Risk and Needs Assessment Tools, Juvenile Classification, Structured Decision-Making, and Case Management National literature recommends the use of standardized assessment in determining community supervision suitability. The OJJDP (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention) further recommends the use of the standardized assessment process in an established screening and referral process for all placement options for juvenile delinquency. Objective assessments minimally provide consistent evaluation of risk of recidivism (addressing public safety and supervision appropriateness) and consistent evaluation of treatment needs (addressing appropriateness of community-based treatment). The Division of Juvenile Corrections provides training in Risk/Needs Assessment, Case Management, and Juvenile Classification at no charge to counties. The training is a fourhour session, generally done in the morning, at a site chosen by the county. All materials, except writing utensils, are provided. The training covers the purpose, specific uses, and applicability of all the tools as well as providing a case example. Each county receives a floppy disc containing all the forms in word format for future reproduction or electronic storage. The Revised Wisconsin Delinquency Risk Assessment is an actuarial based risk tool. This tool was developed with the assistance of NCCD (National Council on Crime and Delinquency) and was revalidated in 1997. This research-based tool attempts to determine the risk of recidivism through an objective assessment of the 10 factors determined to be most statistically significant. The tool divides the offender population into risk categories based on the scores received. The Wisconsin Delinquency Placement Guide is to be used in conjunction with the Risk Assessment. It is an example of a services placement guide that utilizes the obtained risk score and the current offense to determine an appropriate services placement for the youth. The Wisconsin Delinquency Youth Assessment and the Wisconsin Delinquency Family Assessment are forms utilized within the classification system to determine treatment strengths and needs. The assessments employ a strengthbased treatment philosophy with the use of a score range. These assessments drive the case plan and assist in developing treatment priorities. The Broad Program Goals are those used in the Division of Juvenile Corrections. This system of assessment, classification, and case management allows for the development of standardized treatment goals. Case plans remain individual through the objectives, yet continuity is established throughout a department. The Individualized Case Plan is adapted for county use from the case plan used within the Division. The assessments are used to drive the case plan; identified needs are developed into the goals and risks and strengths are represented in the objectives. Achieved objectives and goals can be replaced with the needs of a new priority. Youth and parents are able to identify expected timetables, assigned staff resources, and achievements. This case plan meets the criteria established in the Chapter DOC 398.
The Progress Summary is fairly self-explanatory. It provides a format for review of case plan and treatment progress. National research indicates that case plans should be reviewed every 60 to 90 days. The Reassessment(s) are a mixture of research-based items and community standards. The lower half of the reassessment can be adjusted. The reassessment is designed to be used at review. The reassessment will provide an evaluative snapshot of supervision strategy and may indicate a specific area of treatment that is not showing significant growth or movement.