During her presentation at the fall 2022 JJAM conference, SCAO Management Analyst Tanya Morrow asked if anybody was using the MJJAS assessment. One person in the room shyly raised her hand. This shocked me as the MJJAS assessment is free for Michigan Juvenile Justice Agencies. Not only is it free, but it’s also available in YouthCenter.
What is the MJJAS?
The MJJAS is a research-based, validated assessment instrument developed by the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute (UCCI) and is known as the Ohio Youth Assessment System© (OYAS). The MDHHS contracts with UCCI to utilize the OYAS and refer to the risk assessment as the MJJAS. The OYAS (aka: MJJAS in Michigan) is a structured decision-making assessment tool that identifies the likelihood a youth will participate in future delinquent behavior and helps inform placement and treatment decisions. When used over time, scores show changes in risk level based upon changes in a youth’s behavioral profile and life situation.
The MJJAS and YouthCenter
At the suggestion of Crawford County in 2019, we added 4 versions of the MJJAS assessment in YouthCenter. These assessments are available to all Michigan-based organizations using YouthCenter. It should be noted that certification is required to administer the MJJAS risk assessments before using them in YouthCenter. A 5th MJJAS assessment is scheduled to be added to YouthCenter in early 2023.
Assessments can be scheduled with reminders in YouthCenter. Scores/progress over time may be viewed. The scoring and comments associated with the MJJAS assessment may be reported out and combined with data regarding Programs and Services in YouthCenter. This combined reporting can help to form a larger picture of program or service effectiveness or a youth's progress.
Getting Trained on the MJJAS
MJJAS training sessions for the fiscal year 2023 are listed below. Maximum enrollment is generally limited to 20 participants per session. Training attendees complete two full, consecutive days or four consecutive half days of training to be eligible for certification testing. It is highly recommended that MDHHS staff and supervisors complete the Juvenile Justice Program System Training (JJPST) through the Office of Workforce Development and Training (OWDT) prior to scheduling MJJAS training. Certification is required to administer the MJJAS risk assessments.
Training Dates:
- January 31 – February 3, 2023 – Virtual (half day trainings)
- March 16-17, 2023 – Virtual
- May 10-11, 2023 – Virtual
- July 12-13, 2023 – Virtual
- August 2-3, 2023 – Virtual
- October 18-19, 2023 – Virtual
- December 13-14, 2023 - Virtual
Training can be scheduled via the MDHHS Learning Management System (MDHHS LMS) for MDHHS staff or state of Michigan juvenile court staff may schedule by contacting MDHHS at [email protected].
View the full MJJAS Annual Report FY2022 and information on FY2023 here.
If your organization does not have access to the Assessments application in YouthCenter, please contact us to enable it.