Youth Assessment and Treatment System

A Decision Making System for Youth Services

The Youth Assessment and Treatment System (YATS) is a decision making system for Youth Services. It is designed to enhance decision making while promoting help and avoiding unnecessary intrusion into the family. The System structures the process from intake through assessment, treatment and closure and can be implemented in state, regional, county or local jurisdictions. ACTION is enthusiastic about helping jurisdictions become more effective in working with troubled youth.

The Wisconsin Experience

The Youth Assessment and Treatment System was successfully field tested in the Manitowoc County Human Services Department in Wisconsin and is currently being offered to other Wisconsin jurisdictions. ACTION worked closely with Manitowoc staff for six months to implement the System. Modifications were made based on the "real world" experiences of workers, supervisors, administrators and judges.

Community Protection

The Youth Assessment and Treatment System provides a specific behavior control evaluation. This identifies the specific aspects of the youth's behavior/emotion which must be controlled in order to protect the community. The System assists the worker in developing a behavior control plan which meets the needs identified using the least intrusive method of intervention.

Benefits of the System

• Provides structure and continuity
• Excellent supervisory tool which highlights worker strengths and areas which could be improved
• Promotes accountability and reduces liability
• Ensures logical decisions based on significant and objective information
• Increases planned case closures
• Excellent system to train new workers
• Enhances information gathering for court reports and recommendations
• Can reduce incarceration as judges become confident that intervention is taking place
• Can be modified for different settings

Features of the Youth Assessment and Treatment System

• Structured approach to assessing the circumstances that influence the youth's behavior
• Ecological perspective explaining delinquency
• Information categorized and analyzed based on 13 open-ended questions
• Incorporates the principles of the "Balanced Approach": community protection, accountability and youth competency
• Emphasizes family involvement in the assessment and treatment process