Can standardized measures provide helpful feedback about adult protective services substantiation? Pilot data from a short self-neglect assessment

ABSTRACT

Can standardized assessment contribute to improving Adult Protective Services (APS) practice? In this exploratory study, San Francisco and Napa APS utilized a newly developed short self-neglect assessment to test how standardized measures provide information for substantiation decision making. Findings demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity for the short self-neglect assessment, and analyses revealed important issues that could improve practice. Review of outliers revealed: (1) problems using the assessment tool, (2) misunderstandings of APS procedures, and (3) struggles navigating the case management system. These revelations could all be easily addressed in training. Caseworker’s clinical judgment and experience also continue to have a place in complementing the use of the standardized assessment.

KEYWORDS:

• Adult protective services
• self-neglect
• self-neglect assessment
• standardized measure
• consistency
• APS investigation/substantiation
• training

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude towards San Francisco and Napa Adult Protective Services, from caseworkers, supervisors, analysts, managers, directors, to deputy directors.

Declaration of Interest Statement

We have no conflict of interest to declare.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, P. L., upon reasonable request. Restrictions may apply to the availability of these data based on data usage agreement between Purdue University and San Francisco Adult Protective Services.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) under Grant 90EJIG0010-01-01. Grantees carrying out projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Therefore, points of view or opinions do not necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living or DHHS policył