Interpretation: Assessments should be child, adult, or family-focused, as appropriate to the needs and wishes of the applicant, the service population, or program type.

PA-DDS 3.01

The individual is the primary source of information about the need for service.

PA-DDS 3.02

The information gathered for assessment is:

germane to the reasons for the request or referral and service objectives;
directed at concerns identified in initial screenings; and
limited to material pertinent for providing requested services.

Note: Refer to the Assessment Matrix for intake assessment criteria. The elements of the matrix can be tailored according to the needs of specific individuals or service design.

PA-DDS 3.03

Assessments are completed within timeframes established by the agency for timely initiation of services and are updated periodically.

PA-DDS 3.04

Assessments are conducted in a culturally responsive manner, and identify resources that can increase service participation and success.

Interpretation: Culturally responsive assessments can include attention to geographic location, age, developmental level, language of choice, means of communication, sexual orientation, and the person's racial, ethnic, and cultural background.

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	PURPOSE: Children, youth, and adults who participate in Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities achieve full integration and inclusion in the mainstream, make choices, exert control over their lives, and fully participate in, and contribute to, their communities.

RELATED FILES

PA_DDS Template.doc
DDS Supplement Replacement.pdf
NA Request.doc
PA-DDS Reference List.pdf


	SERVICE One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.


	ASSESSMENT An evaluation, which utilizes professional expertise and skills in the collection and analysis of data to understand and describe the nature of service needs of an individual, family, or group. Assessment, as in needs assessment, is also used to determine priorities of program planning and service development for the organization as a whole. See also DIAGNOSIS.


	FAMILY Two or more people who consider themselves family and who assume obligations, functions, and responsibilities generally essential to healthy family life. Child care and child socialization, income support, long-term care, and other caregiving are among the functions of family life. The definition of "family" will rest with an individual's indication of who plays a family member role, including current or former foster family, adoptive family, extended family members, fictive kin, or significant others. Organizations that believe family is the central constellation in a child's life, and that family attachments are of primary importance for human development, will strive to work with professional staff to develop a common understanding of "family."


	SERVICE POPULATION A group or target population that the organization's services are designed to serve in accord with its mission, and which includes the organization's service recipients. An organization's service population may be defined by geographic location, specific problems or needs, religion, ethnicity, culture, or other factors.


	PROGRAM A system of services offered by an organization. For example, an organization providing a mental health service may offer several mental health programs to different populations, e.g., a mental health program for adolescent teens. The word "program" can be used interchangeably with the word "service" or to describe specific programs.


	OBJECTIVE A sub-goal stated in operational terms, i.e., a statement that makes clear what expected results are to be measured or assessed.