Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version (START-AV)
Presented by: Jodi Viljoen, PhD and Keith Cruise, PhD
20 Hours / 20 CEs
On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training
This on-demand professional training program on Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability: Adolescent Version (START-AV) is presented by Jodi Viljoen, PhD and Keith Cruise, PhD.
This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts towards a certificate. Enroll in this program to earn credit towards Juvenile Forensic Assessment Certificate and share your new digital credentials with prospective employers and colleagues.
The START:AV is a risk assessment guide for adolescents. Rather than focusing on a single outcome (e.g., violence), the START:AV provides an integrative assessment of adolescents’ risks for Harm to others and rule violations and Harm to the adolescent. Whereas many tools focus primarily on risk factors, START:AV places a large emphasis on strengths in addition to vulnerabilities.
In addition, given that adolescence is a period of enormous change, the START:AV facilitates a dynamic approach by orienting professionals to strengths and vulnerabilities that are potentially modifiable. This program focuses on providing participants with the skills needed to use the START:AV to assess strengths, vulnerabilities, and risks. In addition, the program introduces participants to the use of START:AV in intervention planning. Throughout the program, there is a focus on working through case examples.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- 1 Describe an integrative assessment of adolescents’ risks for harm to others
- 2 Describe the assessment of adolescents’ risk rule violations
- 3 Describe the assessment of adolescents’ risks of harm to the adolescent
- 4 Describe the START-AV in intervention-planning
- 5 Describe the role of static and dynamic strength risk factors in risk assessment
- 6 Describe the role of static and dynamic strength risk factors in risk management
- 7 Describe the strengths in client management and safety planning
- 8 Describe the vulnerabilities in client management and safety planning
- 9 Describe how to administer START assessments
- 10 Describe how to interpret START assessments
- 11 Describe how to implement START assessments
- 12 Describe the administration, interpretation, and implementation through case examples
Training Instructors:
Jodi Viljoen, PhD
Dr. Jodi Viljoen, R. Psyc. is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Simon Fraser University, an Associate Director of the Institute for the Reduction of Youth Violence. She is an author of a the Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START:AV) and a risk reduction guide called the Adolescent Risk Reduction and Resilient Outcomes Work-Plan (ARROW). Dr. Viljoen’s research examines methods to assess and prevent violence, offending, victimization, and related outcomes in adolescents.
Keith Cruise, PhD
Dr. Keith Cruise is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University. Dr. Cruise conducts research on the clinical-forensic assessment of youth within the juvenile justice system. Various research projects have focused on developing and validating specialized risk assessment protocols, investigating the utility of mental health screening instruments with justice-involved youth, and understanding the connection between trauma exposure, trauma reactions, and delinquent behavior.
Earning a Certificate
This is a badge-earning program, which means it will help you earn a certificate that can be showcased on digital platforms like LinkedIn.
CE Sponsorship Information
Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here.
American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.
Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).
Sponsorship Approval Statements
Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.