ADULT SUBSTANCE ABUSE SUBTLE SCREENING

INVENTORY – 3(SASSI-3)

David McConnell BCE 522Project 1

SASSI-3

SASSI-3

Technical Information• Test-Retest reliability coefficients range from .92 to 1.00

with a overall alpha coefficient of .93.

• Overall Accuracy in distinguishing substance abuse and dependency from those without substance use disorders was 94%.

• SASSI – 3 is accurate in five diverse settings, with overall accuracy ranging from 93% to 98%.

• Accuracy did not differ between sex, ethnic group, age, educational level, marital status, and occupation status (e.g., full time, part time, retired).

• Respondents DSM-IV-TR Axis V(GAF) did not significantly impact screening results.

SASSI-3

Test Administration and Interpretation

• SASSI-3 was developed to identify high or low probability of substance dependence disorder and provides clinical insight into levels of defensiveness, willingness to acknowledge problems, and the desire for change.

• The Assessment takes approximately 15 minutes to administer and score

SASSI-3

Developmental needs of the student or client

• This assessment can be administers to students or clients 18 years of age and older

• To take the assessment a student or client must have a reading grade level of 3.2.

SASSI-3

Implementation of guidance/rehabilitation interventions

• This assessment measure is currently used in many types of organizations that include: Addiction Treatment Centers, Criminal Justice Programs, Hospitals, other health care organizations, and employee assistance programs.

SASSI-3

Special Needs

• Respondents level of functioning did not have any significant impacts of the accuracy of the screening tool.

• GAF scores from 210 respondents. The results showed that GAF scores did not impact the correspondence between SASSI-3 classifications and clinical diagnosis concerning substance dependency.

SASSI-3

Is the Diagnosis Reliable

• 67 diagnosed substance dependent respondents were measured for accuracy. Of the 67, 70% of the sample was classified by the SASSI-3. Given the small sample group, the SASSI-3 is not a validated screening tool for diagnostic criteria. It is primarily used to identify individuals who may have substance dependency disorders.

SASSI-3

Goals of Remediation

• The SASSI-3 is a accurate and reliable assessment in identifying potential substance abusers for further assessment screening. Five different clinical settings were measured that showed high accuracy in identifying those diagnosed with and without substance dependency disorder. Results were 96%, 97%, 94%, 93%, and 98%, and did not differ significantly between the five types of settings.

SASSI-3

Referral

• The SASSI-3 can be a accurate measure in identifying individuals in a variety of settings who may have substance abuse issues. Identification of these individuals can lead to more thorough assessment measure that will pin point a individual diagnostic condition. Once a diagnostic disorder has been identified, treatment planning and rehabilitation can take place.

SASSI-3

Rehabilitation Resources

• From a clinical mental health perspective, this assessment can be used at intake to identify likely substance abusers. The identification can then be used to further assess the individual in more detail and provide a diagnostic condition.

• This screening tool can be used more for planning purposes, especially in vocational rehabilitation. Individuals who are seeking employment can be screened for the substance dependency, because substance abuse can be a major barrier toward employment. If a individual’s scores are high on the SASSI-3, further assessment can be implemented that will result in a more detailed evaluation and treatment plan to reduce or remove the barrier to employment.

SASSI-3

Lifestyle/Career Choices

• Stated in the previous slide, individuals will experience a barrier in seeking employment or staying employed if the have substance abuse issues. This screen can be accurately implemented to identify likely individuals who suffer from substance dependency.

• From a clinical health standpoint, this screen can be a effective intake assessment to help further a individuals treatment planning. Formulating a diagnostic condition is not recommended unless further assessment is conducted. This screen can be a important factor in planning treatment or future career choices.

SASSI-3

References American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical

manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Lazowski, L.E., Miller, F.G., Boye, M.W., & Miller, G.A. (1998). Efficacy of the substance abuse subtle screening inventory-3 (SASSI-3) in identifying substance dependence disorders in clinical settings. Journal of Personality Assessment, 71(1), 114-128.

Miller, F.G., & Lazowski, L.E. (1999). The Adult SASSI-3 Manual. Springville, IN. The SASSI Institute.