Applying the Principles of Criminogenic Risk and Need in Your Veterans Treatment Court

©JFV January 2020. Developed for VTC Enhancement Trainings.

The following presentation may not be copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the author.

Written permission will generally be given upon request.

Two GoalsGoal #1: Every treatment intervention is desired to have a desirable impact on recidivism , either eliminating or at least reducing it.

and

Goal #2: Help individuals balance their important relationships, understand and overcome their internal and external conflicts through developing more accurate social cognitions and understanding about themselves.

The 4 Principles of Effective Criminogenic Interventions

Key Principle:

RNR

Refers to the likelihood that an individual will be involved in criminal behavior in the future.

The history of static risk is consistently identified as most robust predictors of recidivism.

The risk principle states that high-risk offenders need to be placed in programs that provide more intensive treatment and services while low-risk offenders should receive minimal or even no intervention.

Static Risk Factors –

Age at 1st arrest

Current age

Gender

Criminal History The history of static risk is

consistently identified as most

robust predictors of recidivism.

Snowden, David L., Oh, Sehun, Salas-Wright, Christopher, Vaughn, Michael G & King,

Erika. (2017) Military service and crime: New evidence. Social Psychiatry and

Psychiatric Epidemiology (2017) 52:605–615

DOI 10.1007/s00127-017-1342-8

“Assessment is the engine that drives effective interventions and is the first step in designing programs that work.”

- Ed Latessa

Key Principle:

Assessment

▪ Correctional Offender Management Profiling for

Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS)

▪ Inventory of Offender Risk, Needs and Strengths (IORNS)

▪ Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R)

▪ Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI)

▪ Level of Service/Risk, Need, Responsivity (LS/RNR)

▪ Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS)

▪ Offender Screening Tool (OST)

▪ Static Risk and Offender Needs Guide (STRONG)

▪ Wisconsin Risk/Needs Scale (WRN)

▪ Correctional Assessment and Intervention System (CAIS)

Criminogenic Assessments

Probation/ Pretrial Services

Examples

➢Risk Principle DOES NOT identify the specific areas where intervention might change the probability that someone will engage in future criminal behavior.

➢ It does not reveal whether a person has a substance addiction.

➢ It does not reveal whether a person has family conflict.

The need principle states that effective treatment should focus on addressing needs that may contribute to criminal behavior.

• (Clinic Specific) Psychosocial Assessment

• Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS)

• Beck Depression Inventory

• PSTD Checklist (PCL -5)

• Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS 5)

• Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center TBI Screening Tool (DVBIC TBI Screening Tool)

• Short Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (SMAST)

• Texas Christian University Drug Screen V (TCUDS V)

• Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test or AUDIT C

• CAGE Substance Abuse Screening Tool

Clinical Needs

GENERAL

❑ Employ a recovery perspective.

❑ Proven cognitive-behavioral interventions

that are based on social learning model

are more effective than all

other approaches in reducing

recidivism.

BUT WHY?

There is a Logic Behind

Cognitive Intervention

Thinking affects

behavior.

Thinking can be

influenced.

We can change how we feel and behave by changing what we think.

Incorrect

thinking

results in

unproductive

behavior.

Leisure/Prosocial Recreation

The “Big Four” Risk Factors

Moderate Four Risk Factors

Education and Employment

Family Relationships

Substance AbuseHistory of antisocial

behavior

Antisocial personality

Antisocial cognition

Antisocial peers/associates

Criminogenic Factors –The Central Eight

Key Principle: Traditional

Criminogenic Risk Factors

Leisure/Prosocial Recreation

The “Big Four” Risk Factors

Moderate Four Risk Factors

Education and Employment

Family Relationships

Substance AbuseHistory of antisocial

behavior

Antisocial personality

Antisocial cognition

Antisocial peers/associates

Criminogenic Factors –The Central Eight

THIS MODEL IS NOT WITHOUT CONTROVERSY

OVERLAPING CRIMINOGENIC AND PSYCHOSOCIAL

Behavioral health treatment must always be integrated with

interventions that address Dynamic Risk Factors associated with criminal

thinking and behavior.

Question: How many configurations of the puzzle are there?

Answer: 43.2 quintillion43,252,003,274,489,856,000

TAILORED/Specific

❑ Leverage supports to

maximize and extend

treatment effectiveness

❑Positive reinforcement v.

punishment

❑Adopt a multi-problem

point of view (clinician’s

take notice: co-

morbidities)

❑ The individual’s culture

❑ Learning style

❑ Intrinsic Motivation

❑ Mental health

symptoms

❑ Cognitive/intellectual

functioning

Tailored

Response

Rehabilitation/Habilitation: Pro-social vs. Adaptive

Pro-social RE/Habilitation

• Individuals may lack the inclination to engage in productive activities such as:

Work

School

Parenting

• May endorse antisocial attitudes and values

Adaptive RE/Habilitation

• Individuals may be deficient in adaptive skills such as:

- Employability

- Education

- Financial Management

- Homemaking

• Emphasis is on addressing vocational skills, educational deficits, improving daily living skills and interpersonal problem-solving strategies.

With whom are you

working?

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

with Positive Affect

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

with Negative Affect

Example of Specific Need with Tailored

Response: Anger and Irritability

SYSTEMICDo you have the necessary programs to respond to

both the criminogenic risk and clinical need of the

justice involved veteran population and if so,

exactly what does that look like?

HR/HN

LR/LN

LR/HN

HR/LN

✓ Clinical Screens?

✓ Criminogenic Screens?

✓ Appropriate assessment?

✓ Overlapping level of needs established?

Criminogenic Risks & Clinical Needs

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Mu

ltip

le M

edic

al M

orb

idit

ies

Sub

stan

ce U

se D

iso

rder

Traumatic Brain Injury /mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Co-occurring Disorders

Criminogenic Needs

Mo

od

Dis

ord

ers

Co

mp

lex

Trau

ma

MST

Supports

• A cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD and related conditions.

• CPT can be done across a variety of populations, including veterans,

CPT has worked well for veterans who have experienced combat, sexual,

or childhood trauma as well as other types of traumatic events.

• Approximately 12 weekly sessions in either an individual (50 minute) or

group (typically 90 minute) setting.

Do you offer cutting- edge

programs to respond to

both the criminogenic risk

and clinical need of the

justice involved veteran

population?

Example

Moral Reconation Therapy

It’s a cognitive-behavioral approach that combines elements form a variety of psychological traditions to progressively address ego, social, moral and positive behavioral growth. MRT takes the form of group and individual counseling using structured group exercises and prescribed homework.

Example

1. Safety as the overarching

goal (helping clients attain

safety in their relationships,

thinking, behavior and

emotions).

2. Integrated treatment (working

on both trauma and substance

abuse at the same time).

3. A focus on ideals to counteract

the loss of ideals in both trauma

and substance abuse.

4. Four content areas: cognitive,

behavioral, interpersonal and

case management.

5. Attention to clinician

processes (clinician’s

emotional responses, self-care,

etc.)

The Key Principles of Seeking Safety

Example

Recidivism Reduction: Evidence-Based v. Best Practice v. Promising Practice

• Thinking for a Change (T4C)

• Untangling Relationships, Invisible War, Coping with Anger (MRT models)

• Aggression Replacement Training

• Vocational Programming

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy

• Education around substance misuse.

• Adaptive Disclosure

• Pilates

• Everything Self Esteem

• Stress and Anxiety Workshops

• Walking Clubs

• Workforce Readiness

groups

• Shaping Interpersonal Skills

• Cognitive Processing Therapy

• Equine Therapy

Substance use and mental health tx must always be integrated with interventions that address Dynamic Risk Factors associated with criminal thinking and behavior; Criminogenic Needs.

Individuals are screened, assessed, addressed and TREATED for criminogenic needs in the same manner that clinical needs are.

Knowledge of the Principles of Effective Criminal Justice Interventions is necessary but equally important is the application of those principals with the population served.

“Take home points”

Within the responsivity principle, there is general, tailored and systemic approaches; all must be considered by the VTC Team.

“Take home points”

THANK YOU