CHILD AND ADOLESCENT NEEDES
AND STRENGHTS CANS
What[are[the[Domains?[-[ans-✔✔There[are[ten[CANS[domains.
[Withing[those[domains[there[are[139[assessment[items.
[Each[item[provides[an[item[descriptor[and[definition[that[guides[the[scoring[for[each[item.[
-Parent/Caregiver[needs[and[strenghts[
-Transition[to[adulthood
-Ratings[of[children[0-5[
-Child[risk[behaviors
-Trauma[experiences
-Child/behavioral[emotional[needs
-Traumatic[stress[symptoms
-Child[strenghts
-Life[domain[functioning
-Acculturation
Parent/Caregiver[needs[and[strenghts:[readiness[for[reunification[and[permanency[-[ans-
✔✔Thes[ratings[are[generally[completed[for[the[parents/legal[guardian,
[the[current[caregiver,[or[any[person[under[consideration[for[caring[for[the[child.
[When[determining[which[caregivers[to[assess,[please[consider[(1)
[the[current[permanency[goal,[(2)
[the[parent's[or[caregiver's[availability[during[the[reporting[period,[and[(3)
[the[child's[current[household.[The[parent[should[be[assessed[whenever[possible,
[even[when[the[goal[is["return[home",["guardianship",[or["independence"[,
[or[when[the[status[is["pending".[When[the[goal[is["guardianship"[or["independence",
[the[parent[may[not[be[available[to[assess[and[therefore[the[ratings[will[no[tbe[completed.
[When[the[child[is[currently[living[in[a[congregate[setting[(residential[home,[group[home,
[ILO[or[TLP)[you[do[not[need[to[assess[a[substitute[caregiver.
Transition[to[adulthood[-[ans-✔✔Thes[items[are[required[for[youth[14[years,
[6[months[and[older.[Howver,
[any[of[these[items[can[be[rated[regardless[of[age[if[they[represent[a[need[for[a[specific[yo
uth.
Ratings[of[children[0-5:[Young[children[0-5[-[ans-
✔✔These[items[are[required[for[any[child[who[is[five[years[old[or[younger[or[developentall
y[disabled[(DD);[however,
[they[may[be[rated[for[any[child[if[they[represent[a[need[for[a[specific[youth.
, Child[risk[behaviors[-[ans-
✔✔Risk[behaviors[are[the[types[of[things[that[can[ge[children[and[adolescents[in[trouble[o
f[put[them[in[danger[of[harming[themselves[or[others.
[Notice[that[the[time[frames[for[the[ratings[change,
[particularly[for[the["1"[and["3"[ratings[away[from[the[standard[30[day[rating[window.
Trauma[experiences[(lifetime[exposure)[-[ans-
✔✔All[of[the[trauma[experiences[items[withing[this[domain[are[static[indicators.
[In[other[words,
[these[items[indicate[whether[or[not[a[child[experienced[the[particular[trauma.
[If[they[ever[did[,they[always[have.[Thus,[these[items[are[not[expected[to[change,
[they[might[increase[if[a[child[has[a[new[trauma[experience[or[a[historical[trauma[is[identifi
ed[that[was[not[previously[known.
Child[behavioral/emotional[needs:[-[ans-
✔✔These[ratings[identify[the[behavioral[health[needs[of[the[child[or[adolescent.
[While[the[CANS[is[not[a[diagnostic[tool,
[it[is[designed[to[be[consistent[with[diagnostic[communication.[In[DSM-
IV[a[diagnosis[is[defined[by[a[set[of[symptoms[that[is[asscoiated[with[eother[dysfunction[or[
distress.
[This[definition[is[consistent[with[the[ratings[of["2"[or["3"[as[defined[by[the[action[levels.
Traumatic[Stress[symptoms[-[ans-
✔✔This[domain[is[used[to[describe[the[child[or[adolescent[who[is[having[difficulties[adjusti
ng[and/or[exhibiting[symptoms[related[to[PTSD[to[a[traumatic[experience.
Child[strengths[-[ans-
✔✔The[items[within[this[domain[describe[a[range[of[assest[that[children,[adolescenets,
[and[their[environments[may[possess[that[an[facilitate[healthy[development.
[The[ratings[here[are[slightly[different[than[the[rest[of[the[items[of[the[CANS.
[Remember[that[strenghts[are[NOT[opposite[of[needs.
[Increasing[strengths[while[addressing[behavioral/
emotional[needs[leads[to[better[functioning[and[outcomes,
[rather[than[just[focusing[on[the[needs.
[Identifying[areas[where[strengths[can[be[built[is[an[important[element[of[service[planning.
Life[Domain[functioning[-[ans-
✔✔Life[domain[are[the[different[areas[in[a[hild[and[family's[life[in[which[the[child[may[be[ex
hibiting[difficulties.[for[example,
[difficulties[in[home[school[and[community[functioning[may[be[measured[here.
Acculturation[-[ans-✔✔All[children[are[members[of[some[identifiable[culture[group.
[These[ratings[describe[possible[problems[that[children[or[adolescents[may[experience[wi
th[the[relationships[between[their[cultural[membership[and[the[predominant[culture[in[whic
h[they[live.
AND STRENGHTS CANS
What[are[the[Domains?[-[ans-✔✔There[are[ten[CANS[domains.
[Withing[those[domains[there[are[139[assessment[items.
[Each[item[provides[an[item[descriptor[and[definition[that[guides[the[scoring[for[each[item.[
-Parent/Caregiver[needs[and[strenghts[
-Transition[to[adulthood
-Ratings[of[children[0-5[
-Child[risk[behaviors
-Trauma[experiences
-Child/behavioral[emotional[needs
-Traumatic[stress[symptoms
-Child[strenghts
-Life[domain[functioning
-Acculturation
Parent/Caregiver[needs[and[strenghts:[readiness[for[reunification[and[permanency[-[ans-
✔✔Thes[ratings[are[generally[completed[for[the[parents/legal[guardian,
[the[current[caregiver,[or[any[person[under[consideration[for[caring[for[the[child.
[When[determining[which[caregivers[to[assess,[please[consider[(1)
[the[current[permanency[goal,[(2)
[the[parent's[or[caregiver's[availability[during[the[reporting[period,[and[(3)
[the[child's[current[household.[The[parent[should[be[assessed[whenever[possible,
[even[when[the[goal[is["return[home",["guardianship",[or["independence"[,
[or[when[the[status[is["pending".[When[the[goal[is["guardianship"[or["independence",
[the[parent[may[not[be[available[to[assess[and[therefore[the[ratings[will[no[tbe[completed.
[When[the[child[is[currently[living[in[a[congregate[setting[(residential[home,[group[home,
[ILO[or[TLP)[you[do[not[need[to[assess[a[substitute[caregiver.
Transition[to[adulthood[-[ans-✔✔Thes[items[are[required[for[youth[14[years,
[6[months[and[older.[Howver,
[any[of[these[items[can[be[rated[regardless[of[age[if[they[represent[a[need[for[a[specific[yo
uth.
Ratings[of[children[0-5:[Young[children[0-5[-[ans-
✔✔These[items[are[required[for[any[child[who[is[five[years[old[or[younger[or[developentall
y[disabled[(DD);[however,
[they[may[be[rated[for[any[child[if[they[represent[a[need[for[a[specific[youth.
, Child[risk[behaviors[-[ans-
✔✔Risk[behaviors[are[the[types[of[things[that[can[ge[children[and[adolescents[in[trouble[o
f[put[them[in[danger[of[harming[themselves[or[others.
[Notice[that[the[time[frames[for[the[ratings[change,
[particularly[for[the["1"[and["3"[ratings[away[from[the[standard[30[day[rating[window.
Trauma[experiences[(lifetime[exposure)[-[ans-
✔✔All[of[the[trauma[experiences[items[withing[this[domain[are[static[indicators.
[In[other[words,
[these[items[indicate[whether[or[not[a[child[experienced[the[particular[trauma.
[If[they[ever[did[,they[always[have.[Thus,[these[items[are[not[expected[to[change,
[they[might[increase[if[a[child[has[a[new[trauma[experience[or[a[historical[trauma[is[identifi
ed[that[was[not[previously[known.
Child[behavioral/emotional[needs:[-[ans-
✔✔These[ratings[identify[the[behavioral[health[needs[of[the[child[or[adolescent.
[While[the[CANS[is[not[a[diagnostic[tool,
[it[is[designed[to[be[consistent[with[diagnostic[communication.[In[DSM-
IV[a[diagnosis[is[defined[by[a[set[of[symptoms[that[is[asscoiated[with[eother[dysfunction[or[
distress.
[This[definition[is[consistent[with[the[ratings[of["2"[or["3"[as[defined[by[the[action[levels.
Traumatic[Stress[symptoms[-[ans-
✔✔This[domain[is[used[to[describe[the[child[or[adolescent[who[is[having[difficulties[adjusti
ng[and/or[exhibiting[symptoms[related[to[PTSD[to[a[traumatic[experience.
Child[strengths[-[ans-
✔✔The[items[within[this[domain[describe[a[range[of[assest[that[children,[adolescenets,
[and[their[environments[may[possess[that[an[facilitate[healthy[development.
[The[ratings[here[are[slightly[different[than[the[rest[of[the[items[of[the[CANS.
[Remember[that[strenghts[are[NOT[opposite[of[needs.
[Increasing[strengths[while[addressing[behavioral/
emotional[needs[leads[to[better[functioning[and[outcomes,
[rather[than[just[focusing[on[the[needs.
[Identifying[areas[where[strengths[can[be[built[is[an[important[element[of[service[planning.
Life[Domain[functioning[-[ans-
✔✔Life[domain[are[the[different[areas[in[a[hild[and[family's[life[in[which[the[child[may[be[ex
hibiting[difficulties.[for[example,
[difficulties[in[home[school[and[community[functioning[may[be[measured[here.
Acculturation[-[ans-✔✔All[children[are[members[of[some[identifiable[culture[group.
[These[ratings[describe[possible[problems[that[children[or[adolescents[may[experience[wi
th[the[relationships[between[their[cultural[membership[and[the[predominant[culture[in[whic
h[they[live.
