The Centralized Assessment Center is paramount to screening, assessing, and placing clients in the appropriate levels of interventions. While historically the HCCSCD has relied on judge and field referrals to conduct composite risk assessments and additional mental health and substance abuse assessments, the CAC will allow for all clients placed on supervision to be assessed prior to being placed so that the department can match the appropriate level of intervention with the client’s individualized risk, needs, and responsivity factors. Moreover, the CAC will conduct all annual reassessments as well as any PRN assessments needed due to high risk behavior.
Figure 6 provides an overview of the assessment process. As noted, the referral will be made through a web-based scheduling system to ensure that clients attending an assessment will be seen in a timely fashion. Upon arrival to the CAC, a TRAS screener will be conducted along with a criminal attitudes pen/paper evaluation and a motivation assessment. From there, if the client is low risk no further evaluation will be conducted unless there are significant circumstances. If the client is not low risk, (moderate or high risk) she or he will be scheduled into a full TRAS assessment that day. The TRAS captures a broad range of criminogenic factors including criminal history, employment and education, family, peers, neighborhood problems, substance abuse, and criminal attitudes/personality factors. During that assessment, if there are any indicators that the client may have an alcohol, drug, or mental health issue the appropriate trailers will be conducted to assist in determining if further evaluation is necessary.
If the client is identified as having a potential problem in substance abuse or mental health an appointment will be scheduled for the client to see a Master’s or PhD level assessor to determine the pervasiveness of the issues. The Masters and PhD assessors will conduct a battery of assessments depending on the identified needs of the client.
The assessments include:
- Structured Clinical Evaluation for Substance Abuse
- Psychological Evaluation
- Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory – 2 (RF)
- Personality Assessment Inventory
- Test of Memory Malingering
- Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms – 2
- Beck Depression, Anxiety and Hopelessness Scales
Once the assessments are complete, the results are integrated into a single report that is issued to the Judge, CSO, the client, and defense attorney if applicable. The assessment results will include a composite risk level, domain specific risk levels, results of any additional evaluations and testing, specific recommendations for supervision expectations, treatment responses, and areas to address for responsivity.
