The CASI is a comprehensive, semi-structured, clinical assessment and outcomes interview. It is comprised of independent modules, each incorporating objective, focused, and concrete questions. Questions are formatted to identify whether certain behaviors have ever occurred regularly, how old the adolescent was when they first occurred regularly, and whether they occurred regularly during the past year (past month and other 11 months). Each module assesses whether the adolescent acknowledges the presence of problems and obtains his/her rating of discomfort. Importantly, in addition to collecting information on risk factors and maladaptive behaviors, the CASI also includes questions designed to assess the strength-base of youth. The CASI’s design makes it suitable for administration in a variety of settings, for repeat administration at post-treatment follow-up evaluations, and for assessment of virtually all adolescents regardless of the system to or from which they are referred.
Goal:
To develop and/or enhance the knowledge and skills required to correctly administer the Comprehensive Adolescent Severity Inventory (CASI), and utilize the data collected for making substance use disorder diagnosis, diagnostic impressions, level of care recommendations; assessing criminogenic risk & trauma; and treatment planning.
Objectives:
Participants will be able to;
- Identify and explain the purpose and clinical significance of the CASI. Identify and explain the purpose and clinical significance of each of the sections of the CASI.
- Demonstrate how to introduce the CASI interview and each of the sections to the client.
- Identify and explain the purpose and clinical significance of the items in each section of the CASI.
- Demonstrate how to phrase each question in the most efficient way while remaining flexible enough to adapt the instrument to make it more gender, cultural and population sensitive.
- Identify the recommended probes and additional questions to augment the items in the CASI, and the information provided by the client.
- Identify and explain the coding conventions to correctly code client’s responses to each item in the section.
- Identify the common errors made when interviewing and / or coding client’s responses.
- Identify the recommended items and other information used to verify self-report through the use of cross checking.
- Demonstrate how to utilize the yout rating scales.
- Understand and explain the relationship and functionality of the CASI to;
- The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–V criteria for substance use disorders.
- ASAM’s six dimensions of assessment.
- Assessing criminogenic risk
- Screening for Trauma
- Treatment planning
Professional and/or Career Relevancy
Learning how to administer and use the CASI correctly is a very marketable skill that should be included on all participants’ resumes. The CASI is widely used in the United States and abroad. The interviewing skills emphasized and learned during this workshop can be applied to many other instruments currently used in the Substance Abuse Treatment field. Whether one is actively administering the CASI, ASI, GAIN, SASSI etc.., or is the recipient of the clinical information collected, this course will increase your understanding of the CASI, as well as clinical significance of the data collected with it.
Organizational Outcomes
Treatment organizations, and agencies who have skilled, and competent CASI interviewers on their staff are better equipped to meet the many requirements and mandates being put into place in the behavioral health care field regarding screening, assessment and patient placement.
Employing skilled and competent CASI interviewers who consistently administer the CASI correctly, and understand the clinical significance of the data collected with it, can lead to:
- A positive transference toward the interviewer, organization and treatment.
- More comprehensive and accurate assessments
- More informed clinical decisions
- More informed treatment planning
- Increased treatment initiation, engagement and retention rates
- Improved Treatment Outcomes
Evidence Based – Proven Effective Designed For Transfer