Life Skills Progression

The LSP is an outcome measurement instrument designed for use by programs serving low income parents of children aged 0-3 years, but it can extend to age 60 months. There are 43 parent and child scales which describe a spectrum of skills and abilities over six major categories of functioning. The LSP is used to collect outcomes data, to monitor client strengths and needs, to plan clinical interventions, and provide data for research purposes.

In order to use the LSP you will need the LSP handbook, training to ensure reliable use, and use a standardized developmental screening tool such as the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) (www.agesandstages.com)

LSP monitors 35 parental life skills in these areas:

• Relationships
• Education & Employment
• Parent & Child Health
• Mental Health & Substance Use
• Basic Essentials

The LSP tracks 8 aspects of child development, attachment and regulation, and use of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ- Brookes Publishing) to establish developmental screening skill levels is recommended.

The Department of Health and Human Services DOHVE TA released the "Evidence- Based Model Crosswalk to Benchmarks" on 6/1/20. The document is available at DOHVE TA http://www.mdrc.org/project_12_104.html. The LSP appears in the PATN program model as a measure for most of the benchmarks (outcomes for Federally funded programs)

The LSP is the first tool available to measure a parent's health literacy skills. A specific set of LSP items, now called the Health Literacy Progression (HLP) was tested by Sandra Smith PhD, and has been accepted by the federal funding agencies and by the Institute of Medicine. Information can be found on the American College of Physicians web site and the 2008-9 FHL study is on the AHRQ Innovations website. http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov then enter "Home Visitation and Functional Health Literacy" in the Search option.

Sometimes it can; many programs report being able to stop the use of a variety of other tools by use of the LSP. Programs decide what tools augment or duplicate information collected. The LSP organizes and sorts information from visitors' formal assessments, observations and interviews in one place to create a 'snapshot' of the family's strengths, needs and progress.

It takes only 5-10 minutes to complete and score the LSP. Typically, a home visitor completes the LSP for a family at intake, every 6 months, and at closure. This means the total time per case per year is less than 30 minutes. Since data entry takes only 3-5 minutes per completed LSP, that duty usually falls to clerical staff or is done online via a server system.

Yes. Review by 45 experts in disciplines related to early child development show the LSP to have good content validity. Rigorous testing by independent investigators demonstrates the LSP has very high reliability. With training, the inter-rater reliability runs 78% to 90%.

Training is strongly recommended to ensure fidelity to the model, reliable use and sound program evaluation data. The LSP Training is a one-day (6-8 hours) hands-on training to ensure reliable, safe use of the Life Skills Progression instrument (LSP) for program evaluation, reflective supervision, and intervention planning. Training is conducted at your site by LSP Center Director and Program Coordinator with virtual contact with Linda Wollesen. Up to 40 home visitors, supervisors, program managers and those who want to go on to be trainers.

LSP training objectives

At completion of the LSP Training, participants will:

• Be familiar with the LSP format and terminology
• Learn judgment needed to score each scale reliably
• Practice completing the instrument using their own anonymous case examples
• Practice using data from their own anonymous case examples in reflective supervision and intervention planning
• Be prepared to complete the LSP on their clients and use the results to craft Reflective Questions for key parent issues

$2500, plus expenses. The training materials are produced at agency expense using the most current implementation seminar materials from the author and developer written at the Life Skills Progression Center. Discuss the implementation and training plan with Brad Richardson at brad-richardson@uiowa.edu in advance of scheduling training. Training can be scheduled directly with the author and developers; see the website Contact Us tab or contact Brookes Publishing.

The instrument, together with the history of home visitation outcome evaluation, theory, research, testing, and instructions for use was published in 2006 by Paul Brookes Publishing Inc. The book comes with a CD containing all the necessary forms. Reading the handbook an essential part of planning for managers interested in integrating the LSP into a program. This link takes you to the Brookes Website where you will find a table of contents, additional information & cost. The ASQ is also available from the Brookes Publishing. http://www.brookespublishing.com/store/books/wollesen-8302/index.htm

A MS-Access software program for LSP data management for PCs or Servers is available. It makes data entry fast and easy and generates reports at client, caseload and program levels. Data can be exported to other programs like SPSS or SAS. Telephone technical assistance is included to help set up the database. On site consultation, and help to integrate the database with existing data systems may be negotiated. See LSP Database Tab for more information. Online data entry or participation in creating a protected national database of LSP results is available.

LSP Book from Paul Brookes Publishing $49.95, includes CD of the instrument & forms

LSP Databases: From $1500-$3500 per site, includes 12 months telephone technical assistance

LSP Training: $2500 plus expenses & travel and manual

Training of Trainers: $2500

Health Literacy Progression Training: $2500

"With the LSP we are able to provide funders with data that more clearly indicate growth across a broader spectrum of skills." —Carol Singley, R.N., M.A., Coordinator of Parent Education & Parents As Teachers, The Parent Center, Salinas Adult School

"Wherever there is a need to measure a client-population's progress across a wide variety of psychosocial issues, the LSP will be a useful and informative asset." —Olivia de la Rocha, Ph.D., Director, Research Support Services, Evaluation Consultant to the Children and Families Commission of Orange County