Implementation of a Statewide Risk and Needs Assessment Instrument: Views from the Field

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

Appropriate risk assessment is a necessary precursor to effective intervention. A variety of instruments have proven valid for juvenile offender populations, including the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI), the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), the Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument (YASI) and the Positive Achievement Change Tool (PACT). Research has shown, however, that predictive validity sometimes varies across different risk assessment tools and even within the same instrument. These differences may be partially attributed to the implementation process. This panel will focus on implementation and usage of a validated risk assessment system used in three states throughout the Midwest and Southwest. The panel will consider multiple factors that may affect implementation, such as whether experience in the field, status of the user, and adherence to the assessment process influence the use of the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS). Data come primarily from 180 interviews and 400 web-based surveys with a range of juvenile justice officials. Practice and policy implications will be identified and methodological challenges will be discussed.

Sub Unit

• Area IX: Juvenile Crime and the Justice System / 59: Juvenile Justice Policies and Practices

Individual Presentations

• Does Level of Experience in the Field Influence Perceptions of Risk and Need Assessments? - Gina N. Gibbs, University of Cincinnati; Jennifer Lux, University of Cincinnati; Edward J. Latessa, University of Cincinnati

• Does Administering the OYAS Influence Perceptions of Risk and Need Assessments? - Jennifer Lux, University of Cincinnati; Katelyn Cain, University of Cincinnati; Gina N. Gibbs, University of Cincinnati; Christopher Sullivan, University of Cincinnati; Edward J. Latessa, University of Cincinnati

• Knowledge of Implementation Process and Support for OYAS - Carrie Sullivan, University of Cincinnati; Melissa Lugo, University of Cincinnati; Gina N. Gibbs, University of Cincinnati; Christopher Sullivan, University of Cincinnati

• Does Support for the OYAS Encourage Integrity in the Assessment Process? - Melissa Lugo, University of Cincinnati; Josh Long, University of Cincinnati; Christopher Sullivan, University of Cincinnati; Carrie Sullivan, University of Cincinnati

Chair

• Christopher Sullivan, University of Cincinnati

Discussant

• Jennifer Tyson, Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention