Women's Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA) Lab

The suite of the WRNA instruments is the only validated, peer-reviewed risk/need instruments in the public domain specifically designed by and for system-impacted women. The WRNA not only measures women's specific criminogenic needs, but also their strengths, to drive a comprehensive, holistic case-plan designed to work alongside women and their gender- and trauma-responsive treatment and supervision. The WRNA is managed by Dr. Emily Salisbury in the WRNA Lab at the University of Utah College of Social Work's UCJC.

The WRNA is one of the few risk/need assessment instruments that:

1. Does not cost anything once trained. There are no fees per assessment or for licensing.
2. Measures clients’ strengths and protective factors that reduce women’s likelihood of recidivism. This is crucial to recognize among the people we work with in order to enhance motivation and case planning strategies.
3. Measures prior trauma and victimization, as well as PTSD and complex needs.
4. Includes a trauma-informed interview process. Staff trained as end-users on the WRNA are trained on how to deliver trauma-informed interview practices and will not be certified as an end-user without proper demonstration of this skill.
5. Measures women’s criminogenic needs that are not addressed on gender-neutral assessments, such as unhealthy intimate relationships, symptoms of depression and anxiety, parental stress, etc.
6. Is endorsed by the United Nations for adhering to the human rights afforded to women in custody or on community supervision.
7. Is specifically designed from the theories and evidence-base that focus on women’s risks, needs, and strengths.

The WRNA is a public-domain instrument. However, there are conditions of use, and training costs associated with its implementation. A license/user agreement issued by the University of Utah must be signed by any interested agency before WRNA training can occur.

For more information about the WRNA, please contact Dr. Emily Salisbury at emily.salisbury@utah.edu and/or go to our WRNA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) webpage.

Dr. Emily Salisbury created a men’s version of the WRNA, called the Men’s Risk Needs Assessment. The MRNA is redefining how we support justice-involved men. By addressing trauma, PTSD, parenting, and relationship challenges, it fills critical gaps in treatment and helps improve outcomes where traditional tools fall short. The MRNA is currently being piloted by a U.S. state department of corrections with men who are incarcerated and under community supervision. Dr. Emily Salisbury serves as the Principal Investigator on the research studies assessing the tool’s validity and reliability.

The correctional agency is particularly interested in examining the prevalence of trauma and victimization among its male population, as well as identifying the number of fathers who wish to strengthen relationships with their children. Notably, no other male-specific risk and needs assessment includes measures of trauma, PTSD, parenting needs and strengths, or unhealthy intimate relationships. The MRNA may prove to be a critical tool for understanding the scope of these needs among men and identifying gaps in treatment services that could help reduce recidivism. For too long, men's experiences of trauma and victimization have been overlooked in correctional practice.