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SASSI as an aid to assessment (2/2)
Such basic triage decisions are fundamental in terms of goal setting, care planning, and disposal in criminal justice settings. During training, the relevance of the triage to goal setting is explored, and participants are encouraged to consider the differences between realistic expectations of adult and adolescent clients.
Potentially more useful still is the hypothetical psychological profile of the substance misuser which the SASSI generates. This offers a wide range of supplementary information which can inform referrals, engage the client's interest and help to motivate them to face and overcome their problems. For example it can:
- Provide an insight into the client's perception of their own problem.
- Indicate whether alcohol or illicit substances are more problematic.
- Identify poor impulse control, poor frustration tolerance, difficulty deferring gratification.
- Suggest childhood influence in substance misuse behaviours.
- Indicate the salience of peer group influence.
- Show resistance to acknowledging personal faults.
- Highlight lack of insight and detachment from feelings.
- Suggest an openness to learning from others.
- Give indicators of risk-taking and disaffection.
- Identify a tendency to be overly self-critical.
- Highlight low self-esteem and possible suicidal ideation.
- Indicate a family ethos tending to encourage or enable substance misuse.
- Give indicators of a tendency be overly concerned to please and placate others - and much more.
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