As many of you know, the Office of Drug Policy has been working with other State agencies and the counties to train staff to be certified to administer the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs - Quick (GAIN Q). Because of confusion that exists concerning juvenile probation officers becoming certified before administering the GAIN-Q, we will try to provide some clarification regarding both decisions that have been made regarding the assessment tool and work that is being done that will affect its use in the counties.
The 2007 Idaho Legislature passed SCR 109 which states there will be one standard substance abuse assessment used for all state-funded substance abuse treatment. The GAIN was the assessment that was chosen by the Interagency Committee on Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ICSA).
The counties are not required by Idaho Code to assess juveniles for substance abuse using the GAIN. However, because it is the only assessment that will be accepted for moving the juvenile into treatment, using the GAIN at the county level will eliminate redundant assessments as the juvenile moves from court to treatment. Because the GAIN will be a web-based assessment tool and will be accessed through WITS, which is a web-based client management system, a GAIN-Q can be downloaded to the private provider who will be doing a full substance abuse/bio-psychosocial assessment using the GAIN-Initial (I). They will be able to automatically in-fill those areas covered in the "Q", and go on to complete the "I".
The information from the GAIN assessment will follow a juvenile if they move from one county to another or into the state system. When a juvenile is in treatment the GAIN-M90 will be given at 90 day intervals to monitor progress. Because the GAIN is a standardized assessment tool, juvenile probation officers, judges, treatment providers, IDJC staff will all be familiar with it creating a very user-friendly process.
The Office of Drug Policy, the Department of Health and Welfare, the Department of Juvenile Corrections, the courts, representatives from juvenile probation and BPA are all meeting to design a new route for juveniles into treatment that will streamline the current process, so steps will be eliminated. As we work on the process we know there will be difficulties in doing so. We are committed however, in making this a better system and welcome your input.
The funding for treatment for juveniles with substance use disorder in fiscal year 2008 has doubled from $2,000,000 to $4,000,000. There is no reason for a juvenile who needs to be in treatment, not to be able to receive it. It will take some time for inpatient treatment providers to be able to ramp up to accommodate the new funding level, but we are working to get there. There should be adequate capacity for other levels of treatment currently.
There were two very important reasons for Idaho going to the use of the GAIN as the one standard assessment tool to be used for substance use disorder.
- Idaho judges asked for a standardized assessment to improve the quality and consistency of the assessments they were receiving.
- Idaho has never been able to collect good substance use data from all of the various agencies and individuals who do substance use assessments. By everyone using the GAIN good data will be collected. Governor Otter has stated Idaho will be data-driven in the direction we go with public policy. If we want to make the case that treatment works and those services need to be enhanced we must have valid data to make the case.
To assure that the GAIN data collected is verifiable the only data that will be allowed into the system will be that from individuals who have been certified to administer it. Without this control measure the data could not be stated with validity nor could the judges be assured of the quality and consistency they have asked for.
Please feel free to
contact our office with any questions you may have regarding the GAIN and thank
you for your interest in seeing that Idaho’s young people receive quality
substance use assessments and the proper level of treatment.