Graduated sanctions emphasize the need to hold juvenile offenders accountable for any and all offenses they commit by promoting the use of progressively more severe sanctions for repeat offenders. The model also recognizes the need to couple sanctions with a range of services and treatment interventions to address underlying problems and help prevent recidivism. SDM is an assessment and classification strategy designed to reduce recidivism among juveniles referred to the juvenile justice system by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the system's response. Two key SDM principles are improved decisionmaking in terms of consistency, equity, and validity, and the allocation of resources in accordance with SDM assessment results. The use of research-based risk-assessment tools is at the core of SDM systems, as they provide reliable and accurate identifications of youth more and less likely to reoffend. This paper describes a model risk assessment instrument that is a composite of several research-based risk scales that the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) has developed in juvenile justice agencies over the past 10 years. This risk scale may be used for decisions related to intake diversion, the intensity of probation supervision, and the structuring of disposition decisions for adjudicate youth. In addition to risk assessment, SDM requires a careful assessment of the specific needs and strengths of each juvenile and his/her family in order to determine what service interventions may be required. This paper provides examples of the needs/strengths items related to family relationships and school functioning. Implementation issues in the use of one or more of the model SDM assessment tools are also discussed. 5 figures and 3 references