Intervention Principles and Practice Guidelines for - Underage ...

Exhibit IV-b
Summary of Evidence-Based Standards
Standards
Assess Actuarial Risk
Enhance Intrinsic
Motivation
Target Interventions
• Risk Principle
• Need Principle
• Responsivity Principle
• Dosage
• Treatment Principle
Skill Train with Directed
Practice
Increase Positive
Reinforcement
Description
Youth should be assessed based on known risk factors associated with criminal behavior,
such as criminal history, antisocial attitudes, unemployment, low education level, and
substance abuse. Use of a standardized instrument is recommended for initial risk
assessment.
Motivation to change is strongly influenced by interpersonal interactions, including
those with family members and practitioners. Motivational interviewing is a method
of communication that helps people overcome their ambivalence about changing their
behavior.
This principle consists of five supporting principles:
• The risk principle states that scarce supervision and treatment resources should be
used for higher risk youth because this will have a greater impact for reducing harm
and recidivism.
• The need principle indicates that resources should be directed toward issues that will
affect ongoing recidivism, such as antisocial attitudes, values and beliefs, low selfcontrol,
criminal peers, and substance abuse.
• Responsivity relates to the match between youth and services. Youth are more likely
to be responsive to and benefit from treatment that has been proven effective with
similar offender populations. Some considerations of matching include gender,
culture, motivational stages, developmental stages, and learning styles.
• Youth should receive the needed amount or dosage of services and supervision to
effect changes.
• The treatment principle dictates that treatment should be an integral part of the overall
case plan and management strategy.
Youth need to acquire prosocial attitudes and behaviors. Recommended interventions
include learning new skills related to antisocial thinking patterns, social learning, and
appropriate communication techniques.
People learn new skills and maintain positive behaviors longer when they receive
reinforcement for appropriate actions than when they are punished for inappropriate
behavior. Thus, positive feedback must be significantly higher than negative feedback
or punishment. At least four positive reinforcements are needed for every negative
reinforcement to promote positive behavior changes.
Engage Ongoing Support
in Natural Communities
Measure Relevant Processes
and Practices
Prosocial supports for youth in their communities need to be engaged. The involvement
of family members and close associates is vital to reinforce new behaviors positively.
Additionally, 12-step programs, faith-based activities, and restorative justice initiatives
are geared toward improving relationship between youth and prosocial community
members.
Agencies working with individuals involved in the justice system must track and measure
outcomes of program services in order to determine whether their services have a
significant impact on deterring recidivism.
Provide Measurement
Feedback
Besides tracking and measuring outcomes, information must be used to monitor processes and
change. Providing feedback to youth is likely to increase motivation, lower treatment attrition,
and improve outcomes. Beyond that, monitoring service delivery helps build accountability and
maintain integrity to the agency’s mission.
Source: (Crime and Justice Institute, 2004)
31