Life Skills Progression™(LSP)
An Outcome and Intervention Planning Instrument for Use with Families at Risk
By Linda Wollesen, R.N., M.A., & Karen Peifer, Ph.D.

Home visitors use the LSP to measure a variety of family competencies. The tool is comprehensive and easy to use — in just 5–10 minutes, an experienced professional familiar with the family can record information on 43 scales in key categories:

• relationships with family and friends
  
  
• relationships with children
  
  
• physical health care
  
  
• basic needs
  
  
• education and employment
  
  
• mental health and substance abuse
  
  
• infant/toddler development and temperament

Home visitors rate each competency from 1 to 5 on a simple form, where they can also record important case data such as how many visits have been attempted or completed. No judgment of family choices is implied — the LSP is used only to track the progress of children and parents, and can be repeated every six months until the child is 3.

Everything professionals need to use the LSP is contained in this all-in-one manual, which includes information on the tool’s development and field testing, best practices in the field, detailed instructions on proper use, and the photocopiable tool itself. For easy printing of additional copies, the companion CD-ROM includes the entire tool and the instructions chapter.

Ideal for social workers, public health nurses, mental health care providers, and other home visitors, this essential tool will help professionals identify the needs of the families they serve, monitor their improvements, and vividly demonstrate the effectiveness of home visiting programs.

Contents of CD-ROM

• About the LSP
• Chapter Five: Instructions for Using and Scoring the LSP
  • Using the LSP
  • Heading Information
  • General Scoring Instructions
  • Basic Data Instructions
  • Scale Scoring Instructions: Parent Scales
  • Scale Scoring Instructions: Child Scales
• Appendix A: Life Skills Progression™ (LSP) Instrument
  • Parent Scales (pages 1-4)
  • Child Scales (page 5)
• Appendix B: Abbreviations Used in the LSP
• Appendix E: LSP Data Entry Form
• Appendix H: Cumulative LSP Score Sheet

Contents of Book

About the Authors
Foreword
Deanna Gomby

Preface
Acknowledgments

1. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE SKILLS PROGRESSION™ (LSP)
   
   
   • Supporting and Measuring Family Progress
   • Poverty and Poor Outcomes
   • Chapter Overviews
     
     
2. THE HISTORY OF THE CHASE: THE ELUSIVE OUTCOME
   
   
   • History of Home Visitation Data: Demographics, Outputs, and Outcomes
     • Demographics: Families Served by Home Visitation
     • Outcome Models: Utilization-Focused Evaluation, Results-Based Accountability, and Critical Pathways
   • Impact of Maternal/Child Home Visitation Studies
     
     
3. MATERNAL/CHILD HOME VISITATION BEST PRACTICES
   
   
   • Defining Concepts: Best and Promising Practices
   • Best Practice Components of Home Visitation
     • Starting Pregnancy Services Early
     • Frequency of Visits and Length of Service
     • Staff Stability
     • Relationship- and Strengths-Based Services
     • Quality and Types of Staff Training
     • Low Caseload-to-Staff Ratios
     • Evidence-Based Curriculum
     • Supporting Parents' Reflective Functioning
     • Cultural Consonance and Competence
     • Collaborative Community Stakeholders
       
       
4. DEVELOPMENT AND FIELD TESTING OF THE LSP
   
   
   • Purpose, Target Population, and Development
     • Purpose of the LSP
     • Target Population
     • LSP Pilot Study Environment
     • History of LSP Development and Testing
   • Reliability and Validity Testing
     • Definition of Reliability and Validity
     • Construct Validity
     • Interrater or Interobserver Reliability
     • Test-Retest Reliability
   • Interrater Reliability and Need for Training
   • LSP Content Validity Review Process
   • Description of LSP Scales: Design Content and Limitations
     • Parent Scales
     • Child Scales
   • Gifts of Experience from Pilot Sites
   • Reflective Supervision in Pilot Studies
     
     
5. INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING AND SCORING THE LSP
   
   
   • Using the LSP
     • Format
     • Frequency of Use
   • Heading Information
     • Parent/Guardian Heading Data
     • Child Heading Data
   • General Scoring Instructions
   • Basic Data Instructions
     • Family Record and Individual Identification Number
     • Client Name
     • Race and Ethnicity
     • Medical Codes
     • Type of LSP
     • Date
     • Months of Service
     • Number of Attempted and Completed Visits
     • Visitor Identification (ID)
     • Agency/Program
     • Next LSP Due
   • Scale Scoring Instructions
   • Parent Scales
     • Relationships with Family, Spouse, and Friends (Scales 1-3)
     • Relationships with Children (Scales 4-8)
     • Relationships with Supportive Resources (Scales 9-11)
     • Education and Employment (Scales 12-16)
     • Health and Medical Care (Scales 17-23)
     • Mental Health and Substance Use/Abuse (Scales 24-29)
     • Basic Essentials (Scales 30-35)
   • Child Scales
     • Child Development (Scales 36-40)
     • Emotional Development and Regulation (Scales 41 and 42)
     • Breast Feeding (Scale 43)
       
       
6. REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION USING THE LSP
   
   
   • Visitor's Goals for Reflective Supervision
   • Supervisor's Goals for Reflective Supervision
   • Reflective Supervision Characteristics
   • Use of the Initial LSP for Reflective Supervision
   • Use of Ongoing LSP for Reflective Supervision
   • Use of the Closing LSP for Reflective Supervision
   • Use of the Cumulative LSP Score Sheet
     
     
7. USING THE LSP FOR EVALUATION PURPOSES
   
   
   • Section 1: USING THE LSP FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION
     • Program Evaluation Primer
   • Section 2: DATABASE DEVELOPMENT
     • Using Software Programs for LSP Data Collection and Analysis
     • Suggested Reports
       
       
8. INTEGRATING THE LSP INTO SITES AND SYSTEMS
   
   
   • Incorporation Plan Overview
   • Does the LSP Fit Program Needs?
   • What Are the Training Needs?
   • How Does the LSP Fit with Forms and Screening Tools?
   • How Does the LSP Fit with the Data Management System?
   • How Will LSP Data Be Used for Reports?