Short Term Assessment of Risk & Treatability (START)
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14 hours | 14 CEs
This on-demand professional training program on START: An Introduction to Structured Professional Judgement is presented by Sarah Desmarais, PhD, and Tonia Nicholls, PhD.
This program provides foundational training on the use of the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START), a 20-item structured professional judgment guide developed to support decisions and case planning for persons with mental health and/or criminal justice needs and who may pose a risk of violence to self or others.
The START provides for the differential coding of clinically relevant strengths and vulnerabilities to inform the assessment and management of violence and related risks (suicide, self-harm, substance abuse, victimization, etc.). This approach has been implemented and evaluated in more than 70 studies and translated into eight languages. It is recognized as a best practice for the assessment and management of violence and related risks.
This program describes the development, design, and format of START as well as the results of existing and ongoing research. A case-based approach is used to focus this training on the process of using the START to guide assessment and the use of START assessments to improve outcomes.
Intended Audience
This on-demand professional training program is intended for mental health and other allied professionals
Experience Level
This on-demand professional training program is appropriate for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level clinicians.
CE / CPD Credit
APA, ASWB, CPA, NBCC Click here for state and other regional board approvals.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program you will be able to:
Describe the rationale for adopting the START into clinical practice
Describe the relevance of the START for diverse populations, settings, and decision contexts
Describe the various components of the START and how to assess them
Describe how protective factors and risk factors can both be simultaneously present or absent
Describe how to integrate historical and current information to empirically inform evidence-based risk assessment
Describe the intersection of related case outcomes (e.g., suicide, substance abuse, violence)
Complete and justify a START assessment
Describe the empirical research support for START
Describe how the START can be used in practice to support rapport building and engagement
Describe how the START can inform case formulations
Presented By
Tonia L. Nicholls, PhD
Dr. Nicholls is Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UBC and Distinguished Scientist and Lead, Forensic Research BC Mental Health and Substance User Services and President-Elect, International Association of Forensic Mental Health. She holds cross-appointments at UBC including the SPPH and an Adjunc...
Presented By
Sarah L. Desmarais, PhD
Sarah L. Desmarais, Ph.D., is the President at Policy Research Associates, Inc. (PRA) since 2022. She is responsible for the strategic priorities of PRA and oversight of PRA operations. Dr. Desmarais received her Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology and Law from Simon Fraser University and completed a postd...
Curriculum
1. Introduction
2. START Items
3. START Risk Estimates
4. Case Coding - Billy
5. Discussion - Billy
6. Risk Formulation
7. START Review and Reminders
8. Case Study - Mr. L
9. Discussion - Mr. L - Part 1
10. Discussion - Mr. L - Part 2
Develop a Specialty Area of Practice
Transforming mental health professionals into experts
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CE Credit
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Convenience & Flexibility
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