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
