Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS)

The Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS), developed by clinical psychologist Dr. Kay Hodges, is used to asses the degree of functional impairment in children and adolescents with emotional, behavioural, or substance use problems. The CAFAS is a clinician-rated tool that can be used in clinical and research settings to assess clinical progress or outcome.

In Ontario, the CAFAS is being used to examine treatment outcomes for all children ages 6 to 17 years who receive mental health services in a participating community-based children’s mental health centre (Ontario Ministry of Community, Family, and Children’s Services) or hospital-based children’s mental health clinic (Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care).

In Ontario, the CAFAS is funded by the Ministry of Child and Youth Services to train clinicians to be reliable raters of the CAFAS, and to support the implementation and use of the CAFAS in the province’s network of children’s mental health agencies and hospital clinics.

To learn more about the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale, go to www.cafasinontario.ca.