HEADSS Risk Assessment - Adolescent Health

HEADSS Risk Assessment

·        Gives an overview of this individuals risk and resiliency

·        If you don‟t ask they won‟t tell you

·        Do ask, even if you think you know the answer

·        Home:

o   Where do you live and whom do you live with?

o   Who do you get on with, who would you talk to if you had a problem?

o   What‟s good about home? What‟s not so good?

o   Who makes the rules and what happens if they‟re broken?

o   Is there ever any violence at home?

·        Education/Employment:

o   What do you enjoy most about school?

o   What subjects do you like?

o   How are you getting on at school?

o   Do you get into any trouble?

o   How do you get on with your teachers/friends

·        Activities:

o   What do you do after school/in the weekends?

o   What do your mates do? (Get an idea of peer relationships)

o   What did you do last weekend that you enjoyed?

·        Drugs: 

o   „I check with all young people – not picking on you. Remember it‟s confidential. You don‟t have to answer if you don‟t want to‟

o   Lot‟s of people your age smoke/take drugs/drink.  Is it like that at your school?

o   What do you think about that?

o   What have your friends tried? What about you?

o   If no, make it positive „that‟s fantastic - how come you don‟t and lots of others do?

·        Sexuality: 

o   Most young people have become interested in sex at your age. Have you had sex education at school? What was it about – body changes, infection, preventing pregnancy, relationships?

o   Do you talk with anyone in your family about sex

o   Have you had a sexual relationship with anyone? 

o   Do you have sexual feelings to boys or girls? Ever had sexual experiences with someone your own sex? If this is confusing or frightening for them then need to talk further.

o   Want to help you stay healthy…ask about safe sex 

o   If not active – encourage them. But also check they can get condoms, etc: „if you ever were to, where would you go for information or contraceptives (tie them down to specifics)

·        Suicide risk and Depression:

o   „Everyone has good days and bad days.  Do you ever have really good days?  Really bad days?‟

o  „Often adolescents see me because they‟ve been feeling down.  How have you been?‟ 

o  „Have you been happy with the way things are going? How would you rate yourself over the last couple of weeks if 1 was foul and 10 was brilliant?‟

o  „Do you ever feel like you want to end it all?‟

o  „Do you have a plan to hurt/kill yourself?‟

o  „How do you plan to?‟

·        Determining the degree of risk:

o  Well adjusted

o  Vulnerable

o  Experimenter

o  Troubled

o  Out of control