OYA RNAQ: With the new risk tools, do I still complete an OYA RNA?
A: Current policy requirements have not changed. In fact, the OYA RNA is the assessment we use to determine a youth’s typology and to generate ONIRA and OVIRA scores. The OYA RNA is still an important and valuable part of OYA’s intake process.
JCP
Q: With the new risk tools, do I still complete a JCP?
A: Current policy requirements have not changed. These new tools do not replace the county JCP Risk Assessment. The JCP is necessary to assess risk and needs for youth entering the system.
ORRA / ORRA-V
Q: Do all youth have an ORRA and ORRA-V score?
A: No. The ORRA and ORRA-V are valid only for youth who have reached the level of county probation, OYA probation, or OYA/DOC Commitment.
Q: Can I obtain an ORRA/ORRA-V score before adjudication to help inform the dispositional decision?
A: No. ORRA/ORRA-V scores are only available for youth once they receive a court ordered disposition of county probation, OYA probation, or OYA Close Custody and that disposition is recorded in JJIS. The OYA Research & Evaluation Unit is working on developing a predictive probability score based on the JCP for pre-adjudicated youth.
Q: Do the ORRA and ORRA-V scores ever change for a youth?
A: Yes. ORRA and ORRA-V will increase in very small increments as youth get older. Additionally, if a youth continues to engage in criminal activity, that is likely to increase their scores.
Q: When are the ORRA/ORRA-V scores best utilized in the decision making process?
A: Although this will be driven by local policy, it is recommended that the ORRA and ORRA-V scores be used during the intake process to enhance decision-making around placement and treatment in an effective environment that mitigates the risk of recidivating.
Q: What is the difference between ORRA/ORRA-V “Disposition Level Percentile Rank” and “All Dispositions Percentile Rank”?
A: “Disposition Level Percentile Rank” indicates the percentage of youth with the same disposition level who will have an equal or lesser ORRA or ORRA-V score on a reported date.
“All Dispositions Percentile Rank” indicates the percentage of youth in the juvenile justice system who will have an equal or lesser ORRA or ORRA-V score on a reported date.
Typology
Q: Since the Typology comes from the OYA RNA, what factors or components are utilized in determining the Typology?
A: The following RNA elements are used in the methodology to create a typology:
Attitudes & Behavior and Aggression composite
School History
Current Use of Time
Current Relationships (Protective and Risk)
Family History
Alcohol and Drug Use History
Current Alcohol and Drug Use
Mental Health History
Q: Does the JCP risk assessment also generate a typology?
A: No; however, OYA’s Research & Evaluation Unit is working on an analysis to determine if typologies can be generated from the JCP.
Q: Why is the Typology blank for females?
A: The Typologies are only valid for males at this time. The Research & Evaluation Unit is in the process of completing the typology analysis for females. Males and females typically have different need profiles, so it is important for the female typology to be developed separately from the male typology. We plan to have the female typology in place in the future.
Q: What do the acronyms in the Typology Treatment Protocol stand for?
A:
ART - Aggression Replacement Training
MET - Motivational Enhancement Therapy
COB - Changing Offender Behavior
RP - Relapse Prevention
ONIRA / OVIRA
Q: If a youth leaves an intake unit prior to the first six months, are the ONIRA and OVIRA scores still accurate for the next facility or unit?
A: Maybe. The ONIRA and OVIRA are valid for youth in the first six months of OYA close custody. However, youth develop quickly, and they may have had experiences on the intake unit that have mitigated or magnified their risk for engaging in incidents. In these cases, it is best to use ONIRA and OVIRA in addition to information about how the youth has behaved on the intake unit rather than rely only on the score.
Q: Are the ONIRA and OVIRA scores still accurate for a community setting if a youth leaves an intake unit prior to the first six months?
A: No. The ONIRA and OVIRA predict likelihood of an incident in close custody.
Q: When are the ONIRA/OVIRA scores best utilized in the decision making process?
A: Although this will be driven by local policy, it is recommended that the ONIRA and OVIRA scores are used to inform staff of potential behavior to inform the type of environment that may benefit a youth.
Placement decisions should be based on an environment that mitigates the risk of incidents.
General
Q: How can I use these tools in my work with youth?
A: These tools are guides to enhance decision-making. The risk tools help you understand how “risky” one youth is compared to other youth and can help you align placement and treatment decisions effectively. For example, if you have a youth with an ORRA of 60 and another youth with an ORRA of 30, you might prioritize resources for the higher risk youth. The typology will help you understand the specific needs youth have an intake. You can use this information as a road map and use information about which programs work well with which types to make placement decisions.
Q: Since the new tools are only valid for some youth, what will be displayed in JJIS?
A: Youth who do not have valid scores with any of the tools will not have a score displayed in the relevant section on the JJIS Risk Overview Screen.
Q: Do I need to do additional work to create these scores?
A: No, all the scores, percentile rankings, and typologies are generated based on data recorded in JJIS. The ORRA and ORRA-V are displayed for all youth with a formal disposition; the ONIRA, OVIRA, and Typologies are available for all youth with a completed OYA RNA.
JJIS does not generate the scores — the calculations are performed in the JJIS Reports System and passed into JJIS. The scores are not real-time because they are generated during the weekly refresh of the JJIS Reports database.
Q: The RNA has a low, moderate and high risk categories. The JCP also has thresholds. Will the ORRA, ORRA-V, ONIRA and OVIRA have similar categories or just a percentile ranking?
A: No. The new tools generate percentile rankings only in order to provide a more precise prediction of risk, as well as the ability to compare specific youth’s risk relative to other youth.
Q: Are there policy guidelines or directives for how these tools will be used?
A: No. The intent is to provide the data, generate understanding about what the data means, clarify which populations the tools can be used with, and add research based information to help inform local decision making. Any policy guidelines may be developed at the local level with local leadership.