UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

TRAINING MANUAL

ACCOUNTABILITY BASED SEX OFFENDER PROGRAM

MOUNT MEIGS CAMPUS

Undergraduate Research AssistantTraining Manual

Accountability Based Sex Offender ProgramMount Meigs Campus

Table of Contents

Section 1: The Mount Meigs Facility History Purpose Security Issues Contraband Quarterly Statistics Maps

Section 2: The Mount Meigs Shuffle Getting Students Holiday Calendars Contingency Management System RA Semester Review

Section 3: The Pre-Treatment Self Report Prior to administering How to administer Components of the Pre Self Report Scoring Copies of measures

Section 4: The Post-Treatment Self Report Prior to administering How to administer

Section 5: Additional Readings Mandatory Reporting SORNA Alabama Sex Laws Research with Prisoners ACA Code of Ethics

SECTION 1: THE MOUNT MEIGS FACILITY

1. Historya. The Mount Meigs Complex is located on 780 acres approximately fifteen miles east of

downtown Montgomery. Previously known as the “Alabama Boys Industrial School,” it was acquired in 1911 by the State of Alabama and now houses a juvenile correctional facility for 264 adjudicated males. The Department of Youth Services (DYS) administrative and central office is also located on the campus.

b. Students attend school year round at the Wallace School and are given the opportunity to receive vocational training in a variety of trade areas such as welding, horticulture, and brick masonry. Additional educational service such as GED studies and Distance Learning are also available. Medical, psychological, case management and other basic services important for positive youth development are also available.

c. The Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Alabama has partnered with Mount Meigs in the past to operate an Independent Living Center for long term students with positive behavior. The positive environment and psycho-educational curriculum provide opportunities for students to develop and improve pro-social skills as they engage in educational and recreational activities. The program addresses character development, money management, legal issues, goal setting, careers, civics and rights, and manhood.

d. The facility also houses the Chemical Addiction Program (CAP) and the Accountability Based Sex Offender Program (ABSOP).

e. In 1999 the Alabama State Legislature passed laws mandating that all juvenile sex offenders receive treatment while incarcerated. The task of treatment was assigned to the Alabama DYS. The Department of Youth Services first attempted to contract with private facilities, but this proved to be too expensive as demand for services increased more than tenfold the year immediately following the 1999 law. To respond to this demand, a partnership was developed between the Department of Psychology at Auburn University and the School of Social Work at the University of Alabama. This partnership is still an essential part of ABSOP.

f. The ABSOP program was developed as a best-practices model which could be used as a prototype for future DYS programs, as well as serve as an example for other agencies.

g. Initially there were only 24 beds available for the ABSOP program on the Mount Meigs campus. The success of this prototype led to a merger of other treatment programs previously established in DYS. This merger resulted in a 150-bed residential program for adolescents with sexual behavior problems.

h. The guiding principles of the ABSOP program are community safety, holism, and empiricism. By community safety, ABSOP intends to decrease the rate of sexual victimization. No more victims. Most sex offenders begin offending in adolescence and can morph into adult offenders with hundreds of victims; decreasing offenses will decrease the number of victims who later become offenders. Sexual victimization does not occur in a vacuum. Treatment must consider the behavioral, biopsychological, cultural, environmental, familial, and developmental contexts in which abnormal and normal sexual behavior occurs. Historically, intervention efforts for sexual behavior problems had little problem-specific empirical basis. ABSOP staff recognized that new, developmentally articulated models of treatment were required. Based on the data returns, such new models were and continue to be created.

i. Currently in Alabama there are few options available for treatment of sexual behavior problems in a less restrictive environment. The Continuum of Care Program was developed for low-risk adolescents to receive treatment in their communities rather than being placed in a residential treatment program like ABSOP.

2. Purposea. Auburn University provides support to the DYS Mount Meigs campus in a number of

ways. Undergraduate research assistants conduct extensive self-report evaluations with the juvenile sex offenders shortly after they are committed.

b. Graduate students from a number of local universities, especially Auburn, also provide support. Clinical students conduct pre- and post-assessment interviews as well as facilitating individual and group therapy sessions.

c. Pre-treatment assessment data (i.e., the self-reports and the clinical interview) guide the development of an individualized treatment program to meet the needs of each student. The sex offender-specific treatment generally takes place in a traditional treatment context such as group therapy or individual psychotherapy sessions.

d. Post-treatment assessment data is used to develop a risk assessment recommendation for each student preparing to re-enter the community. It is also used as a tool to track the progress of the treatment program.

e. The ABSOP program continually uses evidence from the empirical research to adapt the treatment program. For example, data showed that the non-sex offender population on campus was more criminally versatile and had more evidence of significant antisocial personality characteristics than the sex offenders. The sex offender adolescents were being influenced during treatment to adopt more delinquent norms, including becoming involved in gang activity. The first result was an increase in delinquency measures for the sex offenders at post-treatment assessment. These observations led to the separation of the two populations. Almost immediately, a downward trend on conduct disordered behavior was observed.

3. Security Issues a. Background check – prior to working at the Mt. Meigs facility you will have to

complete a thorough background check. Chris Steiger will need your name, birthdate, SSN, driver’s license number and state issued.

b. Name Badge –in order to get on and off campus you will need to have a DYS ID badge created as soon as you begin working on the campus. The best time to approach the security members is in the morning upon arriving. While at the front gate (also known as Isaiah Hall), you can ask the security member working if someone is available to make a badge. Please be flexible and appreciative to the security team members as they have many other duties to perform throughout the day besides creating badges. Badges are made in the cafeteria building which is located immediately inside the gate to the left. See Map attached.

c. Always lock doors – all doors to unoccupied rooms are to remain locked at all times! If you are not in the room, the door must be locked.

d. Always unlock doors – all doors to occupied rooms are to remain unlocked for the duration of the time you are with a student. This is so that in the case of an emergency someone will be able to enter the room quickly. Once the interview is complete, lock the door after you exit.

e. Sit closest to the door – most of the offices with desks are already situated so that the interviewer will sit nearest the door. It is important that you sit between the student and the door in rooms without a desk.

f. Don’t leave students unattended – it is your job to stay with your student at all times except when they are in the restroom. Although you may occasionally see students on campus without a staff member, you will not have the authority to leave your student alone.

g. Parking and auto security – Personal vehicles are not allowed on campus. You will park in the parking lot outside the gate. Lock your car doors at all times. Security

personal regularly patrol the parking lot but use good judgment on where personal items are situated in your vehicle.

h. Keys – Most of the time we share keys. Chris Steiger can have new sets made if necessary. You will need your banner number to fulfill that request. She will put in the request with Access Control (located on Auburn University campus in the parking deck) and you will pick the keys up in Auburn. This process can take up to several weeks.

i. Dress code – Mount Meigs is a casual workplace. You will see that other staff members wear casual attire and you may do so as well. However, keep in mind that the offenders in this program are here for sexual offender treatment. Therefore, clothing worn to this campus should always be modest and appropriate. Please be aware of the image you portray when you get dressed, and refrain from clothing that is too tight, revealing in any way, or conveys messages of a derogatory or inappropriate manner.

j. Count times – the entire campus has mandatory count times to make sure that students are in their assigned areas and that all students are accounted for. There is NO STUDENT MOVEMENT during count times until we’ve been cleared for movement again. Count times are 8:20 a.m., 9:00 a. m., 10:20 a.m., and 1:20 p.m.

Count Times

NO MOVEMENT

8:20 am 9:00 am

10:20 am1:20 pm

School Schedule

Homeroom 7:40 – 8:001st Period 8:00 – 9:002nd Period 9:04 – 10:043rd Period 10:08 – 11:04 4th Period 11:08 – 12:425th Period 12:46 – 1:46 6th Period 1:50 – 2:50 Planning 2:50 – 3:40

Lunch is served at 11:04 at the beginning of 4th Period.

k. Personal Information – do not offer personal information to any students. This includes information about where you are from, where you live, your age, etc. With the increased use of social networking sites, we want to make all efforts to protect the anonymity of the students as well as of our staff. Some of the students are highly manipulative and have boundary issues. If they ask personal information, then simply explain that you are not allowed to give any of that information and direct their attention back to the testing. Only introduce yourself with first name, do not give first and last name for safety reasons.

Please Note:The Mt. Meigs facility is a shared facility. We must ALL work together to keep the environment clean and safe. This means that we must all take part in cleaning up after ourselves. We all share the responsibility for taking out trash, shredding papers, and refilling supplies when we see fit to do so. There is not a regular janitorial staff. We are all a joint janitorial staff! In addition, if you see anything suspicious or alarming please let someone know so that the appropriate authorities can be notified.

4. Contraband a. Due to the nature of our work in a correctional facility, some items are not allowed on

DYS campuses. Additionally, effective December 10, 2012, all persons and packages/bags entering any DYS Campus will be subject to search. You may be required to be scanned with a metal-detecting wand before being allowed access to the campus. Additionally, the following items are restricted from all Campuses and will be considered contraband if found on anyone:

i. Personal cell phones (leave them in your car outside the gate) ii. Camera (including iPods with a camera)

iii. Cigarettes and tobacco products, including lighters and matches (leave them in your car outside the gate)

iv. Alcohol and non-prescription drugs (e.g., Advil, Tylenol) v. Weapons of any kind

vi. Large amounts of food or snack items vii. Backpacks, suitcases, or any bag bigger than a hand-held lunch container (note:

purses are okay)b. Security will conduct random searches of persons entering the facility to ensure that the

above directives are complied with. All violations will be documented in an Incident Report, entered into the Security log, and sent to the Campus Administrator for action.

SECTION 2: THE MOUNT MEIGS SHUFFLE

1. Welcome to the junglea. As you will see, locating boys for testing can be tricky on this campus. Due to ever

changing schedules, teacher absences, and year-round school testing, students may not always be where their schedule suggests.

b. The Focus Team is a great asset to the Mt Meigs facility. They do a great job and go above and beyond by helping interns locate students occasionally. Please know that the Focus Team is not security personnel. Their primary function is to refocus students if and when they get out of control, emotionally upset, or generally unruly. Because they know the campus and the students very well, they can be a major asset in helping you do your job, but we must be respectful of their time and other responsibilities.

c. ASK QUESTIONS! Feel free to ask others when you have a question and you are bound to save yourself some time.

d. We only have access to students during regularly scheduled school hours. The boys spend 24/7 on this campus and we want to respect what little free time they have after school and during holidays. If they are on good behavior, then they have the privilege of participating in extracurricular activities. We do not want to pull them from these activities to have them participate in testing which can sometimes be stressful and/or emotionally draining for the boys.

2. Determining who to testa. Look for the list – When you arrive on campus, first go into the office and look for the

list next to the computer. You should be able to find your day/time, and there will be a list of numbers under it. These are ID numbers. You will then log into the computer (info on a sticky next to it) and open up the master list (the Excel document).

b. Master list – Locate the numbers on the master list, and write down on a sticky their ID number and name. Make sure to be pulling all GAP or all ABSOP, and all pres or all posts. This sticky has the ID number and name together, so it MUST be shredded when you are finished with it.

c. Take the sticky to Focus Team – proceed to step 3 or 4, depending on if you are calling for GAP or ABSOP students.

3. Getting ABSOP students a. First check to make sure it is NOT count! If it is close to count time, run over or call

Focus Team to ask if count has cleared.b. Note – ABSOP students occasionally take classes with GAP students. This will be

indicated in the student schedule, but see below for instructions on signing the student out from Wallace.

c. Find student schedule - begin by looking in the notebook located at the Focus Team desk that contains student schedules. Classes will be ordered by period with the teacher’s name and room number next to it. Make note of the student’s schedule so that you know where they are to be when you are done testing.

d. Ask Focus Team to call for student – politely ask Focus Team to call for the students you need. You can write the teacher each student has during the current period (which you have located in the schedule binder) on a sticky and hand the sticky with the list of all students you need. Be sure to be very courteous and understand that Focus Team can get very busy, so you might have to wait a few minutes before asking.

e. Sign student out – This activity requires a pen! Once you are sure of which students are on their way, be sure to sign students out using the other binder located at the Focus Team desk. In this folder you will write the date, the student’s name, and the location where you have the student (in your case ABSOP), the purpose (testing), and your signature. This information helps the Focus Team keep track of student movement. If you

fail to sign a student out, then the numbers for the daily count will be off and this could disrupt daily routine and flow. It is one of your duties to keep the Focus Team informed when you have a student to prevent any mishaps in the count.

f. Getting student from teacher’s room – this will rarely happen, but when you go into an ABSOP teacher’s room to get a student, be sure to address the teacher only and request the student in a polite way. They are ALLOWING you to take their student, so please be courteous and appreciative to them.

g. Inform Focus Team again – When you and the student make it back to ABSOP, you need to let Focus Team know you are back. This can be as quick as opening the door and sticking your head in to say “I’m back with this student.”

4. Getting GAP students a. First check to make sure it is NOT count! If it is close to count time, run over or call

Focus Team to ask if count has cleared.b. GAP students – stands for General Adolescent Population (i.e., students not adjudicated

for a sex offense). c. Find out where the student is – look in the back of the schedules binder to locate GAP

student schedules. Getting GAP students is a bit trickier because they are more likely to be in CAPs, which they cannot leave. If you do call for a student that is in CAPs, make sure to mark it as a note on the masterlist.

d. Ask Focus Team to call for the student – this will be exactly the same as calling for an ABSOP student, but they are traveling from farther, and if it is a pre-test, they may get lost on the way to the ABSOP trailers. If it seems to be taking a while, or if you are calling for a few kids at once, you may find it helpful to stand outside of Focus Team to corral them.

5. Returning GAP and ABSOP students – a. once you are done testing, you must sign the student OUT of ABSOP at the Focus Team

desk and inform Focus that you need to send them back to class. Focus will usually allow them to walk back and radio it over, but you CANNOT just leave a kid there without the okay from Focus. If it is count or the student can’t go back right away, you may have to sit and wait until it is a good time to send them back.

6. Walking around campusa. You should only be walking around the ABSOP trailers with a student but if you walk

with students around campus, make a special effort to walk directly next to them or when possible, behind them. Walking in front of the students allows them the opportunity to view your backside and possibly objectify you. This may not always be the case, but you need to be aware of your boundaries at all times. It is your responsibility to ensure students respect these boundaries, and not giving them the chance to cross them in the first place is a good policy.

7. Point Sheet a. Students should always have their “point sheet” with them. This sheet is usually a red,

green, blue, or gold in color. The color represents what privilege tier they are currently on based upon points they receive throughout the day.

b. You will need to make sure the student has their point sheet before leaving the classroom. You will need to give the student points for the time he spent with you while testing. You must write in pen on the point sheet.

c. If he was respectful and cooperative, you can allocate the full points possible and initial next to it. You should write “ABSOP testing” in the box where it says what period for all periods for which you had the student. Students are often more than willing to assist in filling out their sheets. If for some reason you have problems with the student, it is at your discretion to give as many points as you want. Keep in mind that almost all students

will readjust their behavior if you ask, and only on rare occasions should you need to give fewer points. Also, in order to better set the tone for the interview session, ask the student at the beginning of testing for his point sheet so expectations are clear.

d. See the Contingency Management System for more information about how the point system operates

8. DYS and School Holidaysa. Whenever there is a DYS holiday, undergraduate students should not come out to Meigs

as the students will not be available for testing. b. Whenever there is a school holiday (check the Meigs school holiday schedule in back of

training manual and posted in computer room), there are a few rules you must be aware of. You will not be able to take students for testing. We want to respect what little free time the students have by allowing them to have their holiday as well. If you have another project to work that does not involve getting a student, such as a database project or another project for one of the graduate students, then you must make sure that you are not in a building alone. You must find a room in a building where other people are at work that day. This is a security precaution that is non-negotiable. You should never be in any building alone on campus. If you go outside of the gated area (off campus), then you may work alone, but you are never to be alone on campus.

c. See both the DYS and Meigs School Calendars for holidays. We will do our best to keep you up to date on these via email if there is an upcoming holiday.

SECTION 3: THE PRE-TREATMENT SELF REPORT

1. Prior to Administering the Self-Reporta. General Adolescent Population or Sex Offender?

i. Check the master list to see if student is a GAP (General Adolescent Population; i.e., non-sex offender) or an ABSOP student (sex offender - JSO).

1. GAP students will be marked as “Mt. Meigs” on the master list.ii. If GAP –There will be a total of 12 measures administered to GAP students.

GAP students are located in the Mount Meigs intake dorm, Trustee Hall, or the Wallace School.

iii. If ABSOP – there will be a total of 17 measures administered in the self-report. iv. You may test up to two students at a time per intern, but no more than two. v. Pull the appropriate SR packet for the student (GAP or ABSOP) and have them

ready on the desk before getting the student from class. 1. If there are no packets available, pull the necessary measures and score

sheets from the file cabinet. If you have spare time later, it’s always nice to have someone make extra SR packets.

vi. Pull 1 piece of candy for each student. vii. Pull scoring sheets for each measure (MACI, Adolescent Cognition Scale, SRD,

BASC-2, TSCC, CSFEI, JVQ and RSTI do not have score sheets). viii. Check pencils to see that they are sharpened. The pencil sharpener is in the

computer room. If pencils are low, please let the Research Coordinator know.ix. Bring the portable phone in from the office and put it upright on the table. This

shows the boys that you can call Focus Team if there is a problem. 1. The number for Focus Team is 6109.

x. Prior to getting the student from class, you should have the testing room set up with items v-ix ready on the desk. It may be helpful for one intern to set up the testing room while another gets the students from class.

2. Administering the PRE Self-Reporta. Pre Self-Report – keep in mind when you are administering a Pre Self-Report that the

student may be very nervous. He has just arrived at the facility and may be experiencing many fearful emotions. Furthermore, some of the questions in the self-report are very personal in nature which may be unnerving. It will be helpful to explain that he will simply be taking a few personality tests that his therapist/case worker will use to get to know him better. There are no right or wrong answers. The only thing expected of him is honesty. Also keep in mind that many of the students have rather low IQs for a number of reasons ranging from potential fetal alcohol syndrome or other types of abuse to simply attending low performing/under financed school systems. Many of the boys do not read at the level expected for their age. You will be reading some of the measures out loud word for word to the student to compensate for this. It will be important to let them know that if they have any questions about what a sentence means or what a word means to please ask you and you will be happy to explain more. When in doubt, blame it on the test. Tell the students “a lot of these questions are kind of dumb and confusing, so let me know when you get to something you don’t get.” The students are much more likely to ask for clarification if you actually tell them to do so at the beginning. If you do not actually tell them, then the boys often feel too embarrassed or shy to ask about certain words or sentences. Often the boys see you as their peers and will be ashamed to admit that they have trouble reading. Do not assume that because they don’t ask for help they don’t need it. If you see a student struggling to answer or testing much more slowly than

the other students speak up and ask if they would prefer you to read it outloud. Sometimes “prefer” works better than “need.”

b. Candy – each student gets 1 piece of candy for participating in the testing. Tell them that the candy must stay in the room and they must finish it before testing is completed. You will need to take the wrapper from the student before leaving the room. Candy can be used as currency among the boys and we do not want to be responsible for any potentially illicit behavior. Please notify the Research Coordinator when the candy is getting low so that we do not run completely out of candy.

c. Begin Testing – make sure ID# is at top of every page! State the instructions clearly and slowly. You may read most of the measures out loud to the student which actually makes the testing go faster since many of the students read slowly. Begin reading each statement slowly and wait to hear the student fill in the answer before moving to the next statement. As the test progresses you can begin reading a little faster based on the student’s response time.

d. Check answers –always check the answers at the end of each measure to make sure that nothing was skipped or omitted. You can tell the student that you are simply checking to make sure there are not any blank answers so that they are not nervous about you looking at their answers.

e. Fill out point sheet and return student to class. Do not forget to award a student points for their participation. These points affect what kind of privileges they are allowed to participate in throughout the week. Please try to write in pen whenever possible so that points cannot be altered. When taking the student back, check the time to ensure count is not happening. If count is not happening, follow sign in protocol in Section 2.

f. Score test –score each measure according to the scoring guidelines. The MACI and BASC will have a computer generated report. Paperclip the scoring sheets and/or reports to the student’s response form. Place the SR packet in the blue file folder (labeled with a “1, NOT READY” sheet) located on the wall in the computer room.

g. Rescore test – Upon completion of your daily tasks, free time can be used to rescore self-reports that another undergraduate intern previously completed. Pull a packet from the red folder and double check the measures listed below.

h. Scoring while testing – you might find it helpful to score the tests as you are testing. There are several tests, so it is always a bit of a time crunch to finish on time. If you assess the situation and see that your fellow interns can handle one intern leaving, feel free to go to the office to score the computer tests. For the handscoring measures, ask the students if they mind you scoring the tests. It may help to explain that there are no wrong answers, and you have no idea what the results mean.

GAP pre: MACI, SASSI, PCS, HAB, JVQ, BASC, TSCC, CFSEI, SRD, READI, RSTI, URICA

ABSOP pre: MACI, IPPA, MOPS, ASQ, SASSI, PCS, HAB, RADS, Adolescent Cognition Scale, Sex Offender Registration Notification Questionnaire, JVQ, TSCC, CFSEI, SRD, READI, RSTI, URICA

ABSOP post: MACI, PCS, HAB, Sex Offender Registration Notification Questionnaire, JVQ, BASC, TSCC, CFSEI, SRD, READI, RSTI, URICA

If there is a discrepancy, complete a new score sheet for that measure. Label the correct score sheet as “CORRECTED” and draw a large X across the original, incorrect score sheet. Staple all of the self-report measures and score sheets and move the packet over to

the blue folder (labeled “2 Ready for Grad Student Use!). Put your initials on the master list and please let the Research Coordinator know if you catch any big errors so that the person who administered the self-reports can be retrained.

COMPONENTS OF THE PRE SELF-REPORT

1. MACI (Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory)a. Background Information

i. 160-item true/false self-report inventory designed specifically for assessing adolescent personality characteristics and clinical syndromes

ii. Consists of 31 scales that reflect the issues that are most relevant to understanding the behavior and concerns of adolescents, some of these scales correspond with DSM-IV classifications

Personality PatternsIntroversive, Inhibited, Doleful, Submissive, Dramatizing, Egotistic, Unruly, Forceful, Conforming, Oppositional, Self-Demeaning, Borderline Tendency

Expressed ConcernsIdentity Diffusion, Self-Devaluation, Body Disapproval, Sexual Discomfort, Peer Insecurity, Social Insensitivity, Family Discord, Childhood Abuse

Clinical SyndromesEating Dysfunctions, Substance-Abuse Proneness, Delinquent Predisposition, Impulsive Propensity, Anxious Feelings, Depressive Affect, Suicidal Tendency

Modifying IndicesDisclosure, Desirability, Debasement, Reliability

iii. Developed for use in clinical, residential, and correctional settings for the evaluation of troubled adolescents, and it is used for developing diagnoses and treatment plans as well as an outcome measure

iv. Use only for boys age 13-19 (use M-PACI for boys age 9-12 and MCMI-III for boys age 20 or older)

b. How to administeri. ID number, birth date, current school grade and what troubles you most boxes

need to be filled in. If student has a GED, then fill in “Not Attending” and write GED next to it. If student has already graduated high school, then fill in “Not Attending” and write high school graduate next to it.

a. For the birth date, it may help to have the students write it themselves. This may limit the discrepancies between the birthdate they tell you and the one on the master list.

ii. Read out loud, word for word, to the student. Begin slowly. There are some rather personal questions asked, be aware of how you read these questions so as not to insert any biases.

iii. Student will bubble in answers as you read. If you notice that they are taking a long time to answer, then ask them if they would like you to read it again or explain it in more detail.

iv. When complete, ask if they would like any repeated, and check answers for any double-filled or omitted questions.

c. Scoringi. If it is a PRE self-report, the MACI is scored on the computer. If it is a Post self-

report, then the MACI is hand-scored. ii. Computer scoring at PRE

a. Open Q Local 2 icon on desktopb. Click Enter Assessment Records Manually, press OK when the manual

entry data box pops upc. Enter: ID #, for first name enter ID # again, for last name enter (.), birth

date, gender (i.e., always 1 for male), Problem 1 and Problem 2d. Enter Answers: True = 1 and False = 2.You do not have to push tab to

move to the next question; the program will automatically move to the

next question. Press SAVE AND REPORT once you have finished entering answers (160 total)

e. Click VERIFY and re-enter answers. Check to see if there are any discrepancies. If so, check the original answer sheet to correct discrepancy. Click SAVE.

f. Press PRINT REPORT and OK to any other boxes. g. Keep an eye on the number of usages left. If below 10, contact research

coordinator

2. SASSI-A2 (Adolescent Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory)a. Background Information

i. 100-item self-report screening instrument designed to identify individuals who have a high probability of having a substance use disorder (substance abuse and/or dependence)

ii. Includes both face value and subtle items. Subtle items are intended identify individuals with alcohol/drug problems who are in denial and/or trying to conceal their dependency.

iii. Classifies individuals as either high probability or low probability of substance abuse/dependence

b. How to administeri. Put ID at top

ii. Start with Face Value items (Alcohol FVA and Other Drugs FVOD)iii. Ask the student if he has ever drank alcohol before. If yes, then tell him that you

will be reading some statements about alcohol and he needs to circle the number that tells how often he has done it (never, once or twice, several times, or repeatedly). If no, then circle the entire “never” column and proceed to Other Drugs FVOD. Ask the student if he has ever used any drugs before (you may want to list some for them such as weed, ecstasy, improper use of prescription drugs such as pain killers or ADD/ADHD drugs, meth, or sniffed inhalants). Cigarettes do not count, but marijuana does. Continue as before.

iv. Read each statement out loud. v. Ignore the top and bottom of answer sheet. Only FVA and FVOD need to be

filled in on the front page. vi. Turn sheet over and tell the student that you will be reading some True/False

statements and he needs to fill in the box for T if true and F if false.c. Scoring

i. Tally the scores for Alcohol (FVA) and Other Drugs (FVOD) from the student’s answer sheet. Scores will range from 0 to 36 for FVA and from 0 to 48 for FVOD. Record the raw score in the appropriate labeled box on the score sheet.

ii. There is a scoring template available on Excel on the computer. Open the SASSI file and type in the student’s answers for each number. Note: There is no way to rescore, so go back over the answers once you’ve typed them in to ensure you didn’t not make any mistake. Fill in the results for each of the categories on the scoring sheet. Do not forget VAL and SCS at the bottom of the sheet!

iii. Once scores have been obtained for all categories, proceed to the right hand column with Rules 1-9. Read each rule carefully and determine if the answer is YES or NO. All of the criteria for the rule must be fulfilled in order to mark YES. If any single part of the criteria is not fulfilled then the answer is NO.

iv. If ALL rules are NO – circle the entire box labeled LOW PROBABILITY.

v. If any rule is marked YES (even if only one) – circle the entire box labeled HIGH PROBABILITY.

3. Adolescent Cognition Scalea. Background Information

i. 32 forced choice items (true/false) describing sexual attitudes, values, or behaviors. Consists of inappropriate/deviant behaviors and attitudes as well as appropriate/socially responsible behaviors and attitudes.

ii. A sum score is derived indicating the total number of deviant attitudes or cognitive distortions endorsed.

iii. These distortions often represent attempts on the part of the offender to minimize or rationalize the behavior or project blame on the victim.

iv. Used primarily for research purposes (instead of clinical purposes such as diagnoses/treatment).

b. How to Administeri. Make sure ID # is on top

ii. The questions on this scale are VERY personal and can be quite embarrassing to read out loud. Read through the questions beforehand and get familiar with saying them out loud. Practicing with another research assistant may be helpful.

iii. Inform the student that some of these questions are very personal and sometimes sound confusing. Ask them to let you know if they do not understand how a question is worded. They will answer True or False to each statement.

iv. Many boys do not want to answer a question because they say that they would never do that someone. Explain to them that these questions are not asking them if they have done this, but it is asking them if they think the statement is true or false.

v. If the boys don’t understand the question, you can ONLY rephrase the question using THE SAME WORDS. Further explaining or giving them suggestions may give the boys biasness in their answer as if you are leading or coaching them to an answer instead of them deciding for themselves.

vi. If the student does not know what a word means, you can define the individual word for him but you may not re-word the whole statements.

vii. Often students giggle or talk to their friends during this. It is awkward for them, so just try to read faster so they don’t have a chance to stop and discuss. Also it might be helpful to provide something for them to cover their answers or have them spread out.

c. Scoringi. Compare the answer that is circled on the answer sheet to the answer highlighted

on the scoring keyii. If the student circled the same answer that is highlighted on the scoring key, they

answered incorrectly. Circle the question number indicating that answer was wrong.

iii. Tally the entire number of questions that were circled as incorrect and record that number at the top of the student answer sheet.

4. IPPA (Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment)a. Background Information

i. Developed to assess adolescents’ perceptions of the positive and negative affective/cognitive dimensions of relationships with parents and peers

ii. Theoretical framework is attachment theory

iii. Three broad dimensions assessed: degree of mutual trust, quality of communication, and extent of anger/alienation.

iv. Instrument is self-report questionnaire with a five-point Likert-type scale response format (1 = almost never/never true, 2 = seldom true, 3 = sometimes true, 4 = often true, 5 = almost always/always true)

b. How to Administeri. Put ID # at top

ii. Explain that the test has a section about parents and a section about friends. iii. Explain the Likert-type scale values and how to answer them. iv. Read the statements to the student and have them circle the corresponding

number that shows how often the statement is true. c. Scoring

i. Write the numbers 5 - 1 backward on the bottom of the students’ answer sheet similar to the table below iv. This will be helpful when converting the regular scores to the reverse scores.

ii. Use the scoring worksheet to record the numeric value of each answer. iii. Be careful when REVERSE SCORING on items that require it. If the student

circled 1 (indicating almost never/never true), the reverse score would be 5. If the student circled 2, then the reverse score will be a 4. If the student circled 3, the reverse score would be three. If they circled a 4, the reverse score would be a 2, and if they circled a 5, the reverse score would be a 1.

Regular Score 1 2 3 4 5Reverse Score 5 4 3 2 1

5. MOPS (Measure of Parenting Style)a. Background Information

i. MOPS is a modified version of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). It was developed in 1997 to overcome some of the limitations of the PBI. All items are constructed in a direct way instead of using double-negative wording in the PBI. It reduces the number of items while still preserving the “care” and “control” scales from the PBI while also adding an “abuse” scale.

ii. It is a self-assessment tool used to measure perceived parenting styles across the following three measures: indifference, abuse, and over-control.

iii. There is no cut-off score; the total score for each category provides a dimensional measure showing the degree to which the parental style was experienced by an individual.

b. How to Administeri. Put ID # at top

ii. Explain that the test has a section about both parents: one is about your mother and the other is about your father.

iii. Explain the Likert-type scale valuesiv. Read the statements to the student and have them circle the corresponding

number that shows how often the statement is true. c. Scoring

i. Put ID # at top of score sheet. ii. Numerically add the value for each of the three measures (indifference, abuse,

and over-control) according to the score sheet. iii. Write the total score for each category.

6. Sex Offender Registration and Notification Questionnairea. Background Information

i. The Juvenile Sex Offender Registration and Notification Questionnaire (JSORNQ) is a 30 item measure that consists of attitudes and beliefs to assess the impact of the registration and notification in relation to 6 domains: (1) family, (2) peer relationships, (3) romantic relationships, (4) school, (5) career, and (6) community. Each domain contains five statements. The respondents indicated their agreement to each item on a Likert-type scale where 1 is “strongly disagree”, 3 is “unsure”, and 5 is “strongly agree.”

ii. Scores range from 30 to 150 and indicate levels of concern a student feels about the consequences of being registered as a sex offender once released. Lower scores indicate that the student feels confident about community re-integration and does not feel as if he will be unfairly treated due to his status as a registered sex offender. Higher scores indicate worry and/or fear that the student will be treated unfairly due to his status as a registered sex offender.

iii. There are additional resources about the Adam Walsh Act and the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) included in the training manual.

b. How to Administeri. Put ID # at top

ii. Explain that the test has different sections about family, peers, romantic relationships, community, career, and school.

iii. Explain the Likert-type scale values (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = unsure, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree).

iv. Read the statements to the student and have them circle the corresponding number that shows how they feel about each statement (i.e., strongly agree, just agree, are unsure, just disagree, or strongly disagree).

c. Scoringi. Put ID # at top of scoring sheet.

ii. Add the numeric values for each of the 5 questions in each of the 6 categories. iii. Record the total score for each category on the score sheet.

7. Baren-Cohen Autism Spectrum Quotienta. Background Information

i. The Baren-Cohen Autism Spectrum Quotient is a 50-item self-report measure used to evaluate a student’s placement on the autism spectrum (low, average, above average, or high). The respondents indicated their agreement to each item on a Likert-type scale, where 1 is “definitely agree”, 2 is “slightly agree”, 3 is “slightly disagree”, and 4 is “definitely disagree”.

ii. Scores range from 0 to 50 with a cut-off score of 23 indicating that further testing is needed to fully assess the student. The research coordinator will give the student’s case manager/therapist the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS); the scores on this measure will not be used to diagnosis autism but to inform treatment.

b. How to Administeri. Put ID# at top

ii. Explain the Likert-type scale values (1 = definitely agree, 2 = slightly agree, 3 = slightly disagree, and 4 = definitely disagree).

iii. Read the statements out loud to the student and have them circle the corresponding number that shows how they feel about each statement.

c. Scoringi. Put ID# at top of score sheet.

ii. Follow directions for assigning point values to each item according to the score sheet.

iii. Once you have calculated the total score, circle the descriptive category the student falls into.

8. Peer Conflict Scale (PCS) a. Background Information

i. The Peer Conflict Scale is a 40-item self-report measure used to evaluate four types of aggression (reactive and proactive overt, reactive and proactive relational) and total aggression.

ii. Students will answer “How true are the following statements?” using a 4 point Likert-type scale ranging from “Not at all True” to “Definitely True.”

iii. Scores range from 0 to 30 for each of the four types of aggression and from 0 – 120 for the total aggression score.

b. How to Administeri. Put ID# at top

ii. Explain the Likert scale values (0 = not at all true, 1 = somewhat true, 2 = very true, and 3 = definitely true).

iii. Use discretion on if you should read the statements out loud to the student or if they should answer them on their own. Have them fill in the corresponding number that shows how they true they feel each statement is for them.

c. Scoringi. Put ID# at top of score sheet. The scores will be calculated on the computer then

recorded on the score sheet. ii. Pull up the PCS scoring template file from the RA files folder on the desktop. It

is an Excel file with three tabs. Make sure you are on the PCS tab. iii. Enter the numeric value of each question and tab over to enter the next. All

scores will be automatically added at the end. Record these scores on the PCS score sheet and staple it to the original test.

9. Hostile Attribution Bias (HAB)a. Background Information

i. The Hostile Attribution Bias is a 50-item self-report measure used to evaluate proactive motive suspicion, reactive motive suspicion, benign motive suspicion, and anger to provocation.

ii. The measure presents 10 hypothetical situations and then asks students to imagine how they would respond in each. The first three questions about each story assess attitudes on a 5 point Likert-type scale and the other two asks about emotional responses for each story.

b. How to Administeri. Put ID# at top

ii. Read the instructions in the box at the top that explain the hypothetical nature of the questions and the Likert-type scales.

iii. Use discretion on if you should read the statements out loud to the student or if they should answer them on their own. Have them fill in the corresponding number that shows how they feel about each statement.

iv. Students often get confused and/or chatty on this test. Explain that this is something that could happen to young men but that doesn’t mean it has happened to them. They may say they wouldn’t react in any of the ways presented, but remind them to pick the one they would be most likely to do.

c. Scoring

i. Put ID# at top of score sheet. The scores will be calculated on the computer then recorded on the score sheet.

ii. Pull up the HAB scoring template file from the RA files folder on the desktop. It is an Excel file with three tabs. Make sure you are on the HAB tab.

iii. Enter the numeric value of each question and tab over to enter the next. All scores will be automatically added at the end. Record these scores on the HAB score sheet and staple it to the original test.

10. BASCa. Background Information

i. Behavior Assessment System for Children—2nd Edition (BASC-2) ii. 176-item measure of behaviors and psychological symptoms 

iii. Some items rated True/False, others have a Likert-type scale from Never to Almost Always

b. How to Administeri. Put ID# at top

ii. Use discretion as to whether you need to read the questions aloud. iii. Make sure student knows that the first half will be T/F and the second half will

be Never/Sometimes/Often/Almost Alwaysiv. Have them read each question and circle the corresponding answer.v. This is a long test, so feel free to offer a stretch break if the student gets restless

c. Scoringi. The scoring of this test will be on the computer.

ii. Open the BASC scoring software (BASC-2 ASSIST icon on desktop) and select admin for the username and type in the password: safety when prompted.

iii. You will then add a new student and type in the information as followsa. First name is either PRE or POST, depending on which test you

administeredb. Last name is the students ID number spelled out, for instance 1532

would be ONE FIVE THREE TWOc. ID number is just the numerical ID number

iv. Then you will click next and choose SRP-A for the format and make sure 95% is selected and click to continue

v. You should now be able to begin entering datavi. The part where you type 1234 to correspond with NSOA may be tricky, so it

might be helpful to have somebody read aloud the numbers while the other enters them

vii. Once you have finished, click to reenter the numbers. Reenter the numbers and then click report

viii. Print your report and staple it. Paperclip the original test booklet to the stapled report.

11. TSCCa. Background Information

i. Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) ii. 54-item measure of trauma-related symptoms 

iii. Rated from Never (0), Sometimes (1), Lots of time (2), and Almost all of the time (3)

b. How to Administeri. Write the ID# on the front of the test booklet

ii. Explain the scale and then use your discretion as to whether you should read the questions aloud.

iii. Encourage the student to press down harder with their pencil and draw an “x” through anything they want to change rather than erase because the test is scored through contact paper.

c. Scoringi. Tear off the bottom part of the test booklet and open it up newspaper-style.

a. *Pro-tip* The piece you tear off becomes helpful on the more cluttered tests for the students to follow which question they’re on

ii. For each number go across the page and write the circled number in the corresponding space

iii. Add the numbers you wrote vertically for each column and write the total in the box at the bottom

12. URICAa. Background information

i. University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (URICA) ii. 23-item measure of Prochaska’s stages of change 

iii. Rated from Strongly Disagree (1) to Strongly Agree (5) iv. Scoring form included—will autoscore in Excel each Stage type and total

Readiness score b. How to Administer

i. Make sure ID number is at top ii. Explain the scale to the student and have them read each question and circle the

corresponding answerc. Scoring

i. Scoring for the URICA is completed on the computer. ii. Pull up the URICA scoring template file from the RA files folder on the desktop.

It is an Excel file with four tabs. Make sure you are on the URICA tab. iii. Enter the numeric value of each question and tab over to enter the next. All

scores will be automatically added at the end. Record these scores on the URICA score sheet and staple it to the original test.

13. CFSEIa. Background Information

i. Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventory—3rd Edition (CFSEI) ii. 64-item measure of self-esteem in a culturally fair manner

iii. Rated as Yes (1) or No (2)  b. How to Administer

i. Write student’s ID number at the top.ii. Use your discretion about whether they can read on their own.

iii. Have the student read each question and circle yes or no.iv. This is where it may be helpful for students to use another piece of paper to

follow along because it gets confusing.c. Scoring

i. We currently do not score the CFSEI14. SRD

a. Background Informationi. Self-Report of Delinquency (SRD)

ii. 23-item measure of delinquent behaviors iii. 9-point Likert-type scale 

b. How to Administeri. Really use your discretion on this one about whther or not the student can read

and understand it or if you should read it out loud.

ii. Put the ID number at the top of the page.iii. Help the student understand that this is a similar scale to measure the frequency

of different behaviors, but it has 9 choices for frequency. iv. If you feel that it will be difficult for the student, take them to a separate room, or

just out in the hallway to ensure the other students do not affect the answers.v. Read each question and ask about how often they do it, keep narrowing down

until you use your judgment to determine which is the best answer and circle it.a. For example, you’d say how often do you carry a gun? If the student says

sometimes, you’d say “Like more of less than once a month?” Keep going from there until you decide on an answer. Read the answer choice to the student and confirm it with them before circling it.

c. Scoringi. We do not currently score this measure.

15. READIa. Background Information

i. Readiness, Efficacy, Attributions, Defensiveness, and Importance Scale (READI)ii. 17-item measure of motivation to change

iii. Rated from Strongly Disagree (1) to Strongly Agree (5) b. How to Administer

i. Write the student’s ID number at the top of the page.ii. Use your discretion about whether or not to read this test out loud.

iii. As the student to read each question and circle the number that corresponds to his answer choice.

c. Scoringi. This is a hand-scored measure.

ii. Write the student’s number at the top of the score sheet.iii. Fill in the numbers for the answer choices for each number. For numbers 11 and

15, write the number they circled first and then the reverse-score value next to it using the chart.

iv. Total each section and write the grand totals at the bottom.16. RSTI

a. Background Informationi. Risk-Sophistication-Treatment Inventory—Self Report (RSTI)

ii. 74-item self-report measure of risk and protective factors  iii. Rated as No (0), Some (1), and Yes (2)

b. How to Administeri. Write the student’s ID number at the top of the page.

ii. Use your discretion about whether or not to read this test out loud.iii. As the student to read each question and circle the number that corresponds to his

answer choice.

17. JVQa. Background Information

i. Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ) ii. 34-item measure regarding various types of victimization

iii. Rated as Yes (1) or No (2)  iv. Renders a Total Score and subscale scores

b. How to Administeri. Make sure ID# is written at the top

ii. Have the student read each of the questions and check yes or noiii. They sometimes put a one for yes and a zero for no, but this can get confusing

iv. Also explain that on a few numbers the yes bar is under the question but the no option is on the next page. Students often miss this and leave those questions blank, so make sure to especially check those when they finish with the test.

c. Scoringi. Add up the number of “Yes” answers and write that number on in the space on

the last page.

SECTION 4: THE POST-TREATMENT SELF REPORT

1. Prior to Administering the Post-Treatment Self-Reporta. Once a student has successfully completed therapy/treatment and is nearing the end

of his stay at Mount Meigs, the case manager and/or therapist will fill out a request for post-treatment assessment. This means that the case manager and/or therapist have deemed this student ready and capable to re-enter the community. The research coordinator will then add the student’s name to the Master List under the “Post Running List” tab at the bottom.

b. Students on the post list need to be administered the MACI, Sex Offender Registration and Notification Questionnaire, PCS, HAB, BASC, TSCC, JVQ, SRD, CFSEI, URICA, READI, and RSTI

2. General Adolescent Population or Sex Offender?i. Only ABSOP students are currently being administered post tests.

ii. Post SRs do not have packets. You will need pull the appropriate materials and score sheets from the horizontal filing cabinet and have them ready on the desk before getting the student from class.

iii. Pull 1 piece of candy for each student. iv. Check pencils to see that they are sharpened. The pencil sharpener is in the

computer room. If pencils are low, please let the Research Coordinator know.

3. Administering the Post Treatment Self Reporta. MACI (Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory)

i. Reference Section 3 for information about the MACI. ii. Use only for boys age 13-19 (use M-PACI for boys age 9-12 and MCMI-III

for boys age 20 or older)iii. ID number, birth date, current school grade and what troubles you most

boxes need to be filled in. If student has a GED, then fill in “Not Attending” and write GED next to it. If student has already graduated high school, then fill in “Not Attending” and write high school graduate next to it.

iv. Read out loud, word for word, to the student. Begin slowly. There are some rather personal questions asked, be aware of how you read these questions so as not to insert any biases.

v. Student will bubble in answers as you read. If you notice that they are taking a long time to answer, then ask them if they would like you to read it again or explain it in more detail.

vi. When complete, check answers for any double-filled or omitted questions. vii. Remember that Post self-report MACIs are hand-scored. Pull a MACI Score

Sheet and Hand-Scoring Profile Sheet as well as the folders containing the scoring templates and scoring instructions from the Self-Report filing box in the database room.

viii. Enter the ID number at the top of each page. ix. Use the Excel spreadsheet to determine the raw scores for each of the

measures. You will find this on the desktop of the computer.x. Locate the Base-Rate Transformation Table packet in the hand-scoring

folder. Go to the appropriate age! Be very careful to get the age correct, the scores will be drastically different if the wrong age is used.

xi. Write the new adjust BR score in the appropriate column on the score sheet. Proceed for all measures.

xii. From here, follow the directions in the Hand-Scoring User Guide to find further adjusts to each value. READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY! Sometimes it asks you to add and sometimes to subtract. Sometimes it asks for the adjusted BR score and sometimes it asks for the original raw score. Be careful!

xiii. Plot final scores on the Hand-Scoring Profile Sheet. b. If ABSOP student, proceed to scoring the remainder of the tests. See the previous

section for how to do this. c. Place the SR packet in the blue file folder (labeled with a “1, NOT READY” sheet)

located on the wall in the computer room, or rescore and place in the second folder.d. Upon completion of your daily tasks, free time can be used to rescore self-reports that

another undergraduate intern previously completed. Pull a packet from the red folder and double check the measures listed below.

GAP pre: MACI, IPPA, MOPS, ASQ, SASSI, PCS, HAB, JVQ, BASC, TSCC, CFSEI, SRD, READI, RSTI, URICA

ABSOP pre: MACI, IPPA, MOPS, ASQ, SASSI, PCS, HAB, RADS, Adolescent Cognition Scale, Sex Offender Registration Notification Questionnaire, JVQ, TSCC, CFSEI, SRD, READI, RSTI, URICA

ABSOP post: MACI, PCS, HAB, Sex Offender Registration Notification Questionnaire, JVQ, BASC, TSCC, CFSEI, SRD, READI, RSTI, URICA

If there is a discrepancy, complete a new score sheet for that measure. Label the correct score sheet as “CORRECTED” and draw a large X across the original, incorrect score sheet. Staple all of the self-report measures and score sheets and move the packet over to the blue folder (labeled “2 Ready for Grad Student Use!). Put your initials on the master list and please let the Research Coordinator know if you catch any big errors so that the person who administered the self-reports can be retrained.

Self – Report Measures

ABSOP Pre: pull packet of materials from vertical file cabinet1. MACI – check age!!2. Adolescent Cognition Scale3. SASSI4. MOPS5. IPPA6. Registration Questionnaire7. Autism Spectrum Quotient 8. Peer Conflict Scale (PCS) 9. Hostile Attribution Bias (HAB-B) 10. JVQ11. BASC12.TSCC13. URICA14. CFSEI15. SRD16. READI17.RSTI

ABSOP Post: pull separate materials from horizontal file cabinet1. MACI – hand-scored, check age!!2. Registration Questionnaire3. Peer Conflict Scale (PCS) 4. Hostile Attribution Bias (HAB-B) 5. BASC6. TSCC7. CFSEI8. JVQ9. READI10.RSTI11.URICA12.SRD

GAP Pre: pull packet of materials from vertical file cabinet1. MACI – check age!!

2. SASSI3. Peer Conflict Scale (PCS)

4. Hostile Attribution Bias (HAB-B) 5. BASC6. TSCC7. CFSEI8. JVQ9. READI10.RSTI11.URICA12.SRD