By: Genie Jackson, PhD, Research Team Lead at equivant Supervision
Trauma identification is a key component of supervision case management and criminology for all practitioners to help clients rehabilitate successfully within the criminal justice system and not reoffend. Evaluating trauma backgrounds and criminogenic needs, in addition to other risk assessments, is paramount to a successful methodology. Without the use of validated, evidence-based instruments such as the COMPAS and COMPAS-R Core, this job is made significantly harder in terms of gathering accurate information about clients who are at higher risk of reoffending and regression, creating case plans accordingly, and recommending the right treatments, interventions, and programming. Learn how the equivant Supervision COMPAS Assessment and COMPAS scores acknowledge and incorporate trauma identification and predictive accuracy into its risk assessment process below.
Self-Report Section
A large proportion of the COMPAS assessment results are derived from answers to a questionnaire provided directly by the respondent with a criminal history. This part of the COMPAS risk assessment focuses on information that the respondent might not want to share openly, but feels comfortable enough to detail on their own. Because of this, results and risk scores from this risk assessment tool may be more accurate, facilitating more appropriate referrals for programming and better case planning.
Personalization through Interviews
The COMPAS and COMPAS-R Core interview sections allow practitioners to follow-up and dive deeper into specific topics like risk factors with the respondent to better manage the case and to promote better decision-making. Assessors may choose to ask assessment items verbatim (structured approach), or perform the interview in a semi-structured manner, and are therefore able to truly personalize the COMPAS and COMPAS-R assessment to each and every individual. An interview can help to create rapport and trust between the respondent and interviewer.
Constantly Evolving
At equivant Supervision, powered by the Northpointe Suite, our team is always improving the full suite of COMPAS and COMPAS-R assessments. As the recognition of mental health needs continues to gain more traction in the criminal justice space and beyond, we are piloting a new set of trauma screening questions in the COMPAS-R, based on domains outlined in the DSM-5. This will help those individuals with both a low risk and high risk of recidivism and/or violent recidivism.
Has your team been discussing ways to better incorporate trauma-informed care into your processes? Interested in aligning identified trauma with treatment and outcomes? Whether through validated risk/needs assessments like the COMPAS and COMPAS-R, the Northpointe Suite’s library of offense-specific assessments, alternative screening instruments, or other criminal justice best practice case planning measures, we are here to help tailor treatment plans and supervision strategies to your agency’s workflow through a superior level of service. Contact us today!
