Screening & Risk Tools
The intake moment is a fork in the road. Good screening distinguishes public-safety risk from service need, documents overrides, and triggers fast, appropriate referrals—without using a service screen to justify detention.
What We Track
- Risk/Needs Screens: instruments that estimate likelihood of reoffending and identify criminogenic needs.
- Behavioral Health (MH/SUD): brief screens and follow-up assessments; telehealth options where access is thin.
- Specialty Screens: trafficking/commercial sexual exploitation risk, suicide risk, trauma exposure.
- Referral Flow: time from positive screen → assessment → first kept appointment; feedback loop to probation/case managers.
- Overrides & Audits: documented reasons when tool guidance is not followed; quarterly review for equity and accuracy.
Intake Workflow (Typical)
- Data Capture: risk/needs + MH/SUD + specialty screens at or near intake.
- Triage: separate public-safety risk (custody/conditions) from service need (referrals).
- Referral: schedule assessment/services; confirm logistics (transport, coverage, caregiver contact).
- Feedback: providers report starts/completion; missed starts trigger rapid re-engagement.
- Audit: review overrides and equity cuts; recalibrate practices and training as needed.
Common Tool Categories (Examples)
- Risk/Needs: structured tools used to guide diversion, supervision level, or services.
- MH/SUD Brief Screens: short instruments for depressive symptoms, anxiety, trauma, and substance use, with pathways to assessment.
- Suicide Risk: brief, universal or indicated screens with immediate safety protocols.
- Trafficking Risk: indicators for commercial sexual exploitation and related coercion.
Note: Tools vary by jurisdiction; pages in this section describe workflows and data handoffs rather than endorsing any specific instrument.
Overrides, Equity & Quality
- Override logging: require a reason code; sample cases monthly.
- Equity checks: compare access to diversion and services by race/ethnicity, disability, and rurality at the same risk strata.
- Signal quality: monitor false negatives/positives via short follow-ups and narrative review.
Related Topic
Data & Methods
We treat risk guidance and service need separately. When reporting outcomes tied to screening decisions, we normalize rates to youth population (12–17), pool small-n across 2–3 years, and flag pooled cells. We mark breaks in series when instruments or definitions change.
See Also
Transparency note: Screening is a decision aid, not a decision. We publish override and equity summaries alongside access and completion metrics to keep the system honest.