Background

PACT (Positive Achievement Change Tool) is a scientifically validated risk assessment methodology developed in the United States and applied in Estonia in services targeting children and young people with high-risk behaviour, including Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT), the Secure Care Service for Children (KLAT), and the “Breaking the Cycle” (Ringist välja, RV) model. The tool is used to assess the risk of delinquency and support the selection of appropriate interventions. Practical experience to date has shown that the existing solution does not fully meet Estonia’s technical and data protection requirements and does not allow for sufficiently precise assessment of service impact or the qualitative changes achieved during service delivery. Consequently, there is a need to develop a more accurate risk assessment solution that is better suited to the Estonian context and supports evidence-based interventions as well as well-founded decisions when young people exit services.

Objective

The objective of the study is to critically assess the suitability of the existing PACT risk assessment tool in the context of MDFT, KLAT and RV services, to conceptually and empirically develop a new or enhanced assessment tool, and to define its implementation model and integration possibilities.

Methodolgy

The study employs both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative analysis is based on completed PACT risk assessment questionnaires. The qualitative component includes document analysis and semi-structured individual interviews.

Project Client: Social Insurance Board
Project Implementer: LevelLab
Study Duration: 11/2025–06/2026