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The Service Planning Instrument for Women (SPIn-W™) was developed from research and field practice with criminal justice involved women. The assessment contains 100-items that assess risk, need and protective factors that have demonstrated relevance for increasing responsivity in case work with justice involved women. While, the content of SPIn-W overlaps with traditional risk/need assessment in general populations of men and women, SPIn-W items related to child custody and parenting issues, domestic violence, mental health, social support, and community living. Items in assessment domains related to attitudes, aggression, interpersonal skills, and cognitive skills have been tailored to take into account how these areas of risk are manifested in female offender populations. A Pre-Screen function is also included in SPIn-W.
While the content of the tool overlaps with traditional risk/need assessment protocols for general populations of male and females, the SPIn-W includes content that is highly relevant for serving women clients. For example, there are a number of items related to child custody and parenting issues, domestic violence, mental health, social support, and community living. Items in assessment domains related to attitudes, aggression, interpersonal skills, and cognitive skills have been tailored to take into account how these areas of risk are manifested in female populations.
The full assessment SPIn-W is comprised of the following domains:
In addition to the gender responsive content of SPIn-W domains, the inclusion of protective factors or “strengths” is a key element of this assessment model. Each domain (e.g., family and children, social networks, etc.) includes strength or protective factor content. Both domain and overall level of scoring is available for strengths. Hence, on reassessment, practitioners monitor for decreases/increases in both needs and strengths. Highly intuitive for case managers, the assessment of protective factors focuses case plans to capitalize on strengths and helps develop resources for success. The incorporation of strengths grounds the model in a case planning process that is mobilizing for both the women and the professionals who work collaboratively to develop and monitor case plans. As such, the assessment tool helps move the practitioner toward a strength-based model of case planning and supervision. Finally, the SPIn-W focuses on the identification of formal and informal supports across each domain. Available supports can then be mobilized to address needs and build strengths while gaps in resources can be targeted to ensure that needs are addressed.
The SPIn-W is conducted using web-based software whereby the users enter information and achieve results through a browser interface (e.g., MS Internet Explorer). The software is easy to use and includes both assessment and case planning components. The results are shown in a graphic format that displays both risk and protective factor scores on a wheel diagram. The interactive wheel diagram is then used as the starting point for the case planning process. The software provides a step-by-step guided process for focusing on the issues that will become priorities in the case plan and delineating the goals action plans to address the priorities.
The assessment, case planning and software application used with SPIn-W is based on the SPIn (used for both male and female adults) and the YASI (Youth Assessment Screening Instrument) assessment tools.
The Service Planning Instrument for Women (SPIn-W) is a gender-specific assessment and case planning tool that was developed from research and field practice with criminal justice involved women. SPIn-W assesses risk, need and protective factors using measures that are sensitive to women.
