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RSAT Forum > Monthly Discussion > November 2019: Fidelity Assessments of RSAT Programs View modes: 
skeller - 11/25/2019 2:15:43 PM
   
November 2019: Fidelity Assessments of RSAT Programs
Question:
Our RSAT program is getting a bit rusty after many years. How can we determine if we are keeping upw ith what we should be doing?

Answer:
We are so glad you asked! This year, the Bureau of Justice Assistance that provies states RSAT funding has directed AHP, the agency that provides RSAT training and technical assistance, to begin conducting fidelity assessments of RSAT prorgams based on its promulgated standards Promising Practice Guidelines for Residential Substance Abuse Treatment. This and other publications can be found on the RSAT website homepage. You can look at these guidelines and see if your program meets these minimum standards. While eventually all RSAT programs will be assessed to determine compliance with these standards, you can request your program be assessed sooner rather than later, and AHP will try to accomodate you. The assessment begins with a phone interview, followed by a visit from a two-person team. The team then writes up a (nonpublic) report on it's findings that is provided to you. The assessments are designed to let you know your program's compliance with guidelines so you can address any gaps or challenges found. It is not designed to grade programs.

The instrument and process used to assess programs was designed with the assistance of six RSAT programs in prisons and jails located in four states. All found the process beneficial and identified gaps that could be improved. The assessment in some cases helped the program get additional resources from their jail/prison administrators to address these gaps.

Here is a link to a sample fidelity assessment report completed previously with the identity of the RSAT program removed.

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