Instrument Overview
Our lab has developed and validated the Dual-Role Relationship Inventory (DRI-R). The DRI-R is a suite of tools that assess the quality of relationships between clients who are mandated to supervision and/or treatment and the professionals who work with them. The DRI-R specifically measures three critical dimensions of these relationships: firmness, fairness, and caring.
Applications and Impact
The DRI-R has been translated into multiple languages and implemented broadly, both to assess and improve the quality of professionals’ relationships with clients in probation and mental health agencies, and to study the impact of relationships on client outcomes. Scores of published studies (available here) demonstrate the instrument’s validity and utility across diverse contexts.
“How” a program is delivered matters. The quality of dual-role relationships can be as important as the specific intervention implemented. Firm, fair, and caring professional relationships serve as protective factors against recidivism, regardless of client age, mental health status, risk level, or whether the relationship is with a probation officer or treatment provider.
Implementation Options & Versions
The DRI-R offers flexible administration methods:
- Client self-report
- Officer or provider self-report
- Independent observer ratings
It is available in:
- Original 30-item validated form
- Psychometrically sound 9-item short form
- Multiple language translations (e.g., Spanish, Swedish, German)
Contact and Collaboration
While the DRI-R is provided at no cost, it is copyright-protected. To request the DRI-R for use in research or practice, please email risk-resilience-research@berkeley.edu.
When using or citing the DRI-R, the appropriate references are:
- Skeem, J., Eno Louden, J., Polasheck, D., & Camp, J. (2007). Assessing relationship quality in mandated community treatment: Blending care with control. Psychological Assessment, 19 (4), 397-410.
- Gocyyev, P. & Skeem, J. (2018). Efficiently Assessing Firm, Fair & Caring Relationships: Short Form of the Dual Role Relationship Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 31 (3), 352–364.
If you want to collaborate on practice aimed at improving dual-role relationships or evaluating their impact on outcomes, please email us at risk-resilience-research@berkeley.edu. You are also welcome to stay up to date by joining our email list.
Studies that have used the DRI-R
As shown in the list below, multiple studies have used the DRI-R with different populations.