COMMISSIONER'S DIRECTIVE

SUPPLEMENTARY INTAKE ASSESSMENTS

Policy Bulletin 202

OBJECTIVE

1. To establish the requirements and procedures regarding supplementary assessments in order to facilitate intake assessment and placement processes and release planning.

2. This CD is to be read in conjunction with CD 705 - Intake Assessment.

CROSS-REFERENCES

3. National Correctional Program Guidelines: Making Referrals and Managing Correctional Plans.

SUPPLEMENTARY ASSESSMENTS

4. Supplementary assessments are designed to address specific problem areas and are intended to provide information on the nature and seriousness of dynamic factors contributing to an offender's behaviour.

5. Referrals for supplementary assessments are based largely on information obtained through file information and during the intake assessment process.

6. Initiate referrals for supplementary assessments during the first two weeks after admission. Referrals can be made later in the assessment process based on new information.

7. Supplementary assessments will normally be conducted within the first 30 days.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS

8. Offenders requiring mental health screening by a psychologist have indicated problems of:

1. situational adjustment - severe anxiety; withdrawn; panic; vulnerable and inadequate;
2. mental health - prior psychiatric admission; current psychotropic medication;
3. suicide - prior attempts; current ideation; current plan;
4. self-mutilation - history of self-injury; current threats.

9. Offenders requiring a psychological referral for risk assessment meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. persistent violence defined as three or more separate convictions for offences identified in Schedule I of the CCRA;
2. gratuitous violence - excessive violence beyond that which is "required" to meet an end (such as subdue a victim); or evidence of sadistic behaviour, torture;
3. sex offenders (see Specialized Sex Offender Assessments).

10. Psychological risk assessments will be completed during the intake assessment process for offenders serving life and indeterminate sentences where consideration is being given to placement at a medium security facility. This assessment will focus on risk and institutional adjustment including risk to the public, staff or offender safety and address behavioural needs to facilitate stabilization and adaptation. Where placement is to a maximum security facility, the psychological risk assessment will be completed as soon as possible following placement.

11. The Parole Officer may refer any offender for assessment if there are reasonable grounds to believe that a psychological assessment may assist in clarifying the overall risk posed by the offender.

12. The above psychological assessment will be completed 50 calendar days after admission or 40 calendar days from referral and prior to completion of initial security classification and penitentiary placement. Every effort should be made to complete the psychological assessment while the offender is in the Intake Assessment Unit, particularly for offenders serving four years or less.

SPECIALIZED SEX OFFENDER ASSESSMENTS (SSOA)

13. Specialized Sex Offender Assessments must be completed for:

1. offenders whose current offence is a sexual offence;
2. offenders who have a history of sexual offences;
3. offenders whose current or past offences involved sexual offences, whether or not the latter resulted in conviction.

14. If the above criteria are met but it is the professional opinion of the psychologist that a full Specialized Sex Offender Assessment is not required and therefore involvement in a sex offender program not required, the reason(s) must be clearly described and documented in a specialized psychological report.

15. Specialized Sex Offender Assessments will include an assessment of:

1. history and development of sexual behaviour;
2. sexual preference(s);
3. attitudes;
4. cognitive distortions;
5. social competence;
6. medical history;
7. psychopathology;
8. previous assessment results;
9. prior treatment results;
10. other information relevant to a particular individual offender;
11. Static-99 (Hanson & Thornton, 2003);
12. a structured assessment of dynamic risk factors, using actuarial risk assessment instruments with established reliability and validity (STABLE, Hanson & Harris);
13. additional assessment instruments may be administered at the discretion of the psychologist and in conjunction with established community standards for assessment; and
14. a clear evaluation of the need for sex offender treatment.

16. The above assessment will form the basis of a referral to a specific intensity sex offender program.

ELDER ASSESSMENTS

17. The Elder's Assessment sets objectives for the offender and identifies the offender's risk within his/her cultural context for decision makers.

18. Where Elders are available during the intake assessment process, the Elder Assessment will be completed 50 calendar days after admission or 40 calendar days from referral and prior to completion of initial security classification and penitentiary placement. Every effort will be made to complete the assessment while the offender is in the Intake Assessment Unit, particularly for offenders serving four years or less.

19. Elder Assessments and recommendations will be incorporated into the Correctional Plan and any subsequent CPPRs.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE ASSESSMENTS

20. Offenders will participate in specialized substance abuse assessments as required.

21. The specialized substance abuse assessment provides information on the severity of the problem.

22. Referral to national substance abuse programs is appropriate only when there is a link between the substance abuse and criminal behaviour.

EDUCATIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT ASSESSMENTS

23. Offenders will be referred for educational testing unless there is official documentation of grade level attainment as per CD 720 - Education of Offenders.

24. After the functioning educational level has been determined, the Employment Assessment at Intake (CSC/SCC 1253) must be completed.

25. If all criteria are met, the offender is referred for a mandatory employment, abilities and interest assessment.

26. If it is determined that the offender is not eligible at intake for an Employment Assessment ("no" on one or more of the criteria), then a notation in the Correctional Plan must be made to indicate that further testing is required upon meeting the criteria.

FAMILY VIOLENCE RISK ASSESSMENT (FVRA) - INTIMATE PARTNER

27. "Family violence" is abuse, assault, or other harm which occurs within family relationships. It is characterized by the abuse of power and trust. Family violence usually occurs repeatedly and escalates in frequency and severity over time.

28. Family violence may take many forms, such as physical assault, psychological/emotional abuse, sexual assault, intimidation, threats, neglect, deprivation and financial exploitation. It also includes the psychological trauma experienced by children who witness violence perpetrated against other family members.

29. The Family Violence Risk Assessment will be conducted on all offenders.

30. Review the Family Violence Risk Assessment (FVRA) and update in OMS if there is new, relevant information. If there is no FVRA on file, one must be completed as outlined below and recorded in OMS. The hard copy is placed on the Case Management File.

31. The FVRA, as it pertains to abuse between intimate partners, consists of two phases, involving the determination of:

1. whether the offender is a risk, and if so,
2. the offender's risk level.

Phase I

32. Evaluate each offender under assessment against the three following family violence screening criteria:

1. documented or self-reported spousal assault perpetrator (current or past charges or convictions; admission by offender; credible reports by spouses, family, friends or acquaintances; other file information);
2. documented or self-reported spousal assault victim (offender may be a victim and therefore at risk for retaliation, or may be claiming to be a victim to avoid responsibility for perpetrating spousal assault);
3. suspected spousal assault perpetrator (suspicions based on Parole Officer's perception of offender's attitudes and beliefs towards women, or distress/fear on the part of the offender's partner).

33. If the offender meets at least one of the three screening criteria, the offender is at risk for future family violence, and further evaluation (Phase II) is required. If the offender does not meet any of the screening criteria, the FVRA process is complete.

Phase II

34. Complete a Spousal Assault Risk Assessment (SARA) for each male offender deemed at risk. This 20-item checklist provides you with a framework against which to measure risk level as low, moderate or high, and ensures that pertinent information related to family violence is considered. When applicable, the SARA must be completed by the Parole Officer as part of the risk assessment.

ASSESSMENT OF RISK FOR FAMILY VIOLENCE - GENERAL

35. Assess the degree of risk of an offender becoming involved in family violence by examining the factors outlined below:

1. any present or past incident involving a violent crime against a family member or intimate partner;
2. history of violent behaviour against other persons (in conjunction with other listed factors);
3. history of childhood victimization or having been a witness to violence in the childhood home environment;
4. substance abuse (in conjunction with other listed factors);
5. serious mental health concerns (e.g., active psychosis, severe depression);
6. abusive, threatening or controlling behaviour towards family members or partners during telephone calls, general visits and/or private family visits;
7. serious family turmoil, including domestic violence (i.e., impending break-up);
8. information from the offender, the offender's family, and/or other reliable sources such as the police, schools or social service agencies that indicates that the offender has been abusive with family members or intimate partners; and
9. family violence or intimate partner violence has been identified as a factor in the Correctional Plan and the offender has not yet addressed it or continues to struggle with this area.

36. The presence of one of the above risk factors alone does not necessarily indicate that an offender is at risk for family violence. Meet with the offender and advise him/her of the assessment and of the situation prior to making the final recommendation to the decision-maker.

Commissioner,

Original signed by
Keith Coulter

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