The Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) is a structured assessment tool designed to facilitate the effective intervention and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders by assessing each youth's risk level and criminogenic needs. The present study examined the YLS/ CMI's reliability and validity in a sample of 107 juvenile offenders who were court-referred for mental health assessments. Results demonstrated the YLS/CMI's internal consistency and interrater reliability. Moreover, the instrument's predictive validity was substantiated on a number of recidivism measures for both males and females. Limitations of the current findings are discussed.A ccording to Andrews, Bonta, and Hoge (1990), effective offender rehabilitation requires the appropriate classification of an individual's criminogenic risk level and needs. The assessment of risk is important for making informed decisions about levels of super-329 Schmidt et al. / RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF YLS/CMI

A growing body of research has been dedicated to developing adolescent risk assessment instruments, but much of this research has been limited to short-term tests of predictive validity. The current study examined the predictive and incremental validity of the Youth Level of Service/ Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI), Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), and Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) in adolescent offenders over a mean 10-year follow-up period. Each instrument predicted general recidivism with moderate- (YLS/CMI area under the curve [AUC] = .66) -to-large effect sizes (SAVRY AUC = .74; PCL:YV AUC = .79). However, there was variation in predictive validity across types of recidivism, and all three instruments were better at predicting recidivism in males than females. SAVRY total also demonstrated incremental validity over its structured professional judgment of risk. Clinical implications and future directions for youth risk assessment are discussed.

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The 13C/12C of atmospheric methane (CH4) was measured at Point Barrow (71°N, 156°W), Olympic Peninsula (48°N, 126°W), Mauna Loa (19°N, 155°W), and Cape Grim (41°S, 144°E) between 1987 and 1989. The global average δ13CPDB from these measurements (n = 208) was −47.20 ± 0.13%o. The lowest mean annual δ13C value of‐47.61 ± 0.14‰ was measured at Point Barrow with values increasing to ‐47.03 ± 0.14‰ at Cape Grim. The seasonal cycle in the δ13C of CH4 was greatest at Point Barrow, with an amplitude of 0.5‰, and varied inversely with concentration. The isotopic fractionation during CH4 oxidation is calculated to be 0.993 ± 0.002 based on the measured CH4 concentration and δ13C values. The 14C content of atmospheric CH4, measured at monthly intervals at the Olympic Peninsula site between 1987 and 1989, is increasing at 1.4 ± 0.5 pM yr−1, primarily owing to 14CH4 release from nuclear reactors. The global average 14C content of 122 pM for CH4 implies a fossil methane source strength that is 16% of the total source. The global mean δ13C of −47.2‰, when coupled with the 14C results, implies that ∼11% of the total CH4 release rate is derived from biomass burning. These results indicate for a total CH4 source of ∼550 Tg yr−1 that natural gas release accounts for ∼90 Tg yr−1 and biomass burning yields ∼60 Tg yr−1. Preliminary analyses of the δ13C data using a three‐dimensional chemical tracer model indicate that the observed meridional gradients in the annual average δ13C and concentration of CH4 are most closely matched with a CH4 source scenario in which 11% of the CH4 is derived from biomass burning.

Violence is a serious social problem that is often encountered in the youth justice system. Identifying those adolescents who are at the highest risk for future violence is an important step toward effective rehabilitation. The current study examined the predictive validity of the Structured Assessment for Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), a structured professional judgment risk tool, in a sample of 121 juvenile offenders. The SAVRY was found to have strong predictive validity, a finding that was robust across gender and ethnicity. The SAVRY obtained ROC values of .75 and .66 for general and violent recidivism, respectively, for 1 year, and values of .76 and .77 for general and violent recidivism, respectively, for 3-year follow-up. For nonviolent recidivism, the ROC values were .80 for 1-year and .68 during 3 years. Use of the SAVRY in the youth justice system, and limitations of the study, are discussed.

With the increasing focus on service accountability, there is an urgent need to identify empirically supported treatments (ESTs) and disseminate their use in the daily practice of mental health organizations. This article describes the authors' experiences of implementing an EST at a children's mental health center by involving the collaboration of clinicians, administrators, and innovator(s). Initially, a small group of clinicians voluntarily commit to pilot test the EST, with the intention of evaluating the adoption and integration of the treatment model into the organization's full-service delivery system. Using E. M. Rogers's (1995) work on the diffusion of innovations, the current case study example suggests that ESTs can be flexibly and successfully implemented with integrity.

The predictive validity of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) and the use of professional override were examined in a matched sample of youth who committed sexual (n = 204) and non-sexual (n = 185) offenses. Based on the actuarial score, the YLS/CMI obtained moderate to strong levels of predictive validity for non-violent, violent, sexual, and technical recidivism in both samples of youth. Probation officers always used override to increase risk level classification and did so at a high level for both sexual (n = 151; 74.0%) and non-sexual (n = 77; 41.6%) offending youth. There was a detrimental impact on the predictive validity of the YLS/CMI for youth who received an override adjustment, regardless of offending category. These preliminary findings suggest that the application of override should be carefully considered on instruments such as the YLS/CMI.

The relative contribution of court-ordered mental health reports and legal factors in determining young offender dispositions was examined. Poor quality of home conditions and severity of substance abuse, as coded from mental health reports, significantly increased the odds of receiving custody over a term of probation once legal factors were controlled. Legal factors significantly predicted probation length, whereas mental health factors only made a small contribution through externalizing behavior problems. The overall concordance between clinicians' mental health recommendations and court dispositions was 67.5%. Although these results suggest mental health reports influence disposition decision making, this influence is more limited than expected given that the purpose of these reports is to assist such decision making. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.