Understand the meaning of the Moods/Emotions, Home, and/or Substance Use Subscales
Determine
which CAFAS
Determine
which CAFAS
If you are rating the CAFAS
These three subscales have a very specific meaning, as described below:
Moods/Emotions: For the Moods/Emotions subscale, Emotions = anxiety, depression, moodiness, fear, worry, irritability, tenseness, panic, anhedonia
Home: For the Home subscale, Home = Place of residence
Substance Use: For the Substance Use subscale, Substances = alcohol or drugs
There have been some minor changes to the wording of the CAFAS Items to clarify their intent. See below for a table that outlines the changes:
Subscale |
Item # |
Old Item Description |
New Item Description |
Description of Changes |
School |
008 |
Disruptive behavior, including poor attention or high activity level, persists despite the youth having been placed in a special learning environment or receiving a specialized program or treatment. |
Disruptive behavior, including poor attention or high activity level, persists despite the youth having been placed in a special learning environment or receiving a specialized program or treatment (e.g., emotionally impaired school resources) |
Addition of examples at the end of the item. |
School |
017 |
Disruptive behavior, including poor attention or high activity level, resulting in individualized program or specialized treatment being needed or implemented. |
Disruptive behavior, including poor attention or high activity level, resulting in individualized program or specialized treatment being needed or implemented (e.g., emotionally impaired school resources) |
Addition of examples at the end of the item. |
School |
018 |
Receiving a reprimand, warning, or equivalent at work. |
At work, received a reprimand, warning, or equivalent |
Started the item with "At work" |
Home |
041 |
Not in the home due to behavior that occurred in the home during the rating period. |
Not in the home due to child's behavior that occurred in the home during the rating period |
Specified that it is the child's behavior |
Community |
066 |
Confined related to behavior which seriously violated the law (e.g., stealing involving confrontation of a victim, auto theft, robbery, mugging, purse snatching, fraud, dealing or carrying drugs, break-ins, rape, murder, drive-by shooting, prostitution). |
Confined related to behavior which seriously violated the law (e.g., stealing involving confrontation of a victim, auto theft, robbery, mugging, purse snatching, fraud, dealing or carrying drugs, break-ins, rape, murder, drive-by shooting, prostitution, violation of probation conditions) |
Added "violation of probation conditions" |
Community |
067 |
Substantial evidence of, or convicted of, serious violation of the law (e.g., stealing involving confrontation of a victim, auto theft, robbery, mugging, purse snatching, fraud, dealing or carrying drugs, break-ins, rape, murder, drive-by shooting, prostitution) |
Substantial evidence of, or convicted of, serious violation of the law (e.g., stealing involving confrontation of a victim, auto theft, robbery, mugging, purse snatching, fraud, dealing or carrying drugs, break-ins, rape, murder, drive-by shooting, prostitution, violation of probation conditions) |
Added "violation of probation conditions" |
Community |
073 |
Serious and/or repeated delinquent behavior (e.g., stealing without confronting a victim as in shoplifting, vandalism, defacing property, taking a car for a joyride). |
Serious and/or repeated delinquent behavior (e.g., stealing without confronting a victim, shoplifting, vandalism, defacing property, taking a car for a joyride) |
Removed "as in" before shoplifting |
Behavior Toward Others |
096 |
Poor judgment or impulsive behavior resulting in dangerous or risky activities that could lead to injury or getting into trouble, more than other youths. |
Poor judgment or impulsive behavior resulting in dangerous or risky activities that could lead to injury or harm to others, more than other youths |
Replaced "getting into trouble" with "harm to others" |
Moods/Emotions |
126 |
Emotional blunting (i.e., no or few signs of emotional expression; emotional expression is markedly flat). |
For traumatized youth, emotional blunting (i.e., no or few signs of emotional expression; emotional expression is markedly flat) OR marked distress around recollections, dreams, or reminders related to the original trauma |
Specified that it is for traumatized youth and added descriptions |
Substance Use |
154 |
Lifestyle centers on acquisition and use (e.g., preoccupied with thoughts or urges to use substances, cravings for substances, uses in the morning). |
Lifestyle centers on acquisition and use of any substances (e.g., preoccupied with thoughts or urges to use substances; cravings for substances; uses in the morning) |
Added "of any substances" |
Substance Use |
155 |
Dependent on continuing use to maintain functioning (e.g., likely to experience withdrawal symptoms such as feeling sick, headaches, nausea, vomiting, shaking, etc.). |
Dependent on continuing substance use to maintain functioning (e.g., likely to experience withdrawal symptoms such as feeling sick, headaches, nausea, vomiting, shaking, etc.) |
Added the word "Substance" |
Substance Use |
156 |
Failing or expelled from school related to effects of usage. |
Failing or expelled from school related to effects of substance usage |
Added the word "Substance" |
Substance Use |
157 |
Fired or losing job related to effects of usage. |
Fired or lost job related to effects of substance usage |
Added the word "Substance" |
Substance Use |
158 |
Frequently intoxicated or high (e.g., more than two times a week). |
Frequent intoxication or marijuana use (e.g., three or more times a week) |
Substituted "marijuana use" for "high" and changed "more than two times a week" to "three or more times a week" |
Substance Use |
159 |
Use of substances is associated with serious negative consequences (e.g., injured, in accident, doing illegal acts, failing classes, experiencing physical health problems). |
Use of substances is associated with serious negative consequences (e.g., injured, in accident, doing illegal acts, driving while under the influence, failing classes, experiencing physical health problems) |
Added "driving while under the influence" |
Substance Use |
161 |
Is pregnant or is a parent and gets drunk or routinely uses alcohol. |
Is pregnant or is a parent and gets drunk or uses alcohol routinely |
Changed the order of the words to put "routinely" at the end of the item |
Substance Use |
162 |
Has blackouts, drinks alone, or cannot stop drinking once started. |
Has blackouts, cannot control use, does not stop using once started, discontinuing use would cause distress or discomfort, OR consistently drinks alone (or uses other substances alone) |
Added concepts of "cannot control use", and "discontinuing use would cause distress or discomfort" |
Substance Use |
169 |
High or intoxicated once or twice a week. |
Intoxication or marijuana use once or twice a week |
Substituted "marijuana use" for "high" |
Substance Use |
170 |
For 12 years or younger, occasional use without intoxication and without becoming obviously high. |
For 12 years or younger, occasional alcohol use without intoxication or any use of other drugs |
Substituted "any use of other drugs" for "without becoming obviously high" |
Substance Use |
172 |
Infrequent excess and only without serious consequences. |
Infrequent intoxication or use of marijuana and only without serious consequences |
Redefined "Infrequent excess" as "infrequent intoxication or use of marijuana" |
Substance Use |
173 |
Regular usage (e.g., once a week) but without intoxication or being obviously high. |
Regular alcohol use without intoxication (e.g., once a week) |
Omitted "or being obviously high" |
Substance Use |
179 |
Occasional use with no negative consequences. |
Occasional alcohol use without intoxication or negative consequences |
Clarified that it is alcohol use only and without intoxication |
A few Strengths and Goals have been retired and several others have been slightly updated. Additionally, several Strengths and Goals have been added. The table below gives a summary of the retired and updated Strengths and Goals:
Subscale |
Old S/G Number |
New S/G Number |
Old S/G Description |
New S/G Description |
Comments/Rationale on Changes |
Retired Strengths and Goals |
|||||
Home |
42 |
N/A |
Accepts direction from caregiver |
N/A |
There is one item in Home that is similar (New #57 - Complies easily and routinely with adult requests) |
Behavior Towards Others |
95 |
N/A |
Participates in positive peer activities (e.g., sports) |
N/A |
There is an item in Community that is similar (New #89 - Participates in sports activities) |
Behavior Towards Others |
96 |
N/A |
Belongs to community clubs (e.g., scouts, drill corps, musical or dance groups, church fellowship) |
N/A |
There is a similar item in Community (New #90 - Belongs to a prosocial club/group/program (e.g. scouts, drill corps, musical or dance groups, church fellowship)) |
Self-Harmful Behavior |
145 |
N/A |
Practices safe sex (e.g., uses condom) or abstinence |
N/A |
This was split into two items in Behavior Towards Others: |
Substance Use |
162 |
N/A |
Is involved in alternative pro-social activities |
N/A |
Is similar to two items in Community: |
Updated Strengths and Goals |
|||||
School/Work |
9 |
12 |
Regular classroom teacher can manage behavior |
Teacher in regular classroom can manage behavior |
Started with "teacher in" |
School/Work |
10 |
14 |
Good behavior in classroom (not a problem) |
Good behavior in classroom |
Removed "(not a problem)" |
Community |
62 |
77 |
Is trying to disengage from friends who get into trouble |
Disengaging from friends who get into trouble |
Rephrased "Is trying" |
Community |
64 |
79 |
Is motivated to stay out of trouble |
Motivated to stay out of trouble |
Removed "Is" in "Is motivated" |
Community |
71 |
87 |
Has supportive relationships (outside the family) |
Has positive, supportive relationship with at least one adult in his/her life (outside of family) |
Added "positive" and specified an adult. |
Community |
73 |
90 |
Is a member of a prosocial club |
Belongs to a prosocial club/group/program (e.g. scouts, drill corps, musical or dance groups, church fellowship) |
Provided examples of prosocial clubs |
Community |
74 |
91 |
Has leisure activities which are alternatives to antisocial behavior |
Has positive leisure activities |
Specified that leisure activities are positive, and removed "alternatives to antisocial behavior" |
Behavior Towards Others |
83 |
101 |
Is able to control impulses |
Can control impulses |
Rephrased "Is able" |
Behavior Towards Others |
87 |
107 |
Is aware of problems related to social skills and is working on improving them |
Aware of problems related to social skills and is working on improving them |
Rephrased "Is aware" |
Behavior Towards Others |
88 |
108 |
Is motivated to have more/better friends |
Motivated to have more friends |
Rephrased "Is motivated" |
Behavior Towards Others |
99 |
119 |
Shows empathy towards others |
Shows kindness to others |
Changed from "empathy" to "kindness" |
Moods/Emotions |
112 |
134 |
Can express strong emotions appropriately |
Expresses strong emotions appropriately |
Rephrased "Can express" |
Moods/Emotions |
114 |
137 |
Is able to express emotional needs appropriately |
Expresses emotional needs appropriately |
Rephrased "Can express" |
Moods/Emotions |
132 |
159 |
No somatic complaints |
No somatic complaints (e.g., stomachaches, headaches) |
Provided examples of somatic complaints |
Substance Use |
159 |
182 |
Is trying to disengage from friends who use (to develop non-using social network) |
Disengaging from friends who use (to develop non-using social network) |
Rephrased "Is trying" |