Edward P. Rawana

Risk and Need Assessment of Juvenile Offenders

The validity of a newly developed probation risk and need assessment instrument, the Ministry Risk/Need Assessment Form (MRNAF), was evaluated in a medium-sized Canadian city over-represented by Native Canadians. In the present study, 263 young offenders were assessed on the MRNAF. At 6 months, 250 youths were followed-up to determine if they had offended subsequent to their initial assessment. Results indicated that the total risk/need score and all of the eight risk/need factors could discriminate between recidivists and nonrecidivists. Moreover, despite some differences between Native and non-Native youths and between male and female youths, the ethnicity and sex of young offenders were inconsequential with regards to the instruments prediction of recidivism. Therefore, the findings support MRNAF as a robust risk/need assessment instrument to ethnicity and sex.

Adolescents' Experiences of a Strengths-Based Treatment Program for Substance Abuse

Abstract Substance abuse is a growing issue among adolescents. While not every adolescent who struggles with this issue seeks treatment, those who do frequently fail to complete treatment or tend to relapse following treatment. To improve adolescent treatments for substance abuse issues it is important to understand adolescent experiences while in treatment, along with the factors that contribute to positive treatment outcomes. Qualitative methods were used to examine 52 post-treatment interviews conducted with adolescents following their completion of a five-week strengths-based residential program for substance use issues. The adolescent narratives were analyzed to answer three research questions: (1) what aspects of the treatment program were found to be most helpful by youth, (2) which specific strengths did youth identify to be the most helpful throughout the treatment process and in beginning to overcome their substance use issues, and (3) did youth begin to adopt strengths-based thinking strategies over the course of treatment? Results include descriptive answers to these questions based on common themes across participant responses. Implications for future research are discussed.

Self-Perceived Strengths Among Adolescents With and Without Substance Abuse Problems:

The importance of examining positive aspects of youth development has been emphasized across disciplines involved in the care of youth with substance abuse problems. However, little is known about the strengths of adolescents with substance abuse problems, especially youth entering residential treatment. Utilizing the Strengths Assessment Inventory, a measure assessing psychological and social strengths, we examined patterns of strengths across groups of age- and gender-matched youth who reported no substance use, frequent substance use, and those entering treatment for severe substance use. Each group consisted of 43 participants ranging in age from 14 to 18 years. Results indicated that, on average, individuals entering treatment scored lower on personal strengths. However, through the use of more sophisticated statistical approaches, it was found that certain strengths were predictive of individuals belonging to the treatment group. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to the treatment of adolescent substance abuse problems.

Initial Therapeutic Alliance and Treatment Engagement of Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Youths in a Residential Treatment Center for Substance Abuse

This study examined the association between counselor- and client-rated initial therapeutic alliance and treatment engagement for youths who completed a residential substance abuse treatment program. Group differences between Aboriginal (N = 16) and non-Aboriginal (N = 29) youths were explored. Counselors reported a strong initial therapeutic alliance with all youths; however, Aboriginal youths did not perceive this connection with their counselor to the same extent as non-Aboriginal youths. A difference also emerged between the groups in treatment engagement. Counselors perceived Aboriginal adolescents as engaging in more negative treatment participation. These results provide preliminary data to help inform cross-cultural practice.