The best screening tool foundation is a trusting relationship with the participant. It is imperative that the Financial and Employment Planners (FEPs) establish a trusting rapport as the basis for future communication and interaction. The participant should feel that the FEP has her best interests in mind as the focus of services offered. A series of open-ended questions could be asked in the most conversational way possible to begin this process. Some example questions could be, but may not be limited to the following:

• How have you been paying your bills up to this point?

• What has changed in your household?--in your life?

• How have these changes affected your normal daily living routine?

• Do you feel safe in your home?

• Do you understand how the W-2 program works?

• Can you do what the W-2 program requires?

• What kind of work experience do you have?

• Have you ever done any volunteer work?

• What are some of the things you consider to have been stumbling blocks in your life in the past?

• Do you still see these as stumbling blocks in your life now?

• Is the father of your child/children active in their lives?

• Would you like him to be more involved?

• If you could get your ideal job, what would it be?

• Would you say that you are prepared to accept your ideal job?  If not, what is in your way?
  
  
• Where do you see yourself 2-3 years from now?

The intent is that both the participant and the FEP have a clear understanding of immediate needs that may require services. The participant should be able to walk away with the feeling that there is genuine interest on the part of the FEP regarding her concerns and dreams, as well as her future, then a clear path to self-sufficiency can begin. The Mini OQ™-10.2 and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale have been recommended as the screening tools.

MINI OQ™-10.2

The OQ™-10.2 is a brief screening instrument designed to alert W-2 agency personnel to psychological distress in participants that may require further follow-up and/or intervention. It is intended to identify those participants who may require behavioral health intervention to improve their quality of life. The screen does not diagnose, rather it indicates if further attention and support might be necessary. The screening tool is found to be a reliable and valid measure of psychological distress with Hispanic, African American, and Caucasian racial groups. The OQ™-10.2 is self-administered and written at the sixth grade level. It can be read or translated to the participant without skewing the results; the OQ™-10.2 is also available in a Spanish version. The OQ™-10.2 can be used initially with the Resource Specialist during the W-2 application process, and then serve as a baseline or benchmark if it is administered each time the Employability Plan is updated.

Introducing the screening tool may bring a conversation to some self-disclosure about a participant's way of coping, including depression, interpersonal relationships, and social role performance. Although there are no specific questions that directly ask about using alcohol and/or drugs, those who are abusing drugs and/or alcohol will likely experience impairments in the above areas. Most likely, if the participant has AODA issues they will be also having problems with isolation, conflictual relationships, withdrawal, and feelings of inadequacy. Since the screen is self-administered it measures how the customer believes she is functioning, specifically, how she thinks she is doing in her interpersonal relationships with family or friends, in social roles at work, school, or home, and how she seems to be coping with stress. A score of a 19 or higher warrants a comprehensive clinical assessment. Many W-2 agencies have existing partnerships with mental health or AODA treatment providers to provide the service of a comprehensive clinical assessment. However, if the agency does not currently have this type of partnership, securing this service is necessary before implementing the use of any screening tool.

DWD has purchased the license agreement to administer the Mini OQ™-10.2 from American Professional Credentialing Services LLC. This license agreement is exclusively for Wisconsin Works (W-2) program applicants and participants. American Professional Credentialing Services LLC (APCS) maintains the copyright on the OQ™-10.2 and the administration and scoring manual; therefore, it is not a public document. Its use is restricted to bonafide licensees. The Department of Workforce Development's license allows for an unlimited number of administrations within the scope of the issued license, which is exclusive for W-2 applicants and participants. If W-2 agencies wish to administer the OQ™-10.2 to program applicants or participants not in W-2 they must purchase a separate license to do so. APCS has received a W-2 agency directory identifying all W-2 agencies throughout the state allowed to administer the OQ™-10.2.

It is the responsibility of each W-2 agency to purchase its own administration and scoring manual. At the time of this publication, the cost of the administration and scoring manual for the OQ™-10.2 was eight dollars ($8.00). To purchase the administration and scoring manual please contact:

American Professional Credentialing Services LLC
POB 477
Wharton, NJ 07885-0477
Phone: (888) 647-2673 Fax: (973) 366-8665

THE OQ™-10.2 FORM

MINI OQ™

A BRIEF QUESTIONNAIRE (OQ™ - 10.2)

INSTRUCTIONS: Looking back over the last week, including today, help us understand how you have been feeling. Please read each item carefully and mark the box (x ) under the category which best describes your current situation. For this questionnaire, work is defined as employment, school, housework, volunteer work, etc.

© 1998 American Professional Credentialing Services, LLC. All Rights Reserved. License Required for All Uses.
Developed by: Michael J. Lambert, Ph.D., Art E. Fintch, John Okishi & Curtis W. Reisinger, Ph. D.

ROSENBERG SELF-ESTEEM SCALE

Dr. Morris Rosenberg introduced the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in his 1965 book titled Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) is another screening tool that can be used to identify low self-esteem in W-2 applicants/participants. The Rosenberg is a four-point scale, from strongly agree to strongly disagree. RSE chose not to use the "neutral or undecided" option on the scale in order to force people to make a choice one way or another. Even if people are sure they do not know, when forced to guess, there turns out to be useful information in the guess. The RSE has been found to be a reliable and valid measure of psychological distress among adolescents and young adults. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale has ten items that address the concept of self-acceptance to determine the participants' current level of self-esteem. The range of possible scores are 10 to 40 with the higher scores indicating that a higher level of self-esteem exists. Any score below a 25 should warrant a comprehensive clinical assessment. There are no proprietary restrictions on the use of the RSE, it is a screening tool that is available in the public domain.

Participants are asked to agree or disagree with the following ten statements from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree, with a numeric value give to each response.

1. I feel that I'm a person of worth, at least on an equal plan with others.
2. I feel that I have a number of good qualities.
3. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure.
4. I am able to do things as well as most other people.
5. I feel I do not have much to be proud of.
6. I take a positive attitude toward myself.
7. On the whole, I am satisfied with myself.
8. I wish I could have more respect for myself.
9. I certainly feel useless at times.
10. At times I think I am no good at all.

A scoring key is on the next page. The items with the asterisks represent low self-esteem. A reproducible copy of the OQ™-10.2 and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale are available in the DES Forms Repository.

ROSENBERG SELF-ESTEEM SCALE SCORING KEY

Please respond to the following items about yourself. There are no right or wrong answers. Your first impression is usually the best reflection of your feelings.

Please put an "X" in the box

I feel that I'm a person of worth, at least on an equal plane with others.

Total:____________

ROSENBERG SELF-ESTEEM SCALE -- Developed by Dr. Morris Rosenberg