Juvenile Juvenile Justice and Systems of Care Frequently Asked Questions FAQs

February 2007

Question:
Was the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) designed solely for a delinquent population?

Answer:
No, the DISC was not designed with delinquent youth. However, the Voice DISC, which was discussed in a presentation at the Atlanta System of Care meeting in January, 2007, has been piloted with detained youth by the National Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice. The Voice DISC is a shortened version of standard DISC and takes about an hour to administer. It is very useful and produces a set of preliminary diagnoses and rule-outs that can be followed up on through further testing by a diagnostician or clinician.

Of course, there are other tools. Below is the link to an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention monograph on screening and assessment that I have shared with other System of Care sites, who have found it very helpful. It lists many of the screening and diagnostic instruments that can be used with children and youth in the juvenile justice system. Link: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/204956.pdf

I like a tiered approach for juvenile justice where every youth who is arrested experiences the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument Version 2 (MAYSI-2) and any youth hitting the ‘caution’ range is referred for a consult with a psychologist. Additionally, all youth registering in the ‘warning’ range actually have an immediate meeting with a psychologist.

For any youth going to a secure placement, administer the DISC IV if nothing else. I think it is necessary, however, to take the extra step. There are too many states where records and other information don't follow youth, so I think it much wiser to err on the side of caution by administering a tool like the DISC IV at this point.

Please see Ken Martinez’ FAQ on screening vs. assessment instruments which is at: http://www.tapartnership.org/advisors/mental_health/faq/apr06.asp

Ken also compiled a list of instruments for communities, which can be found on the mental health page of the TA Partnership website. His list goes down the age range to toddlers. The direct link to it is: http://www.tapartnership.org/advisors/mental_health/resources/ScreenListv3.pdf

The real challenge is tailoring the instruments to fit your population of focus. If your population of focus is well defined, it is easier to identify appropriate tools.

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	February 2007 Question: Was the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) designed solely for a delinquent population? Answer: No, the DISC was not designed with delinquent youth. However, the Voice DISC, which was discussed in a presentation at the Atlanta System of Care meeting in January, 2007, has been piloted with detained youth by the National Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice. The Voice DISC is a shortened version of standard DISC and takes about an hour to administer. It is very useful and produces a set of preliminary diagnoses and rule-outs that can be followed up on through further testing by a diagnostician or clinician. Of course, there are other tools. Below is the link to an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention monograph on screening and assessment that I have shared with other System of Care sites, who have found it very helpful. It lists many of the screening and diagnostic instruments that can be used with children and youth in the juvenile justice system. Link: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/204956.pdf I like a tiered approach for juvenile justice where every youth who is arrested experiences the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument Version 2 (MAYSI-2) and any youth hitting the ‘caution’ range is referred for a consult with a psychologist. Additionally, all youth registering in the ‘warning’ range actually have an immediate meeting with a psychologist. For any youth going to a secure placement, administer the DISC IV if nothing else. I think it is necessary, however, to take the extra step. There are too many states where records and other information don't follow youth, so I think it much wiser to err on the side of caution by administering a tool like the DISC IV at this point. Please see Ken Martinez’ FAQ on screening vs. assessment instruments which is at: http://www.tapartnership.org/advisors/mental_health/faq/apr06.asp Ken also compiled a list of instruments for communities, which can be found on the mental health page of the TA Partnership website. His list goes down the age range to toddlers. The direct link to it is: http://www.tapartnership.org/advisors/mental_health/resources/ScreenListv3.pdf The real challenge is tailoring the instruments to fit your population of focus. If your population of focus is well defined, it is easier to identify appropriate tools.

Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health

Juvenile Justice and Systems of Care Frequently Asked Questions