The Problem Oriented Screening Instrument for Parents (POSIP) is the parental version of the POSIT. The POSIP is a brief screening tool designed for adolescents 12 through 19 years of age to identify problems requiring subsequent in-depth assessment. It also can help determine a potential need for treatment.  The POSIP is administered to one or both  parents or guardians at the same time or after the POSIT has been administered to the adolescent. Differences in specific problem area scores indicate differences in perception of and/or reporting on those problem areas between the Parent/Guardian and adolescent or between two Parents/Guardians who are filling out the POSIP questionnaire.

POSIP questionnaire items were derived from POSIT questionnaire items in the following problems areas:

• Substance Use / Abuse - 17 items
• Mental Health - 22 items
• Family Relations - 11 items
• Peer Relations - 10 items
• Aggressive Behavior / Delinquency - 16 items

As a brief problem screen, the POSIP can be used in a wide variety of settings, including inpatient and outpatient programs, various case management systems and with special populations. It can be used by staff from schools, juvenile justice systems, and mental health and drug treatment programs to gather case-level data for clinical decisions and/or aggregate data for needs-assessment surveys. The POSIP is designed for use with the POSIT amd POSIT Follow-up screening instruments.

The POSIP consists of 75 yes/no items and can be completed in 15 to 20 minutes. No special training is required to administer the POSIP.

Notes: by Elizabeth Rahdert, Ph.D., National Institute on Drug Abuse