NCJ Number
84035
Date Published
Unknown
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Denver New Pride staff explain informal client assessment procedures to be carried out over the first 2 weeks after a client's admission into the program.
Abstract
The informal client assessment begins immediately after the formal staff meeting, at which a case manager (counselor) is assigned to a client, and intake and diagnostic information is used to determine a client's program placement. The case manager conducts a recruitment interview in the home and obtains client and parental agreement with the program requirements. The counselor evaluates the client's home and community environment in order to complete the needs assessment checklist, which covers the client's health, academic, and social needs. Teachers observe client behavior in the classroom, use informal testing aids, and assign various tasks to reveal a client's strengths and weaknesses. The 2-week assessment period is necessarily short because participation in the alternative school lasts only 6 months. Denver's program tries to improve clients' school behavior and attitudes and provide remedial academic work, based on the formal assessment -- an individualized, integrated service plan, which results from the initial assessment findings.