Holiday 2003/2004

Are there benefits to using one specific treatment over another for kids in the juvenile justice system and has anyone come up with a checklist, tip sheet, or guidelines for the best treatments or interventions?

Evidence-based treatments/interventions/therapies are the best treatments/interventions/therapies for all youth, especially those in the juvenile justice system because not receiving treatment could impede any other attempts to rehabilitate the youth. Different interventions work best for different diagnoses. The most appropriate intervention for a mood disorder might not work for an anxiety disorder; both are very common problems for youth in the juvenile justice system.

In her book Juvenile Offenders With Mental Health Disorders (2002) ACA, Lisa Boesky says the following:

1. Youth in the juvenile justice system suffer from mood disorders two times the rate of youth in the general population.

2. Youth in the juvenile justice system experience substance dependence 10 to 20 times the rate of youth in the general population.

3. Fifty to 75 percent of the youth in the juvenile justice system have one or more diagnosable mental health disorders.

4. Youth attempt suicide four times the rate of youth who attempt suicide in the general population.

Clearly, many youth in the juvenile justice system have diagnosable mental health disorders, which could affect their ability to benefit from rehabilitation efforts. Even though there has been research that indicates the importance of screening, assessment, and treatment, children and youth in the juvenile justice are still woefully underserved.

ColumbiaUniversity published Guidelines for Treatment of Youth and Adolescent Mental Health Disorders in 2002. The guide can be downloaded from the Web site of Columbia's Children's Mental Health Project, Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice at http://www.promotementalhealth.org/.