The Sacramento Assessment Center is a residential-based assessment service utilized by the Juvenile Justice system in Sacramento County, California. This service utilizes a multi-dimensional approach to assessment, looking closely at ten different areas of functioning, including psychological, psychiatric, criminological, substance use, educational, occupational, recreational, social attachment, medical, and placement adjustment. The paper describes both the rational for and the process of this assessment, exploring the personnel and tools required to produce this level of service to adjudicated youth. The general conclusion is that an extensive, multi-dimensional assessment is an important service to render, in order to identify criminological needs, specify appropriate placement and services, and thus make the most efficient use of limited resources available to serve this population and lower recidivism rates.
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