INSTRUCTIONS:
This is not a structured interview. It is a 20-item guideline for you to use early in your assessment process with youth that will provide you with strength-based information to incorporate into the Case Plan. Research and practice suggest that gathering information about a youth's strengths in the areas of 1) Creating a Healthy Identity, 2) Connecting With Family, Peers, and Community, and 3) Repairing Harm will provide you with needed strengths-based information for the Case Plan.
Section A: Repairing Harm
01. Exploring how it feels to help or hurt others
| * Talk about a time you did something for someone else that you felt really good about. Who noticed? |
| * How did they respond? |
| * Think of something in the past that you did that hurt someone else. How do you feel about that now? |
| * What did you do to make it right? If you didn't do anything, what could you have done? |
| * Is there anything you could do now? |
02. Experiences with apology in personal relationships
| * Describe a time when someone apologized to you for something they did that hurt you. How did that make you feel? |
| * How did that change your relationship with that person? |
| * Describe the last time you apologized to another person. How did that make you feel? |
| * Did it change the way you acted toward the other person? |
03. Knowing right from wrong
| * Think about who in your life taught you the most about right and wrong. What are a couple of examples of what that person taught you? |
| * Are there other people who have also taught you about right and wrong? Are any of these people in your life right now? |
04. Willingness to repair harm from the incident
| * Think about what got you in trouble this last time. Is there anything you've already done to make up for your actions? |
| * Do you think there's anything more that you could do? |
| * On a scale of 1-5 (1=not at all, 5=very), how willing are you to do anything more? |
05. Ability to make safe choices
| * What are ways that you could show people that you'll make safe choices in the future? |
| * How would these choices benefit you? |
06. Community connections
| * Communities are places where people are connected to each other, like a neighborhood, school, or faith-based institution (church, synagogue). What do you like/not like about your community? |
| * What things can you do in your community that will make it a better place? |
| * Your recent choices may have affected your community connections-what could help you connect again? |
| * How can your friends support you in maintaining positive community connections? |
Section B: Creating a Healthy Identity
07. Personal Goals
| * What are your goals for yourself? |
| * What steps are you taking to achieve these goals? |
| * Is there anything that gets in the way of achieving these goals? |
08. Personal Strengths
| * What do you think your strengths are? (What are the things you like to do that you feel you are good at?) Name two. |
| * How can these strengths help you in your future goals? |
09. Family Strengths
| * What does your family do well? |
10. Pride
| * What are the things in your life that you are most proud of? |
11. Experience Overcoming Challenges
| * Describe an experience that you felt was difficult or challenging that you were able to overcome. |
| * What challenges are you currently working on? |
12. Safety
| * Describe the people that you feel the most safe with. |
| * What is it about those people that makes you feel safe? |
Section C: Connecting with Family, Peers, and Community
13. Admiration
| * Who in your family, neighborhood or school do you see doing good things in the community? |
| * What kinds of things do they do? |
| * Who would you like to get to know better who would be a positive influence in your life? |
14. Problem-solving
| * Who do you turn to when you have a problem? |
| * Describe someone you've known who made poor decisions and then got back on track. |
15. Helping others
| * Describe a time when someone helped you or gave you something you needed. |
| * Why do you think people do things like that? |
16. Family as a resource
| * Think about the people you include in your family. |
| * What kinds of things are they good at? |
| * Who in your family do you admire the most? Why? |
17. Friends as a resource
| * Think about your group of friends. What kinds of things are they good at? |
| * Who in your group of friends do you admire the most? |
| * Why? |
18. School or work as a resource
| * Think about your school or where you work. In those places, what do you do the best? | ||
| * What things take the hardest work? | ||
| * Is there anything that keeps you from reaching your goals? |
| * Think about your community. Are there things that need to be fixed? |
| * What could you do to help fix them? |
| * What have you already done in your community to make it better? |
20. Experiences teaching, helping, or leading
| * Describe your experiences being a mentor, teacher, or leader for others. |
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