Discussion - Substance Abuse Assessment Instruments in Correctional Settings

With a significantly high rate of incarcerated individuals serving prison sentences for charges related to illicit substances, today's correctional forensic psychology professional would be handicapped without considerable knowledge in the area of substance abuse assessment and treatment. Perhaps the greatest number of people treated for substance abuse problems receive such treatment within a correctional setting.

This week's Discussion focuses on various instruments used to assess substance abuse and/or dependence. Some of these instruments have been designed well and have good test construction histories behind them, whereas others do not. This week's Discussion also helps you become better acquainted with assessing as instrument's utility in this regard.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review the online report, "Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations: A Research-Based Guide" by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Reflect on the principles of treating drug and alcohol abuse and addiction in a correctional facility, as well as on the role of assessments in the treatment of inmates with chemical dependency and the impact that poor assessments and insufficient treatment may have on the health and recovery of inmates.

• Select a sub-population of inmates who might be prone to chemical use and dependency and reflect on their specific needs.

• Review the course document, "Substance Abuse Assessment Instruments." Consider the type of assessment instrument you might use to help evaluate the level of chemical dependency and treatment needs for the sub-population you selected.

• Select two assessment instruments from the list that you think might best help assess the sub-population you selected. Research the instruments either in your course text or in the Mental Measurements Yearbook database. Consider their reliability, validity, construction, and the strengths and limitations of each when applied to the specific sub-population.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 a brief description of the sub-population of inmates for whom you selected assessment instruments. Then, describe the two assessment instruments you selected, including any normative data and data on their reliability and validity.

Explain how the instruments might be used to assess substance abuse and addiction for the sub-population you described. Finally, analyze their strengths and weaknesses when used to assess this sub-population.

Application: Suicidality in Correctional Settings

Certainly the prison setting can be a stressful place to reside with its various cultural rules, relatively limited freedoms, and structured environment.

Research has shown that stressful environments such as prisons may be contributing factors for the development of mental illness, especially depression and anxiety, and as a consequence, correctional settings often realize a higher rate of attempted and completed suicides than what is seen in the general population.

Although the national suicide average in the general population is approximately 10 suicides per 100,000 people annually, correctional facilities have experienced rates as high as 91 suicides per 100,000 inmates in certain sub-populations.

Thankfully, the suicide rate in correctional facilities is significantly lower now than it was just two decades ago. Some reports even suggest that contemporary suicide rates in U.S. correctional facilities are at about 14 per 100,000 inmates annually.

Regardless of the numbers, understanding how to assess suicidality among the incarcerated population is of great importance to the correctional professional. This week's Application focuses on how assessments for suicidality are conducted with those who are incarcerated, and how suicidality may manifest differently with an inmate population when compared to the general population.

To prepare for this assignment:

• Review the website for the article, "Suicide Methods in Prisons." Reflect on the symptoms of suicidality as well as on the methods used by inmates to commit suicide. Also consider what prisons might do to reduce attempted suicides.

• Review the articles, "Preventing Suicide in Prisons, Part 1: Recommendations From the International Association for Suicide Prevention

Task Force on Suicide in Prisons," "Preventing Suicide in Prisons, Part II: International Comparisons of Suicide Prevention Services in Correctional Facilities," and "Preventing Suicide in Prison: A Collaborative Responsibility of Administration, Custodial, and Clinical Staff."

Reflect on how prison employees and the prison system may collaborate to reduce inmate suicide risk.

• Review the media segment, "The New Asylums: Therapy Inside a Prison." Think about how incarceration may increase suicidal thoughts and attempts. Also consider how therapy is used in prison settings and reflect on its effectiveness for inmates.

• Review the media segment, "The New Asylums: The Prison Psychiatric Hospital." Focus on how the prison system has changed in response to the needs of mentally ill inmates, and consider how this helps to reduce inmate suicide risk.

• Review the website "Suicide Prevention Resource Center." Identify the risk factors to be considered when assessing an inmate for suicidality. Think about how clinical staff assesses a person who is a possible suicide risk and how they continue to monitor inmates who have been identified as suicidal.

• Review the website for the article, "Risk Assessment: Approaches and Applications." Think about how you might assess an inmate for suicidality. Consider recommendations you might make to help reduce the risk of the inmate attempting suicide.

The assignment (2-3 pages):

• Describe how you might assess an inmate for suicidality.

• Analyze the differences of assessing suicidality of those who are incarcerated as compared those who are not.

• Describe recommendations you might provide to correctional staff regarding an inmate you believe is suicidal, in order to help reduce the risk of the inmate attempting suicide.

• Describe any potential pitfalls in determining if an inmate is suicidal.

Support your Application Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list only for those resources not included in the Learning Resources for this course.

Attachment:- substance_abuse_assessment_instruments.rar