas for Additional Screening

• Family functioning
• Educational
• Gender-specific
• Culturally sensitive

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Remember...

• Refer to and use the risk factor definitions on
  the JCP Risk/Screen Assessment instrument
• Review and use the sample interview questions to
  obtain the specific behavioral information
  required

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What is scored?

• INITIAL SCREEN
• Static risk indicators
• Dynamic risk indicators
• JCP RISK SCORE

• Interim Review
• Dynamic risk indicators
• Evaluation measures
• JCP Evaluation Score

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Static vs. Dynamic
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Static vs. evaluation measures
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Interim Review

• JCP Youth After six months and at end of program

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School indicators during the summer

• Code last regular semester
• Code last month of school for past month
  questions
• If youth left school before end of semester
  because of failing and is still not engaged in
  educational activity, academic failure is a risk

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Purpose of Interim Review

• The Interim Review measures change in dynamic
  risk factors
• Provides information about services provided
  since last screen/ assessment
• Program status
• Risk areas targeted
• Types of services provided
• Other assessment conducted/indicated

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Special Issues
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Identifying Need for, and Using an Interpreter
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Ask these questions

• Where is your family from?
• Where were you born?
• How long have you been in the United States?
• How long have you attended school here?

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Guidelines for using an interpreter

• Use interpreter of same racial/ethnic background
• Interpreters should be trained
• Translation should be done sequentially
• Avoid concurrent translation
• Allow time for the interpreter and the youth to
  become acquainted

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Guidelines for using an interpreter

• Ensure that the interpreter understands the tool
• Emphasize sentence-by-sentence translation
• Schedule extended sessions when using
  interpreters
• Consider the effect that translation can have on
  the interpretation of data

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Guidelines for using an interpreter

• Consider the level of acculturation of the
  interpreter
• Avoid using relatives as interpreters
• Never use children as interpreters
• Determine the dialect of the language that is
  spoken

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Building Rapport With A Limited-English-Proficient
Youth
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Interview issues when using an interpreter

• Use the interpreter properly
• Avoid cultural stereotypes
• Demonstrate respect for family roles
• Consider role of extended family and kinship as
  protective factor