General

• Which forms make up the CEST? MOT, PSY, SOC, ENG
• Which forms make up the IPASS? TCU Drug Screen, CRHS, ENG
• How do I obtain the custom Scantron form definition/application files for TCU Forms?Please contact us and we will mail you a CD free of charge. We ask that you provide us with the following information: which forms you plan to use, which software you've purchased (Scanbook or Scantools Plus), and your mailing address.
• Do you provide training?- Yes, we provide remote access support, phone support, and on-site training. Please see our training link.

Getting Started

• What are ADC forms? ADC stands for Automated Data Collection. ADC forms were developed to automate data collection processes and to simplify the use of the database of client responses.
• How can the data be used? Data-driven decision making can be used by counselors and clinical staff to develop treatment plans for their clients. Programs can use the data to measure program metrics, to produce predictive analytics (e.g., risk of relapse into criminal behavior), and to prepare evaluations for contract and funding purposes.
• What are the requirements to start? A basic computer (Windows XP or 7; stand-alone or networked), a Scantron scanner (Insight20), Scantron software (ScanTools+), custom form definition/application files, ADC forms, Microsoft Excel (2003 or above), and a printer if paper reports will be produced. Personnel need to have training with the scanner, scanning software, and be proficient with Excel.
• Do I need to invest in lots of hardware and software? No, you can enter client responses manually into the Excel file and produce the same dataset and reports without purchasing a scanner. This option may be useful for small programs (less than 35 clients assessed per month) or for "proof of concept."
• Do I need special training to implement the ADC forms on a large scale? Yes, you may need to conduct a training seminar for the personnel involved. We have extensive experience conducting training with both public and private agencies. A user guide is available as an overview.
• Do I need to do all the forms? No, this modular approach enables you to select forms that cover the topics and scales that will benefit your program. Choose only the ones that make sense for your needs.
• How often should the assessments be repeated? This is an agency decision. Some programs assess at intake as a "pre-test" and again at discharge as a "post-test." Others use the assessments as each phase of treatment is completed. Assessing short time segments (less than 30 days apart) is not recommended.

Forms - Best practices about filling out both adult and adolescent assessment forms. Do some planning about what to put in the unique identifier fields (e.g., CLIENTID, ADMIN, FACILITY) to ensure that the data retrieval will make sense for the months and years down the road.

• What goes in the CLIENTID field? The CLIENTID is the key identifier to know who filled out this form. The report worksheet depends on the CLIENTID as the key identifier to query the database for the responses from one unique client. The CLIENTID can contain up to nine numeric entries. If there are less than nine numbers in the CLIENTID, enter leading zeros as needed and then the number (e.g., if the CLIENTID is 6 digits, then enter 3 leading zeros, 000123456)
• What goes in the Admin field? 01=intake, or pre-test. 02=discharge, or post-test. Note: if more than 2 time points are being assessed, adjust the numbering accordingly.
• What goes in the Facility# field? This field can be left blank or used to distinguish between programs at your correctional center or agency.
• What goes in the ZIP code field? This field can be left blank or used to further distinguish between programs or individuals.
• Do you have any tips on bubbling-in the boxes? Yes, use Number 2 pencils with erasers. Mark one answer per question, making sure that there is no blank space inside the box. It's okay if marks are a little outside the lines. Checkmarks or Xs should be avoided.

Excel

• Why isn't the ENG form in TCUReport 1? At intake, the client typically has not met their counselor or participated in treatment yet. This form measures treatment participation, counselor rapport, and other scales related to having been in treatment a while. Report 2, 3, and 4 contain the ENG score worksheets. This applies to both adult and adolescent versions of the forms.
• Why didn't the Excel "text import wizard" show up? Microsoft disabled the text import wizard in the newest version of Excel for worksheets with protected formulas. An easy work-around is to open a blank worksheet in TCUreport1 (and the others) and simply paste the text into the blank worksheet, use the text import wizard (as directed in the user guide), and then cut and paste the re-formatted text to the proper worksheet for raw data.
• What does the error mean when it gives a warning that a particular cell is protected?Typically, these are an indication that the user has attempted to type information into a cell that is not available for user input. In fact, what this error really means is that it contains a special formula or function that the report depends on for accuracy and the cell is protected from unintentional changes. Recommendation: if you receive a popup error, check the position of the cursor and find the proper place to type the information into the worksheet.
• What do the flags mean? On the adult forms, it is an alert that the individual's scale score needs attention; it was at least one standard deviation above or below the facility mean.

Adolescent

• What do the flags mean? On the adolescent forms, it is an alert that the youth's scale score deserves special attention; it was at least one standard deviation from the population average and in a negative direction. For example, if Depression and Hostility are flagged, the youth has higher depression and higher hostility that deserve special attention. Conversely, if Readiness for Change is flagged, the youth has lower treatment readiness that deserves special attention. Note: the flag comparisons are different for adult and adolescent versions. The adolescent version compares the individual's scale scores with the population average (from a large national sample of youth in residential and community substance abuse treatment programs). The adult forms compare an individual with the facility average.
• Why compare with population average instead of facility average? To make statistically valid comparisons, a large sample size is needed (100 or more). Typically, youth programs are small and collecting a large sample to make facility average meaningful could take a year or more. To minimize this problem, flags in the Excel ADOL reports compare an individual youth's scale scores to the population average (see above).
• Is there an adolescent CTS form? No, however, the HVCT contains 3 of the criminal thinking dimensions from the CTS (power orientation, cold heartedness, personal irresponsibility). The THK A & B forms also involve youth cognitions such as thinking styles and thinking errors.
• Is there an adolescent TRMA form? No, use the TCU TRMA (adapted from Weathers, Litz, Huska, Keane, 1994).

Interpretation

• What does the social desirability score mean? This scale was adapted from the Marlowe & Crowne Social Desirability Scale (1984) which measured the degree to which someone was attempting to portray themself in a socially acceptable manner. At face value, it is a means of detecting "response bias", whether someone is being truthful in their responses. If staff see a very high (or very low) social desirability score, as well as scale scores for other dimensions that don't seem to describe the client very accurately, a re-test is recommended.
• What does "MARKED AGREE" mean on the SOCForm report (both adult & adolescent)? A special question was included on the MOT, PSY, and SOC forms to detect whether the respondent was reading the questions or just marking answers randomly. On the SOCForm the question reads "Please mark AGREE as your answer to this question." A YES on the SOC report indicates that the respondant answered correctly by marking AGREE. A NO would indicate that they did not pass this accuracy check (did not mark AGREE as their answer to the SOC question).