Screening Instruments

The screening instruments identified in the next section are available at no cost to agencies and require minimal training to effectively implement.

Screening Instruments for Substance Use

The following screening instruments to identify substance use have been validated in a correctional setting. These instruments can be used during the intake process to help identify immediate risk and needs.

Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10): The DAST-10 is a 10-item scale designed to screen for potential drug use. The instrument is available from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Texas Christian University (TCU) Drug Screen 5: The TCU Drug Screen 5 is a 17-item scale that screens for mild to severe substance use disorder. The TCU Drug Screen 5 also has an opioid supplement to identify the needs of people with opioid use disorders. The instrument is available from the Texas Christian University.

Screening Instruments for Substance Use Withdrawl

Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS): The COWS is an 11-item scale used to identify common signs and symptoms of opiate withdrawal and monitor these symptoms over time. The instrument is available from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised (CIWA-Ar): The CIWA-AR is a 10-item scale used to measure alcohol withdrawal symptoms. The instrument is available from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment – Benzodiazepines (CIWA-B): The CIWA-B is a 22-item scale measuring benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms. The instrument is available from the Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Training and Workforce Development.

Screening Instruments for Mental Health?

The following screening instrument to identify mental health conditions has been validated in a correctional setting. This instrument can be used during the intake process to help identify immediate risk and needs. The instrument is available from the American Psychological Association.

Brief Jail and Mental Health Screen (BJMHS): The BJMHS is an eight-item questionnaire that takes approximately two to three minutes to administer. It includes questions about psychiatric treatment history. The BJMHS has been validated in criminal justice settings and is available from the Policy Research Associates.

Screening Instruments for Suicide Risk

Several screening instruments to identify suicide risks that have been validated in the community can also be used in correctional settings. These instruments can be administered during the intake process to help identify immediate risk and needs, as well as in certain situations during a person’s period of incarceration, such as placement in restrictive housing/segregation following a court hearing, proximate to a transfer, or as the result of a change in security status.

The following list includes some of the screening tools that have been validated on community populations:

Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS): Two versions of this suicide risk assessment instrument are available:

The “Screener Since Last Asked with Triage Points for Corrections” version of the C-SSRS screens for suicidal ideation and behavior since the individual’s last visit.
“Screener with Triage Points for Corrections” version is a shortened form of the full version.

All versions of the instrument are available from Columbia Lighthouse Project.

Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R): The SBQ-R is a four-item questionnaire that includes questions about suicidality over the lifespan and future risk. The instrument is available from the University of Nebraska.

Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9): The PHQ-9 is a nine-item questionnaire used most often in primary care settings that has been validated in identifying high-risk individuals. The instrument is available from the American Psychological Association.