This tool has received the Measurement Tools Rating of
B – Psychometrics Demonstrated based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The tool must have 2 or more published, peer-reviewed studies that have established the measure’s psychometrics (e.g., reliability and validity, sensitivity and specificity, etc.). Please see the
Measurement Tools Rating Scale for more information.
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All Research Articles
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Kirk, R. S. (2015). Psychometric properties of the trauma and post-trauma well-being assessment domains of the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale for General and Reunification Services (NCFAS G+R). Journal of Public Child Welfare, 9(5), 444–462. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2015.1090364
Participants: 170 in-home service families in three family preservation programs
Sample / Population:
- Race/Ethnicity — 66% White, 29% African-American, and 5% Other. Hispanic was asked separately: 2%
Summary:
Two new domains of the NCFAS-G+R, Trauma and Post-trauma Well-being, were tested for reliability and validity in relation to previous NCFAS-G+R domains. Domains were tested for reliability using Cronbach’s alpha, factor structure was explored, and convergent validity was examined through correlations of new scale items with domain ratings on the NCFAS-G+R. Assessment ratings were cross tabulated with practice and outcome variables. Reliability of the new domains was established with Cronbach’s alphas of .811 and .905, respectively, factor structure was confirmed, new scale items and domains correlated predictably and significantly with other NCFAS domains. Outcome variables were influenced by trauma assessment ratings. Displaying good psychometric properties, the trauma-focused assessment domains hold promise for assisting child welfare practitioners assess trauma symptomology, and post-trauma well-being following services.
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Kivisto, K. L., Fukumura, E. L., & Wall, J. R. (2025). The NCFAS Trauma/Well-being Scale: Reliability and validity in an outcome measurement project. Child Welfare, 103(2), 119–142. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48839239
Participants: 2,308 youth who participated in an outcomes project in a Midwestern state and select locations in neighboring states and had intakes and discharges occurring between 2020 and 2021, with a length of time in care of at least 30 days.
Sample / Population:
- Race/Ethnicity — 68% European/White, 20% African American/Black, 11% Multiracial, 0.3% American Indian/Alaska Native/Native American, 0.1% Asian American/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 0.4% Other, and 0.1% Race Missing. Hispanic was asked separately: 8% Hispanic
Summary:
The psychometric properties of the original NCFAS-T/WB scale and a revised version were examined using data from an outcomes project. Data from the study were drawn from a range of agency programs that receive referrals from the state’s child welfare and juvenile justice systems, as well as private and self-referral sources, and provide a range of different programs and types of child welfare services, including outpatient therapy, traditional and therapeutic foster care, and other forms of out-of-home placement (e.g., residential care, transitional or independent living programs). The study used the 2020 published version of the NCFAS-T/WB. For 2021, the anchor “problem” on the ratings from -3 to -1 was replaced with “challenge.” Accordingly, data from 2020, when “problem” was used, and 2021, when “challenge” was used, were analyzed separately. Other measures collected included the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-12) and administrative data on termination of parental rights and number of prior out-of-home placements. Good reliability using Cronbach’s alphas (0.89 – 0.94) was found across both versions of the NCFAS-T/WB. Convergent validity was demonstrated, with youths who had experienced a termination of parental rights being rated significantly more negatively on the Trauma domain. Similarly, the number of prior placements was weakly negatively correlated with Trauma ratings at intake, such that having greater previous placements was associated with more negative/problematic ratings on the Trauma domain. Higher strength ratings on the T/WB domains were positively associated with greater overall resilience on the CYRM. Across both versions, youth and families showed statistically significant improvement from intake to discharge using a paired samples t-test. Effect sizes were medium, suggesting that the domains showed moderate responsiveness following intervention. Finally, the percentage at Baseline/Adequate or above increased substantially from intake to discharge across both versions, and this difference was statistically significant in both versions.
