Overview:

The Risk and Mental Health Screening and Assessment in Youth study examined the impact of implementing validated risk and needs assessment instruments in juvenile probation offices to assess the risk for violence and screening for behavioral health problems among youth on probation. OJJDP and the MacArthur Foundation jointly funded the study, which was built on a previous MacArthur-funded implementation study on risk/needs assessments in juvenile probation.

Goals and Objectives:

The demonstration program involved training juvenile probation officers at three sites in two states (Connecticut and Mississippi) to use two risk and needs assessment instruments-the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) and the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Second Version (MAYSI-2)-in conjunction with risk-need-responsivity principles and a decision-making model for case planning. The sites used a standardized implementation process to select tools, develop policies, categorize available services and interventions, and develop or modify existing case plans.

Milestones:

The study concluded in 2015, and the final technical report was posted in 2015.

Publications and Products:

Guy, L.S., Vincent, G.M., Grisso, T, and Perrault, R. 2015. Advancing Use of Risk Assessment in Juvenile Probation. Final report for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, grant number 2011-JF-FX-0104. NCJ 249155. Retrieved from: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/249155.pdf

Contact Information:

Jennifer Tyson, Research Coordinator
Jennifer.Tyson@usdoj.gov | 202-305-1598