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Risk assessment with actuarial and clinical methods: Measurement and evidence-based practice
Natasha S Mendoza1, Roderick A Rose2, Jennifer M Geiger3
1Arizona State University, College of Public Service & Community Solutions, School of Social Work, 411 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004, United States.
Child Abuse & Neglect
|September 28, 2016
Summary
Child welfare risk assessments using clinical and actuarial methods show that neither is solely predictive. A dual-measurement approach better informs agency intensity and case decisions.
Area of Science:
- Social Work
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Child welfare agencies utilize assessment tools to determine risk and guide interventions.
- Actuarial assessments offer uniformity but lack practice flexibility, while clinical assessments are comprehensive but subjective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare clinical and actuarial risk assessment methods in child welfare.
- To examine the associations between these methods and decision-making outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Examined associations between clinical and actuarial dimensions and outcomes.
- Investigated caseworker use of actuarial dimensions in decision-making.
Main Results:
- Actuarial assessments alone do not solely predict agency intervention intensity.
- Dual-measurement approaches inform case decisions and service provision intensity.
Conclusions:
- Risk assessment in child welfare is complex, involving interplay between clinical and actuarial methods.
- Future instruments can be tailored to support clinical judgment and critical thought in decision-making.
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