Re: culturally competent risk assessment

[Rfreitagmw@xxxxxxx]

Lisa and list,
The actuarial research based risk tools used in a number of states have been quite thoroughly examined in terms of validity within at least broad stroke racial/ethnic groupings. Please see www.nccd-crc.org--- Follow link to CRC, then to download publications, then scroll down to "Research-Based Risk Assessment: Adding Equity to Child Protective Services." You can download a report detailing studies on these risk tools. Also, Will Johnson of California Department of Social Services has done an extensive review of the California risk assessmenet. He presented his findings at the risk roundtable a couple of years ago. 

There is still work to be done on this question: sample sizes with proper coding available that will allow more sophisticated groupings will inform as to whether the validity of these tools has any gaps. But there is strong preliminary support that these tools do not yield invalid results regardless of broad racial/ethnic groups.

Raelene Freitag MSW, Ph.D.
Senior Researcher
Children's Research Center
426 S. Yellowstone Dr. Suite 250
Madison, WI 53719
608-831-0556
www.nccd-crc.org

In a message dated 7/10/2003 12:17:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, lfontes@rcn.com writes:

> I'm looking for materials on culturally competent risk assessment for child abuse. Reviews of instruments, articles on problems involved, etc. I am not looking for materials on INTERVIEWING so much as materials on making the determination of RISK (to substantiate/support or not, how risky a household might be). Professional anecdotes & articles about the 
> problems involved would also help.
> Thanks!
>  
> ALl suggestions welcome!
> Lisa FOntes, Ph.d.
> springfield College
> lfontes@rcn.com