RNR from the Treatment Provider Perspective

• In Event: RNR on the Left Coast: A Research-Practitioner Partnership in Santa Cruz County

Abstract

In this presentation, a representative from a treatment provider in Santa Cruz County, Inc. will discuss the organization’s experience completing the RNR Program Tool and developing a plan for making changes to the programs based on the Program Tool results. RNR Program Tool for Adults is designed to classify treatment programs according to targeted needs and primary intervention and to assess the quality of programs based on their implementation and use of evidence-based practices. Programs receive an overall score (out of 100%) and a score that assesses how well they adhere to EBPs in the following domains: risk, need, responsivity, implementation, dosage, and restrictiveness.

The process in Santa Cruz had multiple steps. A representative from ACE presented the Program Tool and how Probation intended to use it. Providers had several months to complete the Program Tool, then met ACE to discuss the results, including the strengths of each program and approaches for making improvements at the program level. Subsequently, all AB-109 providers identified areas for improvement, based on their scores in the different domains of the Program Tool, selecting action items that to improve the program within six months. Providers are now in the process of implementing those improvements.

Authors

• Marissa Kiss, George Mason University

• Amy Murphy, George Mason University

• Faye Taxman, George Mason University