Section 380.8505 - Initial Assessment(a) Purpose. This rule establishes the assessment process for each youth initially admitted to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD).(b) General Provisions. (1) Assessments are used to identify: (A) immediate safety, medical, mental health, and housing needs;(B) specialized treatment needs;(C) case planning issues, including individual risk and protective factors; and(D) risk and restriction level for initial placement.(2) The assessment process is designed to be completed within 21 calendar days after the youth's arrival at the Orientation and Assessment Unit.(3) Treatment and case planning activities initiated at the Orientation and Assessment Unit focus on the youth's long-term needs and eventual re-entry into the community.(c) Assessments Completed prior to Dormitory Placement. Within 24 hours after admission and prior to assigning a youth to a dormitory in the Orientation and Assessment Unit, appropriate staff members conduct:(1) medical and mental health screenings, which include, at a minimum, a review of the youth's: (C) substance abuse history;(F) violent offense history; and(G) sex offense history; and(2) a screening for risk to display sexually aggressive or assaultive behavior or to be sexually victimized; and(3) a safe-housing assessment in accordance with § 380.8524 of this title.(d) Assessments Completed within 21 Days after Admission. No later than 21 calendar days after a youth's admission to TJJD, appropriate staff members at the Orientation and Assessment Unit conduct additional assessments, including, but not limited to: (1) assessment of individual risk and protective factors;(2) religious preference assessment;(3) educational assessment;(4) workforce development needs and skills;(5) screening and assessment for substance use disorders;(6) assessment of need for specialized treatment;(7) assessment of behavior while at the Orientation and Assessment Unit;(8) comprehensive psychological evaluation, including review of prior treatment;(10) medical examination, including review of history and prior treatment; and(11) comprehensive psychiatric evaluation of the youth, including review of prior treatment, if: (A) the youth is identified during admission as having a current prescription for psychotropic medication or as having been prescribed psychotropic medication at any time within the 60 days prior to admission;(B) the youth's psychological evaluation shows the need for a psychiatric referral; or(C) the youth has been assigned a minimum length of stay of 12 months or longer or the youth has been committed under a determinate sentence, unless TJJD receives the results of a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation of the youth conducted not more than 90 days prior to admission.(e) Treatment and Case Planning. (1) A summary of assessment results and treatment needs is developed for each youth at the Orientation and Assessment Unit. This summary is used as a basis for placement decisions, in accordance with § 380.8521 of this title, and for development of the individual case plan, in accordance with § 380.8701 of this title.(2) For each youth assessed as having one or more specialized treatment needs, a specialized treatment plan is developed, reviewed, and re-evaluated in accordance with § 380.8751 of this title.37 Tex. Admin. Code § 380.8505
The provisions of this §380.8505 adopted to be effective December 31, 1996, 21 TexReg 11956; amended to be effective June 21, 1999, 24 TexReg 4461; amended to be effective December 16, 1999, 24 TexReg 10362; amended to be effective January 16, 2006, 30 TexReg 8447; amended to be effective September 1, 2009, 34 TexReg 5539; amended to be effective November 1, 2011, 36 TexReg 7169; transferred effective June 4, 2012, as published in the Texas Register June 22, 2012, 37 TexReg 4639; amended to be effective April 1, 2014, 39 TexReg 2127; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 42, Number 47, November 24, 2017, TexReg 6632, eff. 12/1/2017