Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health

Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health

Juvenile Justice Resources

November 2004

The Youth Transitions Funders Group. 2004. Connected by Age 25: A plan for investing in Successful Transitions for Foster Youth. Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative and Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation.

Connected by Age 25 discusses the most vulnerable youth populations and the needs that must be addressed if they are to ever achieve success, especially economic success. Through partnerships, the organizers put together a work group of experts in each of the areas that needed to be addressed- education, housing, work, health and emotional well-being, creating natural supports when families are unavailable- and developed strategies to address these needs.

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Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative: 2002. Helping Youth Who Are in Foster Care Make Successful Transitions to Adulthood. Baltimore , MD Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. Bethesda , MD. www.jimcaseyyouth.org

This brochure outlines the needs and issues of youth in foster care as they approach adulthood, including the many youth who are also in the juvenile justice system. They need resources that address their educational, employment, housing, healthcare, and community and personal support needs as they move toward adulthood. Unlike young people who are not in the foster care system, this population of youth are among the most vulnerable in any of the public systems.

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Kilbourne, S. (1999). Children Behind Bars: Youth Who are Detained, Incarcerated and Executed. Washington , DC : Youth Advocate Program International. Tel: 202/244-1986; Email yapi@igc.org

This book discusses the effects of incarceration on children and youth in the United States and around the world. It includes recommendations for improving conditions of confinement and alternatives for treating children and youth with very complex needs.

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Hubner J. and Wolfson, J. (1999). Ain't No Place Anybody Would Want to Be: Conditions of Confinement for Youth. Washington , DC : Coalition for Juvenile Justice. Available through the Coalition for Juvenile Justice. Tel: 202/467-0864; Email: info@juvjustice.org

This report on the conditions of confinement for youth in the U.S. was presented at one of the national State Advisory Group meetings. It reinforces previous findings on the treatment received by youth in the juvenile justice system- that is minimal, and that the treatment received is not the high-quality rehabilitation that taxpayers think they are paying for.

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Jacobs, T.A., J.D. (2003). They broke the law—you be the judge: True cases of teen crime. Free Spirit Publishing, Inc., Minneapolis , MN ; 1/866/703-7322; www.freespirit.com . All rights reserved.

This is an exciting compilation of short stories about teen crime. It is an excellent resource for young people to learn about the law and implications for involvement in criminal acts.

 

October 2004

Selected Topics of Youth Courts
This monograph features six articles on selected topics as they relate to youth courts. Topics include truancy, prevention and intervention for underage drinking and substance abuse, school-based programs, cultural competency within tribal communities, statewide association and networking comparisons, and media access guidelines. http://www.youthcourt.net/content/view/65/43/

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Reliability and Validity Study of the Voice DISC with Delinquent Youth in Residential Care at Boys Town
This paper presents data from a reliability and validity study of the Voice DISC with delinquent youth in residential care at Boys Town . Initial estimates show that administration time for the Voice DISC is approximately 30% as obtained by conventional lay administration. Acceptability is universally high, with over 70% of adolescent subjects preferring self-administration. Preliminary test-retest data shows no significant difference in reliability of diagnoses between self-administered and interviewer-administered DISC.

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Psychiatric Assessment by Voice-DISC-4 in Correctional Youth
Measurement of psychiatric risk in youth in the justice system is variable across jurisdictions, rarely employing new methods for comprehensive, rapid, and reliable assessment. This project evaluates the feasibility and utility of providing standardized psychiatric assessments for youth in correctional settings, using an interview designed to overcome obstacles of low institutional resources and poor reading attainment. Data shows that the instrument is acceptable to both staff and youth. This interview can be effectively administered in correctional settings, where it uncovers a high need for psychiatric services. Prevalence for psychiatric disorder is high among these youth, corresponding to the few interviewer-based studies employing comprehensive instruments.

September 2004

TeenScreen
The TeenScreen program provides assistance with targeted, community-based mental health awareness and coalition building, pre-training consultation, on-site training, Voice DISC software, post-training technical assistance, and TeenScreen background materials.

If you would like to learn more about the TeenScreen program or to initiate a screening program in your community, call the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University at (212) 543-5016 or visit www.teenscreen.org .

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NMHA Toolkit on Co-Occurring Disorders
NMHA's newest toolkit is designed to educate stakeholders about effective advocacy and program implementation strategies for coalitions dedicated to addressing co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. The toolkit provides stakeholders with the information and techniques they need to lead successful, strong coalitions dedicated to implementing effective services for persons with co-occurring disorders. To download your free copy, visit http://www.nmha.org/substance/toolkit.cfm .

May 2004

Franz, J. P. (2003). "No more Clarences": Creating a consistent and functional multisystem resource for children with complex needs and their families. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 13 (4): 244-53.

This article presents a fictional case to illustrate the challenges communities face when existing services are unable to provide support for children with complex needs and their families. Various programs developed to address these problems are described, but most have not produced reliable outcomes. The author proposes using the lessons learned from those programs to build a model that integrates changes at the practice, administrative, system, and community levels as a way of ensuring availability of effective services.

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Madden, R. G., & Wayne, R. H. (2003). Social work and the law: A therapeutic jurisprudence perspective. Social Work, 48 (3): 338-347.

This article stresses the importance of understanding therapeutic jurisprudence as a perspective rather than a method. The article describes the theory of therapeutic jurisprudence and how this perspective can structure social work interventions on a micro and macro level.

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Winick, B. J. (2003). Therapeutic jurisprudence and problem solving courts. Fordham Urban Journal, 30 (3): 1055-90.

This article describes the interdependent relationship of therapeutic jurisprudence and problem solving courts' approaches. The author discusses the way that these approaches can transform law into an instrument of healing for individuals and for communities and calls on judges to develop and improve their interpersonal, psychological, and social work skills.

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Fagan, J. (2002). Policing guns and youth violence. The Future of Children, 12 (2): 133-51.

This article presents case studies of eight cities' efforts to police gun crime. Detroit initiated a therapeutic jurisprudence approach to address youth violence. Findings, although not conclusive, suggest that a specialized court for youth gun offenders might be an effective forum to bring about positive cognitive and attitudinal changes.

 

November 2003

Puritz, P., & Scali, M. (1998). Beyond the walls: Improving conditions of confinement for youth in custody. Washington, DC: American Bar Association. Available through the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse. Phone: 800-638-8736

This report provides direction in improving services to both detained and committed youth in secure detention or correctional institutions. The report will be helpful to parents, child advocates, system reformers, attorneys, system staff, supervisors, and administrators. It suggests processes and tools for monitoring and overseeing the services provided to the youth. For system staff, it is valuable because it discusses the tools that advocates consider and use to achieve system improvements for their clients. For parents and those interested in advocating on behalf of delinquent youth, it discusses how ombudsman programs, the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Protection and Advocacy Systems (P & As), and self-assessment can and have been used.

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Parent, D., & Abt Associates. (1994). Conditions of confinement: Juvenile detention and corrections facilities (Research Summary). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Available through the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse. Phone: 800-638-8736

This study shows the deficiencies in the living spaces and treatment programs in juvenile detention and corrections facilities. The management of suicidal behavior was one of the egregious issues for institutions. Mental health and healthcare, educational services, and security practices were repeatedly cited as inadequate, absent, or inappropriate for the children and youth needing services. This comprehensive study has been the basis of many federal and state investigations into practices in the juvenile justice system.

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Kilbourne, S. (1999). Children behind bars: Youth who are detained, incarcerated, and executed. Washington, DC: Youth Advocate Program International. Phone: 202-244-1986; Email: yapi@igc.org

This book discusses the effects of incarceration on children and youth in the United States and around the world. It has recommendations for improving the conditions of confinement and alternatives to this archaic practice for treating children and youth with very complex needs.

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Hubner J., & Wolfson, J. (1999). Ain't no place anybody would want to be: Conditions of confinement for youth. Washington, DC: Coalition for Juvenile Justice. Available through the Coalition for Juvenile Justice. Phone: 202-467-0864; Email: info@juvjustice.org

This report on the conditions of confinement for youth in the United States was presented at one of the national State Advisory Group meetings and says what the previous two reports said: the children and youth in the juvenile justice system receive very little treatment and the treatment that they do receive is not the high-quality rehabilitation that taxpayers think they are paying for. According to the study, only 33% of the children in secure care are not violent offenders.

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Jacobs, T. A. (2003). They broke the law-you be the judge: True cases of teen crime. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing. Phone: 866-703-7322; www.freespirit.com

This exciting compilation of short stories about teen crime is an excellent resource for young people to learn about the law and its implications if they indulge in criminal acts.

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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (2003). Teen parents and the law (TPAL): Executive Summary. Silver Spring, MD: Author. www.streetlaw.org/tpaleval.html

This article describes the TPAL program and its curriculum, which is designed to strengthen families, lessen the likelihood of violence in the home and community, and improve home management skills. It is also designed to teach teen parents the child-rearing strategies that will reduce the possibility that they will abuse or neglect their children in the future. Areas of skill building in this curriculum include legal knowledge, resiliency skills, and community resources. Materials are identified as user-friendly, effective, and interactive. Students felt that they would recommend this curriculum and the classes to their peers.

 

October 2003

Hamilton, R., & McKinney, K. (1999, August). Job training for juveniles, Project CRAFT. OJJDP Fact Sheet 116 . Available at http://www.ceardy.org/craft.pdf

Overview and Findings . The Community Restitution and Apprenticeship Focused Training program, or Project CRAFT, is a vocational training program sponsored by the Home Builders' Association (HBA). The program can be implemented as a prevention program or an intervention program or as an alternative to incarceration. It can also be implemented within a juvenile correctional facility. Project Craft offers training and placement in the home building and other related industries. After completion, students are placed in industry-related jobs. The program has developed partnerships with some local school districts so that students can receive education credits through CRAFT. Resource Development Group, Inc. (RDG), which published a summary in 1999, evaluated the project over a 4-year period. RDG found that Project CRAFT had a high rate of job placement for its graduates. At the time of the survey, 94 of the 140 graduates had jobs in the home building industry. The cumulative recidivism rate at three CRAFT sites was 26%, which is significantly lower than the national average of 70%. At the Nashville, TN, site, recidivism was 15% in one year and 5.9% the next year. The long-term follow-up provided by CRAFT has contributed to stability and adjustment in its graduates' return to communities.

       

Key Words. juvenile, job training, project CRAFT, vocational training, at-risk, incarceration, alternative, placement

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Larson, K. A., & Turner, D. (2002). Best practices for serving court involved youth with learning, attention and behavioral disabilities. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Office of Special Programs. Available at http://cecp.air.org/juvenilejustice/docs/Promising%20and%20Preferred%20Procedures.pdf

Overview and Findings . This article focuses mainly on a variety of interventions for court-involved youth, institutionalized or not. Vocational education and skills training are mentioned within a larger context of therapy, medication, and other types of interventions. A section on transitions from institutions to the community discusses how to prepare youth for these transitions and how to follow up with them, but offers nothing on placements specifically and not much on education itself. Recommendations are given regarding specific steps to be taken during transitions. The article also includes summaries of some model programs for juveniles involved in the court system. The authors provide a list of a few best practices that have been supported by research, which are listed for court-involved youth in general, institutionalized or not: counseling, social skills training; academic intervention; academic accommodation for youth with learning, attention, and behavioral disabilities; vocational intervention; life skills and a multimodal approach; medical interventions; substance abuse programs; family involvement; transition planning; and wraparound care. Best practices under these topics are discussed generally without reference to specific studies. Most are unrelated to education particularly, but they do give some examples of education programs for incarcerated youth.

Challenges/Recommendations . The authors state in the introduction that they originally wanted to include only model programs that have some empirical evaluation showing their effectiveness. However, this criterion was too restrictive; they found almost no programs with empirical evaluation, so they included programs that had evaluated themselves without controls.

Key Words. juvenile, youth, learning, attention, behavioral, disability, court, transition, counseling, social skills training, academic intervention, academic accommodation, vocational intervention, life skills, multimodal approach, medical interventions, substance abuse programs, family involvement, transition planning, wraparound care, best practices, Oregon, Farrell School, Ferris School for Boys, Delaware

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National Institute for Literacy. (2002). Fighting crime with education: A briefing on recent research about reducing recidivism rates for adult and juvenile offenders and the next steps for Federal policy makers (Transcript). Washington, DC: Author. Available at http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/webcasts/20020319/transcript3-19.html

Overview and Findings . This is a transcription of a presentation by researchers to legislators to increase funding for prisoner education. Some findings were presented from the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS): prisoners in correctional facilities have lower literacy rates than the overall population. The survey also found that one-quarter of the general public does not have a high school diploma, whereas half the prison population lacks a high school diploma. A study was also discussed: a 3-year longitudinal study of 3,000 prisoners who were released from prison in Minnesota, Ohio, and Maryland. This study found that just going to school reduced re-incarceration by 29%.

Challenges/Recommendations . Researchers suggested that legislators provide more funding for prisoner education and increase the maximum age for which prisoners can receive monies from up to 25 years to the range of 25 to 35 years.

Key Words. Correctional education, Literacy, Longitudinal data, Policy brief

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Murphy, T., O'Sullivan, K., & Rose, N. (2001, July). PEPNet: Connecting juvenile offenders to education and employment. OJJDP Fact Sheet 29. Available at http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS14212

Overview and Findings . The Promising and Effective Practices Network (PEPNet) is administered by the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) and funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. In addition to providing information and materials to organizations that work with young offenders, PEPNet has developed a national system for recognizing the most comprehensive and effective programs.

PEPNet has five broad categories for identifying effective programs. 1) Purpose and activities ? Programs must have a rehabilitative mission rather than a disciplinary one and must help youth develop necessary skills for future employment. 2) Organization and management ? Programs should collaborate with other organizations to bring as many resources as possible to their students. 3) Youth development ? Programs should demand accountability from youth, which teaches them life skills such as responsibility and leadership. 4) Workforce development ? Programs should incorporate academic, vocational, workplace instruction. 5) Evidence of success ? Programs should document their success over a 12-month period.

Key Words . effective practices, PEPNet, NYEC, juvenile, education, employment, award, youth, vocational

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Oldenettel, D., & Wordes, M. (2000). The community assessment center concept. Juvenile Justice Bulletin . Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 440 181)              

Overview and Findings . This bulletin is from the U.S. Office of Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention on the Community Assessment Center Concept model (CAC). The CAC model has four key elements that, when implemented properly, have the potential to have a positive impact on the lives of youth and divert them from serious and violent delinquency: 1) a single point of entry into the juvenile justice system; 2) immediate and comprehensive assessments; 3) a management information system; and 4) integrated case management.

Single point of entry : CAC coordinates the services of various agencies and organizations involved with youth through a one-stop shop. The idea is to have a 24-hour centralized point of intake and assessment for those who become involved in the system. This could also be "virtual" in that all youth receive the same assessment and case management procedures from the same or different agencies. Immediate and comprehensive assessments : OJJDP suggests consistent policies and procedures, selects appropriate assessment tools, and defines the scope of the assessment process. A management information system : The CAC concept advocates developing a comprehensive and integrated data system instead of pulling information from different offices. It proposes linking data from multiple agencies and monitoring trends in its own operations and services and also in the juvenile justice system. Integrated case management : The CAC concept advocates developing individualized, flexible, and responsive treatment plans and defining criteria to determine levels of case management

 

September 2003

Harmon, M.G., Lemm, K.M., and Lipman, L.G. (2003). Public opinion of teen, classroom and formal court styles. Juvenile and Family Court Journal , 51-57.

This article describes a study of three court options for teens in Whatcom County, WA, and the community's perception of the three models. The article describes the stages of the study and the implementation and evaluation. The model is worth exploring with local juvenile/family courts, as well as other juvenile justice stakeholders that do not have these options in their current continuum of services.

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Clark, H.B. (2002). TIP system development and operations manual. Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa.

The TIP system manual provides a framework for improving transition for adolescents in education, employment, and living situations. The manual describes roles and responsibilities of youth, families, and transition facilitators of all kinds. It also describes methods for evaluating the process and for adjusting practices to assure improved outcomes for youth.

For more information, visit www.fmhi.usf.edu/cfs/policy/tip .

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Clark, H.B. (2000). Transition to adulthood: A resource for assisting young people with emotional or behavioral disorders. Brookes Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD.

This book describes the milestones and challenges in the passage from adolescence to adulthood. It also discusses in detail how difficult these transitions are for youth with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities. Methods to help young people move into career-oriented work, education, and independent living are presented with commentary from young people. The reader is guided through interventions to help them handle key issues adolescents face. Several adolescents share strategies, experiences, and perspective as co-authors of some of the chapters.

For more information, visit www.brookespublishing.com .

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Deschenes, N., Gomez, A., & Clark, H.B. (1999). TIP case protocol for continuing system improvement.   Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Florida Mental Health Institute, Department of Child and Family Studies.

This tool is helpful for those interested in determining their system's strengths and weaknesses. The protocol uses multiple sources of information to document the extent to which TIP guidelines and related elements were and are used in the transition process. It will also help a community to identify the strengths of the TIP system, as well as gaps in their services and supports.

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Clark, H.B., & Foster-Johnson, L. (1996). CARTS progress tracker: Community adjustment rating of transition success. Tampa Florida: University of South Florida, Florida Mental Health Institute.

This tool helps communities (students, families, and professionals) measure the progress or difficulty experienced by a young person during transition. The instrument was designed to be an interview tool and was pilot tested on youth and young adults ages 14-30 with emotional and/or behavioral disorders. There are items to address each of the four domains described in the TIP Operations Manual. The progress tracker can be used to help programs identify areas of progress or difficulty, to facilitate formatting new or modifying existing supports, and to guide future person-centered planning. It is suggested that the interviews be administered at least every three months to build a history of progress over time.

For more information, visit http://www.fmhi.usf.edu/cfs/policy/tip .

 

August 2003

Juvenile Justice Program Evaluation

Available at http://jrsa.org/jjec/about/jjec-pubs.html

The new Juvenile Justice Evaluation Center has published six briefings that give juvenile justice program managers the information they need to help them assess the effectiveness of their programs. Evaluation information, technical assistance, and training are available through the new Center.  

Charlton Research Company. (1996). Kids and the law. San Francisco: State Bar of California.

Available at http://www.calbar.ca.gov

The State Bar of California commissioned a survey of youth between the ages of 10 and 14 to find out from young people what drives them to break the law. A booklet, Kids and the Law, was produced. Although appropriate for children and parents, it is primarily intended for parents. A glossary is included to demystify the terms.

Partners for Substance Abuse Prevention  

Available at http://preventionpartners.samhsa.gov

This site serves as a virtual meeting place for organizations involved in substance abuse prevention efforts. It is also an appropriate site for those who want to know what is going on in substance abuse prevention. It offers information on such related topics as violence, crime, school failure, and teen pregnancy.

Children's Legal Protection Center

Available at http://www.childprotect.org

This site is supported by a non-profit public interest law firm, which works on behalf of disadvantaged children in both child welfare and juvenile justice. Its advocacy efforts are nationwide and focus particularly on children in out-of-home placements.

Children and Family Justice Center

Available at http://www.law.nwu.edu/depts/clinic/cfjc/programs/communityjustice.htm

This site is the repository for a clinical law program at Northwestern University in Chicago. The site includes research and policy work that has been done related to and with the Juvenile Court of Cook County, Illinois.

National Dropout Prevention Center

Available at http://www.dropoutprevention.org

This center is a research center and a resource network for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to reform schools and classrooms in such a way that they are better equipped to address the multiple needs of youth in at-risk situations. Youth in at-risk situations have tremendous difficulties that can be addressed if school personnel, families, and others focus on strategies that will help these populations succeed.  

 

June/July 2003

Vera Institute of Justice. (2002). Respite care: A promising response to status offenders at risk of court-ordered placements. (2002). New York: Author.

This new Issue in Brief from the Vera Institute of Justice's national Youth Justice Program (YJP) illustrates how emergency respite care can serve both as an effective alternative to nonsecure detention or foster care placement for status offenders and juvenile delinquents and as an efficient means of providing immediate crisis intervention to families in need.

Download this publication in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format:

http://www.vera.org/publication_pdf/188_356.pdf

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Conger, D., Ross, T., & Armstrong, M. (2002). Bridging child welfare and juvenile justice: Preventing unnecessary detention of foster children. Child Welfare, 8 (3), 471-494.

This article describes the problem of increased detention of foster children when they come in contact with the juvenile justice system. Foster children make up only 2 percent of New York's youth population and represent 15 percent of those admitted to juvenile detention facilities. The article discusses a new diversion program, Project Confirm.

For a full summary of this article, go to http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/DataTrends/pgDT66.shtml .  

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Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. (2002). Avoiding cruel choice. Washington, DC: Author.

This book is a guide for policymakers and family organizations on Medicaid's role in preventing custody relinquishment or criminalization of children to obtain mental health services for children with serious emotional disorders. For paperback copies contact the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law,   1101 15 th St., NW, Suite 1212, Washington, DC 20005; $ 10.00.   This book is also available online at http://www.bazelon.org .

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Web Page for Tribal Youth Programs

A Web page for the Tribal Youth Program has been added to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Web site.

The Tribal Youth Program is part of the Indian Country Law Enforcement Initiative, a joint project of the U.S. Departments of Justice and the Interior. The program is designed to improve law enforcement and juvenile justice practices for American Indian and Alaska Native youth and assist them with mental health and substance abuse services.

The Tribal Youth Program Web page and its subpages provide information about frequently asked questions, grants and funding, grantees, publications, research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, upcoming events, and other resources, which highlight Native American programs.

Visit the Tribal Youth Program Web page at http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/typ/.

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Arrendondo, D. R., Kumli, K., Soto, L., Colin, E., Ornellas, B. A., Davila, R. J., Edwards, L., & Hyman, E. (2001). Juvenile mental health court: Rational and protocols, pp. 144 -162 .  

This article describes a new Juvenile Mental Health court, its policies, and its protocols. It also gives clear junctures where mental health and the juvenile justice process can connect in ways that are beneficial to both entities and serve children and families better.

The article discusses how the Santa Clara County, California, Juvenile Court, in partnership with the Juvenile Mental Health Department and a technical assistance agency (SOLOMON), has pioneered a Juvenile Mental Health Court for seriously mentally ill juveniles who have become involved with the juvenile justice system. Judicial leadership has been one of the most critical components to the successful implementation of the new court. The judiciary, probation department, district attorney, public defender, county counsel, and service providers have collectively embarked on the implementation of the new court, which is being hailed as a new approach to mental health diagnosis, triage, and treatment services for youth and families who come in contact with the juvenile justice system as result of a delinquency issue and serious mental illness.  

Through the technical assistance provisions, SOLOMON can make local presentations and provide information to interested parties. For more information, contact   www.childrensprogram.org .

 

April/May 2003

Grisso, T., & Underwood, L. (2003). Screening and assessing mental health and substance use disorders among youth in the juvenile justice system. Research and program brief. Delmar, NY: National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice.

This research and program brief discusses the critical need for the early identification of mental disorders and co-occurring substance use disorders through screening and assessment of youth at any door entering the justice system. The brief gives clinicians and other professionals working with youth in the juvenile justice system information about the most effective instruments to use for screening. It clearly defines the difference between screening and assessment and how each is used. The brief also presents a list of screening and assessment instruments that have been used with some degree of reliability in juvenile justice or adolescent clinical settings.

The brief is accessible online at www.ncmhjj.com .

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Children's Behavioral Alliance. (2003). In the best interests of all: A position paper of the Children's Behavioral Alliance.

This paper was released to the U.S. House of Representative in January 2003 by the Children's Behavioral Alliance. It discusses the unmet needs of children with specific social, behavioral, and emotional needs. It also discusses the benefits of enhancing the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the tragic outcomes that will result for children with disabilities if Congress passes the proposed cutbacks to IDEA. In the paper, Dr. Peter Jensen, Center for the Advancement of Children's Mental Health, Columbia University, identifies some good news: substantial advances have been made in identifying, screening, and assessing children with very special needs. He says that the bad news is the huge gap in the availability and accessibility of adequate services. Substantial problems still remain around coordinating cohesive systems of care for these young people. The paper also recommends legislative changes to improve the delivery of services to children while retaining and strengthening vital protections required under IDEA.

The paper can be downloaded from the CHADD Web site at

http://www.chadd.org/pdfs/inthebestinterestsofall.pdf

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National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Brevity on the Internet: A weekly newsletter about juvenile justice. (2003). Reno, NV: Author.

This newsletter brings news about juvenile justice from around the country and from one professional organization for juvenile and family court judges. This link provides stories, upcoming training, links, and other information related to the young people served by juvenile court judges. Of interest in this issue are articles on the maltreatment of children with disabilities, guidelines for guardian ad litem, and one community's response to truancy.

The Web site allows the reader to ask a question and receive an answer from the technical assistance team or to subscribe to the listserv. For those who would like to subscribe, send an email to jbinard@ncjfcj.org and insert "Subscribe" on the Subject line.

The newsletter is accessible online at http://training.ncjfcj.unr.edu/brevity.htm .

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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (2003). Child delinquency bulletin series: Prevalence and development of child delinquency. Rockville, MD: Author.

This 8-page bulletin provides information about very young offenders, between the ages of 7 and 12, who present a unique challenge to the juvenile justice system. These are the children and youth who are at highest risk of becoming serious offenders and are more likely than older delinquents to continue their delinquency over a long period of time. This bulletin refers to an earlier resource on this Web site, the 8 Percent Solution. Both documents are available from OJJDP publications.

This bulletin is downloadable from http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org . If you have any difficulty connecting to that site, a backup site is www.ncjrs.org . Go to juvenile justice and publications. For a hard copy, call the OJJDP Clearinghouse in Rockville, MD, and order publication NCJ 193411.

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Kamradt, B. (2002). Funding mental health services for youth in the juvenile justice system: Challenges and opportunities. Research and program brief. Delmar, NY: National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice.

This 6-page brief discusses major barriers to accessing critical treatment services that we know are needed by 20 to 90% of all children incarcerated in locked juvenile facilities around the country. The funding issues are related to underfunded mandates, interpretations of legislation that results in exclusion of this population, and disagreements between public systems about who is financially responsible for the population.

This brief does an excellent job of describing public insurance, private insurance, blended funding, and other funding approaches that are or have been used in different jurisdictions. It also describes Wraparound Milwaukee, a unique public managed care system and the pooled funding strategy that supports its operations and provides good outcomes for youth.

The brief is accessible online at www.ncmhjj.com .

 

 

March 2003

Respite care: A promising response to status offenders at risk of court-ordered placements. Vera Institute, 2002, New York.

This new Issue in Brief from the Vera Institute of Justice's national Youth Justice Program (YJP) illustrates how emergency respite care can serve as an effective alternative to non-secure detention or foster care placement for status offenders and juvenile delinquents and as an efficient means of providing immediate crisis intervention to families in need.

Download this 8-page publication in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format http://www.vera.org/publication_pdf/188_356.pdf .

 ***

Conger, D., Ross, T., & Armstrong, M. (2002). Bridging child welfare and juvenile justice: Preventing unnecessary detention of foster children. Child Welfare, 8 (3), 471 - 494

This article describes the problem of increased detention of foster children when they come in contact with the juvenile justice system. Foster children make up only 2 percent of New York's youth population and represent 15 percent of those admitted to juvenile detention facilities. The article discusses a new diversion program, Project Confirm.

For a full summary of this article, go to http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/DataTrends/pgDT66.shtml .

 

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Avoiding cruel choice. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, 2002, Washington, DC.

This book is a guide for policymakers and family organizations to Medicaid's role in preventing custody relinquishment or criminalization of children with serious emotional disorders so that they can obtain mental health services. For paperback copies, contact the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, 1101 15 th St., NW, Suite 1212, Washington, DC 20005; $10.00.   This book is also available online at http://www.bazelon.org .

***

Web Page for Tribal Youth Programs

A Web page for the Tribal Youth Program has been added to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Web site.

The Tribal Youth Program is part of the Indian Country Law Enforcement Initiative, a joint project of the U.S. Departments of Justice and the Interior. The program is designed to improve law enforcement and juvenile justice practices for American Indian and Alaska Native youth and assist them with mental health and substance abuse services.

The Tribal Youth Program Web page and its subpages provide information about frequently asked questions, grants and funding, grantees, publications, research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, upcoming events, and other resources that highlight Native American programs.

For access to these resources, visit the Tribal Youth Program Web page at http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/typ/ .

***

  

Arrendondo, D. R., Kumli, K., Soto, L., Colin, E., Ornellas, B. A., Davila, R. J., Edwards, L., & Hyman, E. (2001). Juvenile mental health court: Rational and protocols (pp. 144 -162).

This article describes a new Juvenile Mental Health court and its policies and protocols. It also gives clear junctures where mental health and the juvenile justice process can connect in ways that are beneficial to both entities and serve children and families better.

The article discusses how the Santa Clara County, California, Juvenile Court, in partnership with the Juvenile Mental Health Department and a technical assistance agency (SOLOMON), has pioneered a Juvenile Mental Health Court for seriously mentally ill children who have become involved with the juvenile justice system. Judicial leadership has been one of the most critical components to the successful implementation of the new court. The judiciary, probation department, district attorney, public defender, county counsel, and service providers have collectively embarked on the implementation of the new court, which is being hailed as a new approach to mental health diagnosis, triage, and treatment services for youth and families who come in contact with the juvenile justice system as result of a delinquency issue and serious mental illness.  

Through the technical assistance provisions, SOLOMON can make local presentations and provide information to interested parties. For more information, contact www.childrensprogram.org

 

February 2003

Wolford, B., (2000 May). Juvenile Justice Education: "Who is Educating the Youth". Training Resource Center, Eastern Kentucky University, 44 pages. This report reveals the findings from a survey of 20 states on the administration, funding and monitoring of the educational programs for youth in the juvenile justice system. Although state juvenile justice agencies provide the education for most youth who are incarcerated, the state and local education agencies provide educational services to most of the children in the juvenile justice system. The per pupil funding for youth in the juvenile justice educational programs ranges from $2259 to $9000 per year.

The report includes a summary report of the survey findings for the twenty states, detailed profiles of some promising practices in four states and concludes with recommendations for administration, financing and evaluation of juvenile justice education programs.

***

Westendorp, F., Brink, K.L., Robertson, M.K., Ortiz, I.E., (1988). Variables which differentiate placement of adolescents into juvenile justice or mental health systems; Adolescence 21(81) Studies of the variable that determine whether an adolescent is placed in the mental health or juvenile justice system for treatment have led to conflicting conclusions based on impressionistic data. The primary hypothesis of the study--that demographic variables would and personality/psychopathology variables would not differentiate into which system a youth will be placed--was supported. Adolescents were studied at intake into both the juvenile justice system and the mental health system. Data were collected on demographics (structured interviews), personality/psychopathology (MMPI), social adjustment (CAAP), and academic achievement(PIAT) A discriminate function analysis identified eight statistically significant variables which differentiated the two groups. In order of decreasing importance they were: ethnicity, gender, MMPI-depression, previous mental health history, CAAP-productivity, drug use, parental marital history and parental religious preference.

***

Wolford, B, Purnell, B, Brooks, CC, (1998). Educating Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: Results of a National Survey on State Juvenile Justice Education Standards, NJDA Website www.njda.com This article presents the findings of their survey regarding state standards for juvenile justice. The survey responses were from fifty state departments of education and will now be use to help the NJDA develop a set of national standards for juvenile justice education. It was found that 75% of the states had standards governing the delivery of education to children in the juvenile justice system. In 88% of the states the school day mirrored the public school day. In all but one state, the school year was the same or longer than the public school year, ranging from 175 to 220 days. The most significant barriers to education in juvenile justices were student transience, uncertified teachers, facilities in disrepair, behavior and treatment issues, cost concerns, overcrowding, lack of collaboration around educational transition and re-entry and lack of aftercare.

***

Miller, Dawn (2002, December 26). Detained juveniles suffer mental problems, study finds. The Charleston Gazette, Charleston, NC. Nearly two-thirds of boys and three-fourths of girls in juvenile Detention have at least one psychiatric illness, a new federal study has found. These rates are far higher than the 15 percent of youths formerly estimated to have psychiatric problems in the general population, says a recent study from Chicago area researchers.

They studied 1,829 youths, ages 10 to 18, admitted to the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center during four years. About half of the detained teens abused or were addicted to drugs. More than 40 percent had disruptive behavior disorders, such as oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder, a common diagnosis among teens in trouble.

But even when researchers excluded conduct disorder, they still found that 60 percent of boys and more than 66 percent of girls were impaired by one or more mental or substance-use problems.

The juvenile justice system has become the only alternative for many poor and minority youths with psychiatric problems, researchers observed in their 11-page article in the December issue of the Archive of General Psychiatry.

Two recent changes in public health policy also contribute to the criminalization of young people with mental health problems, they wrote. First, welfare cuts disrupted Medicaid coverage for millions of children. In 1996, Congress instructed states to allow eligible families to keep Medicaid coverage, even if their cash assistance checks were cut. Some states, including West Virginia, cut families off first, and restored benefits to them months later. Welfare reform also made many poor children poorer, putting them at greater risk of becoming involved with the juvenile justice system, researchers wrote.

Second, the use of managed care to cut Medicaid expenses has meant that many disorders common to young people in trouble, such as conduct disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance abuse, are not covered or the care is restricted. These changes most affect poor and minority children, who are over-represented in the juvenile justice system. The juvenile justice system is not prepared for them, they wrote.

Nationally, about 106,000 teens are in custody in U.S. juvenile facilities, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Both in this study and in West Virginia, detention is for youths who have been accused of a crime but who have not been convicted. In West Virginia, about 75 young people fill the state's detention beds at all times. The state is currently adding 154 beds around the state. West Virginia has another 200 convicted youths serving time in juvenile jails.

 

DECEMBER 2002

Boesky, L. (2002). Juvenile Offenders With Mental Health Disorders: Who Are They and What Do We Do With Them? Lanham, MD: American Correctional Association. 354 pages

This book is a practical, user-friendly guide for a variety of professionals who supervise, manage, teach, mentor, treat, or plan for juvenile offenders who have mental health disorders. The book focuses on juveniles in a residential setting, but much of the information is equally relevant to those who work in a community setting and those anticipating work with this population.

Dr. Boesky discusses some of the most frequently diagnosed illness among this population and refers to less common illnesses that are rarely seen. She pays special attention to the growing female population and the differences in the illnesses they present and interventions that are appropriate for treating them.

This is a must for any grant community library.

Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy (PLNDP). (2002). Adolescent Substance Abuse: A Public Health Priority. Providence, RI: Author. 70 pages.

This report highlights the link between adolescent substance use and abuse problems and mental health disorders. It explores the role that America's juvenile justice system can play in holding youth accountable for delinquent behavior while linking youth to treatments and resources that effectively treat addiction and prevent future problems.

The report details the prevalence and causes of adolescent substance abuse and the challenges presented when the abuse is by young people. It clearly discusses the implications of early onset of substance use and abuse and the impact on other facets of the youth's life.

The report makes recommendations for policy changes that include -federal and state funding for prevention and early intervention; -federal, state, and local funding for screening and treatment; -education on risks and protective measures; -increased training for healthcare professionals: -increased demand that healthcare pros screen, diagnose, and refer; -expansion of treatment and services in justice agencies; -increased communication between justice, education, legal, and & medical communities; and -increased research into the effectives of current criminal justice demand reduction practices.

For more information about the report, go to http://www.plndp.org or contact Christine Heenan at (401) 831-5898.

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (1998). Facts for Families: Teens: Alcohol and Other Drugs. Washington, DC: Author. 2 pages

Even though it is four years old, this fact sheet provides good basic information for teens and families. It discusses the possible involvement of teens with alcohol and drugs at a time when developmentally they do not associate current behavior with the future. It discusses the risk of using harder drugs or developing a serious alcohol dependency.

The list of the most widely used drugs has not changed substantially. It is important to add the new designer drugs after ecstacy and some of the other club drugs to it. The consequences and warning signs presented are accurate and valuable to references parents and other adults who work with teens. It reminds adults of the importance of having the family physician rule out other possible causes of warning signs, but never to ignore them.

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (1998). Facts for Families. Making Decisions About Substance Abuse Treatment. Washington, DC: Author. 2 pages

This fact sheet discusses the critical nature of the decision to seek drug treatment for an adolescent. It recommends a consultation with a child psychiatrist as one of the first steps. The fact sheet outlines the questions that parents should ask in order to be properly informed before making the treatment decision. Questions about which program and why; the credentials and experience of clinicians; treatment approaches; other psychiatric problems that the child may have; treatment cost; whether providers accept the family's insurance; where treatment is provided; confidentiality; other phases of treatment and insurance coverage; average length of time in program phases; step-down services; family inclusion in planning; family support; possibility of relapse; and future treatment.

This is a dated fact sheet, but the material is as relevant today as it was the first day it was made available to the public.

National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources (NAEIR) Annual Fee: $475 - $575.

NAEIR receives $145 million in donated supplies every year. For a membership fee plus shipping charges, groups can receive new supplies and equipment donated by major companies for distribution to schools and non-profit organizations. The goods represent overstock inventory, discontinued models, and slow sellers.

Everything is brand new and in perfect working order because companies earn a federal tax deduction for their donations. Over the past 25 years, corporations have donated everything from vacuum cleaners to toys, classroom materials, and janitorial products.

For a free packet of information, call NAEIR at 1-800-562-0955.

For $475 membership fee, the average participant receives $12,000 in goods that they select from the NAEIR catalog.

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NOVEMBER 2002
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OCTOBER 2002

Alternative Rehabilitation Communities (Producer). (2002). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [a 60-minute video]. (Available from Alternative Rehabilitation Communities, 2743 Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17105)

This video is intended to help Juvenile Justice professionals recognize post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suggest interventions that have been effective with the female delinquent population. The video presents PTSD training in three phases: theory, staff interviews, and interviews with young women.

Alternative Rehabilitation Communities (ARC) can be reached by mail at 2743 Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17105 or by phone at (717) 238-7101.

***

Collins, Christopher. (2001). Girls and Violence. New York, New York: Girls, Inc. 7 pages.

This document discusses the different ways that girls experience violence in their homes, schools, and communities. It discusses the pathways to juvenile justice from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse to violent behavior that is referred to juvenile justice for handling. Rape, date rape, and physical abuse by boyfriends are discussed, and advice is given on how to handle such abuse when it begins as well as where to find support.

Girls, Inc., is a resource dedicated to the development of strong, healthy young women with the knowledge, understanding, and skills to decode many of life's messages and incidents that prove especially traumatic to girls.

***

Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice, Columbia University/NYSPI. (2002, September). How to become a research site: Getting it right [a newsletter]. 1(4), 1.

The Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice is seeking sites for its research project using the Voice DISC for assessment in juvenile detention and correctional settings. The Center is especially interested in sites that are interested in systematic or statewide implementation because changes will affect large numbers of youth.

For sites that apply and are approved, the Center will provide Voice DISC assessment software, training for key personnel, and technical support (via e-mail and phone), as well as ongoing assistance with interpretation of data, preparation of reports and presentations, and assist with preparation of mental health referrals.

Those who are interested should contact Christie Peltzma at PeltzmaC@childpsyh.columbia.edu

***

Coalition for Juvenile Justice & U. S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs. (2000). Handle With Care: Serving the Mental Health Needs of Young Offenders. Washington, DC. 113 pages.

This monograph discusses the broad array of concerns regarding the growing numbers of youth in the juvenile justice system who present with a diagnosable mental health disorder. It exposes the shortcomings in assessment and treatment services for the young people that they serve. The report talks about families who have turned their children over to juvenile courts because there is no other way to access the needed mental health services.

Handle With Care also discusses some of the successes that a few communities have had in changing outcomes for children and families by focusing on the needs of the family and building on the existing strengths to make the family even stronger. It discusses early detection, prevention, and early intervention efforts that reach children before emotional distress escalates to the point that it is defined as a mental health problem.

***

 

September 2002

Website - www.juvenilenet.org

The Corrections Connection, www.corrections.com, manages a website that supports the criminal justice field, especially the professionals involved in criminal justice-related activities daily. There is a special section for Juvenile Justice titled Juvenile Information Network. This month's feature article discusses the use of videoconferencing in Pennsylvania to enhance staff training and development; visitation between youth and their parents; and increased interaction with the others in the field. I highly recommend that you visit this website.

***

Villarruel, F. A., & Walker, N. E., with Minifee, P., Rivera-Vazquez, O., Peterson, S., & Perry, K. (2002, July). Donde esta la justica? East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Institutes for Children, Youth and Families.

A call to action on behalf of Latino and Latina youth in the U.S. justice System: Executive Summary (18 pages). This executive summary of a report commissioned by the Building Blocks for Youth gives a detailed analysis of the problem of over-representation of Latino and Latina youth in the juvenile justice system at every point along the continuum. It presents startling data that show that Latino youth are incarcerated 13 times the rate of white youth for exactly the same offenses. It shows that this pattern of disparate treatment can be documented in 46 of the 48 contiguous states of the Union.

This article reminds us that this cannot be the full picture of the problem because many states ask only one question about race and ethnicity of the youth in the system. The choices are "White," "African-American," and "Other" (or "Asian" and "Native American"). It says that more than 95% of Latinos report their race as White when the appropriate ethnicity question is not asked.

The report presents concrete recommendations to improve the system policies and practice.

***

National Mental Health Association. (2002). Checking up on juvenile justice facilities: A best practices guide. Alexandria, VA: Author. (21 pages)

The guide is an excellent tool for anyone interested in assessing the needs of children incarcerated in facilities in your community. With increasing numbers of youth who have serious emotional disturbances entering the juvenile justice system, it is critically important to look at the services that the system is equipped to offer those children and to advocate for changes that make treatment a possibility for anyone incarcerated who needs treatment.

The guide provides a sample of an effective array of community-based mental health services to prevent youth from having to enter the delinquency system to get treatment. It also provides a toolkit for touring and assessing the current status of your juvenile justice facilities and how to transform your findings into advocacy to improve your system. More information is available by contacting NMHA's Resource Center at (800) 969-NMHA or (703) 837-4798.

***

Ferber, T., & Pittman, K., with Marshall, T. (2002) State youth policy: Helping all youth to grow up fully prepared and fully engaged. Takoma Park, MD: The Forum for Youth Investment.

This publication shares the status of youth policy across the United States. It discusses state-to-state sharing of samples of policies and critical tasks and lessons learned throughout the process of documenting state's youth policy efforts.

In the sample framework, Dashboards For Youth, the model is a car dashboard. The objective is to "steer a positive course" by having a clear vision and engaging youth in the development and implementation of that vision. How this framework is put into practice in several states is presented. If you have questions about youth policy in a particular state, please contact the Forum for Youth Investment at (202) 207-3333 or www.forumforyouthinvestment.org. Email the Forum: youth@forumforyouthinvestment.org.

***

Healthcare in juvenile detention. (July, 2002). Inside Justice, 1(1).

Inside Justice is a new periodical put out by the National Association of Juvenile Correction Agencies (NAJCA) and the National Juvenile Detention Association (NJDA). Along with announcing the incorporation of the National Partnership for Juvenile Services (NPJS) to promote best practices and quality in professional standards, this issue seeks feedback on a Proposed Position Statement on Health Care in Juvenile Detention.

The position statement says that health care services should be provided for all juvenile in custody and should address needs and preventative care. Health care services should include, but not be limited to,

1. a medical screening at admission followed by a complete history and physical exam (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment); 2. medical examinations on a regular basis for acute and chronic medical problems; 3. a dental screening with provisions for cleaning and restorative work as indicated; 4. a mental health screen on admission, with referral to psychiatric care as needed; 5. substance abuse screening, assessment, and testing, followed by appropriate referral; 6. HIV counseling and testing as indicated; 7. education about chronic illness (e.g., diabetes, asthma, anemia); 8. education about acute medical issues; 9. wraparound services to provide a documented means of communication between the detention facility and community health care providers and parents; and 10. establishment or identification of a primary health care provider for each juvenile on return to the community.

***

August 2002 

Recommended Reading for Juvenile Justice

Henggeler, S. (1997, May). Treating serious anti-social behavior in youth: The MST approach. OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin (NCJ 165151) Rockville, MD: Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (JJC).

Many grantees have asked about Multi Systemic Therapy. This bulletin features evaluations of programs using the therapy. Many have selected this approach because of the individual possibilities and its affordability. Users are required to follow the protocols as they are designed so that the design is not compromised. To view the entire article go to: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/about/97juvjust/jjust619.htm.

***

Halperin, S., Mendel, R. (2002) Less Hype, More Help: Reducing Juvenile Crime-What Works-and What Doesn't. Washington, DC: American Youth Policy Forum.

Less Hype, More Help. discusses what works and what doesn't work in reducing juvenile crime. It endorses research-based models such as Functional Family Therapy and Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care along with early treatment of conduct problems and involving youth in programs that are evidence-based and grounded in the positive youth development philosophy. Some of the current practices is recommends discontinuing are the over-reliance on secure correctional and other out-of-home placements and terminating funding to other programs that do not demonstrate positive outcomes for the participants.

I think every System of Care Community can benefit from the experience discussed in this report. It is available in a full PDF file on the American Youth Policy Forum web page: www.aypf.org/Mendel/index.html

***

Hulzinga, D., Loeber, R., Thornberry, T., Cothern, L., (2000, November). Co-Occurrence of delinquency and other problem behaviors. OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin, (NCJ 182211).

This bulletin examines the co-occurrence of serious delinquency within specific problem areas such as school behavior, drug use, mental health and combinations of the three. This is part of the on-going Cause and Correlates of Delinquency research at OJJDP. This is very important to the field because it points out the large numbers of DSM IV diagnoses of behavior as well as emotional problems. It leads us back to the questions related to how differently we respond to youth with more behavior-related mental health issues than those who have emotional-based mental health issues.

This article should be the evidence System of Care Communities need when they have doubts as to whether they are able to serve youth who have behavioral diagnoses. To view the bulletin go to: http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/182211.pdf.

*** National Mental Health Association. (2001) Alexandria, VA. Mental Health and Youth of Color in the Juvenile Justice System. Fact sheet. Retrieved August, 2002 from: http://www.nmha.org/children/justjuv/colorjj.cfm

This fact sheet discusses the over-representation of youth of color at every decision point in the juvenile justice system and the fact that they are under-identified and underserved at every traditional point in the mental health system. It also discusses what needs to happen in order to better serve those children and youth in the juvenile justice system who present with mental health disorders and illnesses.

***

Robertson, A., Husain, J., (2001) Prevalence of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Disorders Among Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders. Mississippi State University Social Science Research Center. Mississippi State University, MS.

This study examines the co-occurrence of mental health and substance abuse disorders among incarcerated juveniles held in Mississippi detention centers and training schools. In addition, the study examines, by gender, the types and severity of disorders prevalent in Mississippi incarcerated juveniles.

Periodically, the reviews will be of state-specific studies. These studies give other System of Care grantees ideas of studies that might help them with the populations they serve within their states. Rarely, if ever, will the studies be replicable without some refinement for the particular community planning to engage in a study. This report can be downloaded, free of charge at http://www.ssrc.msstate.edu/Publications/.

 

July 2002

Buel, S. M. (2002). Why juvenile courts should address family violence: Promising practices to improve intervention outcomes. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 53(2), 1-12.

This article focuses primarily on model programs to addressing the problem of juvenile victimization of parents. There is some discussion of the prevalence of juvenile domestic violence and of courts that have developed specialized family violence applications. The models presented are worth considering for replication. The article suggests that families can improve their own well-being and outcomes by addressing the juvenile domestic violence in their homes.

***

Williams, D.J., Strean, W. B., & Bengoechea, E. G. (2002). Understanding recreation and sport as a rehabilitative tool within juvenile justice programs. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 53(2), 31-41.

This article discusses the benefits of sport and recreation in the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents. Sports and recreation need to be included in the treatment plan and, whenever possible, tied directly to the treatment goals for the youngster. Models are presented that have delivered positive outcomes in the rehabilitation process.

***

Nordness, P. D., Grummert, M., Banks, D., Schindler, M. L., Moss, M. M., Gallagher, K., & Epstein, M. H. (2002). Screening the mental health needs of youths in juvenile detention. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 53(2), 43-50.

This article discusses the outcomes of a study of mental health disorders among youth at intake into a juvenile detention center in the Midwest. The instrument used for assessing symptoms was the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument - Second Version (MAYSI 2). Consistent with other prevalence studies, two-thirds or 68% of the 204 youth screened identified symptoms of at least one mental health disorder at intake. Researchers have reported that high numbers of youth in detention have co-morbid mental health disorders. The article highlights the importance of using the MAYSI 2 along with parent interviews, teacher reports, observations, and other assessment instruments. It also stresses the necessity of providing mental health services to youth waiting in detention who may need them.

***

Giovanni, E. (2002). Perceived needs and interests of juveniles held in preventive detention. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 53(2), 51-61.

This article discusses the needs that youth in preventive detention perceived for themselves. Given what is known about the outcomes for these youth, it is significant that some of the important needs that the youth participating in this study identified were: assistance in learning how to make better decisions and choices; assistance in learning to control anger; cultural diversity education; and learning how to take care of pets. All of these activities could improve their well-being and outcomes upon return to the community. The article discusses the importance of tailoring programs and activities to the perceived needs of the youths.

***

Alexander, B. (2002, July/August). Agencies say college-educated staff show results. Youth Today: The Newspaper on Youth Work, 11(6), pp. 1, 14-15.

This article discusses the shift toward and benefits of hiring college graduates and college-educated staff in youth work. Some agencies require master's degrees and Ph.D.s for a growing number of positions, especially clinical positions. Some of the benefits noted are: a reduction in the lengths of stay for youth in secure residential and non-secure intermediate residential settings; an increased knowledge base among youth workers; greater willingness to try new treatment approaches with clients; and a commitment to positive reinforcement and long term change. Positives also include staff stability/reduced staff turnover; improved professional identity; greater opportunities for promotions and pay increases; a reduction in costs for recruiting and training; and improved outcomes management and higher Medicaid reimbursements.

The article supports providing opportunities for non-degreed staff to get their degrees by providing some tuition assistance so support coursework toward a degree.

 

June 2002

Author: Fisher, M. (2002). 
Title: Youth courts: Young people delivering justice. 
Washington, DC: American Bar Association.

This booklet describes a relatively new area of justice improvement. It is one of the fastest growing problem-solving justice initiatives and holds promise for early intervention. The booklet is included in the American Bar Association's Road Maps series because it introduces youth courts to those who might be interested in a similar initiative in their community. It is relevant to many community members and organizations and discusses the need for each to be involved. It also gives examples of several projects led by different community organizations and agencies.

The booklet is available for $5.00 and can be ordered from the American Bar Association by e-mailing abasvcctr@abanet.org.

*** 

Author: Ginsburg, C. & Demeranville, H. (1999, December 20). 
Title: Sticks and stones: The jailing of mentally ill kids. The Nation, 17-20.

This article discusses many of the reasons that mentally ill kids who have not committed violent crimes should not be placed in juvenile prisons. Compelling stories of three such youth are told in the article. Parents of these troubled youth turned them over to the system because they were scared and out of resources. When these very sick youth were released, they were much more troubled than when they entered the system. This article is a testimony to why specialized institutions and community placement are best for the treatment of mentally ill kids.

***

Video Resource: "Mental Health Issues and Juvenile Justice."

In April 2001, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention sponsored a live national satellite broadcast featuring nationally known panelists to discuss "Mental Health Issues and Juvenile Justice." Following an overview of the issues facing those individuals with mental health needs who are involved with the juvenile justice system, the panelists described emerging strategies and model programs that have been show to be effective in improving the delivery of services.

The set of two videos is available for $28.00 from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse (NCJRS) by calling 1-800-638-8736. Reference item # 188036 ***

Video Resource: "At Risk: Youth on Probation in the P.A.R.K. Program"

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) recently developed a video for community stakeholders who are responsible for developing and providing community-based services for youth in the juvenile justice system who have mental health disorders and substance abuse problems. A day treatment program in Santa Cruz County, CA is the program featured on the video. There is a close collaboration between probation, mental health, education and juvenile court workers in this program in Santa Cruz.

The video is available from A.A.C.A.P by calling Mary Crosby in the Department of Government Affairs at (202) 966-7300 or emailing her at mcrosby@aacap.org.

***

Author: Jensen, P., Ko, S. J., & Wasserman, G. A. (Spring 2002). Guidelines for child and adolescent mental health referral. Retrieved June 6, 2002 from: http://www.promotementalhealth.org/Resources/resources.htm.

The Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice at Columbia University, Division of Child Psychiatry, recently developed a template to assist community mental health agencies in locating appropriate referrals for youth diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Taking into consideration the rigorous requirements of managed care, page 2 of the article carefully explains how to use the template, which includes recommendations for efficacious, evidence-based treatments needed in local communities. The guidelines can be downloaded in PDF format from http://www.promotementalhealth.org/Resources/resources.htm.

May 2002

Author: Underwood, L. A., & Mullan, W. C. (1997). 
Title: We built them and they came: New insights for managing Ohio's aggressive juvenile offenders with mental illness. Corrections Management Quarterly, 1(4), 19-27.

Psychiatric and behavioral disorders of juvenile offenders involved in Ohio's juvenile justice system are a significant concern for corrections and clinical managers. Many juvenile offenders with mental illness have been transferred from the community into state juvenile correctional facilities. Generally, juvenile offenders have co-occurring problems to conduct disorders, such as substance abuse, histories of violence, and major psychiatric disorders. These co-occurring problems bring about a new type of juvenile offender - namely the aggressive mentally ill. The Ohio Department of Youth Services has created a continuum of mental health services to address the needs of juveniles.

***

Author: Underwood, L., & Berensen, D. (2001). 
Title: Mental health programming in youth correction and detention facilities: A resource guide. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators.

As mental health systems throughout the country have closed large mental health institutions, there has been an increasing reliance on justice systems for the care of the mentally ill. Juvenile justice administrators are faced with the multifaceted problems that arise when dealing with juveniles with serious mental illness. Administrators have begun addressing this problem by designing and implementing correctional mental health programs. To assist in that process, this 69-page guide is provided to help staff working with these youth throughout the juvenile justice system (i.e. probation, institutional care, parole) to understand the dynamics and issues that are unique to juveniles with serious mental illness. Staff's ability to effectively intervene with mental health problems helps these juveniles to return to their communities as responsible citizens.

***

Author: Teplin, L. (2001). 
Title: Assessing alcohol, drug, and mental disorders in juvenile detention (Fact Sheet). Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).

Preliminary data from the baseline study of juvenile detainees show that two-thirds of the youth have one or more alcohol, drug and mental disorders. Females have far greater mental health needs and greater risk factors than males. Preliminary data suggests that, nationwide, more than 670,000 youth processed in the juvenile justice system each year would meet diagnostic criteria for one or more alcohol, drug or mental disorders that require mental health and/or substance abuse treatment.

***

Author: Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health. (2001). 
Title: Juvenile Justice and Mental Health (Data Trends Publication #31). Retrieved May 24, 2002, from http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/DataTrends/pgDT31.shtml.

Juvenile courts play an important role in systems of care, especially given the high prevalence of mental health needs among juvenile offenders. The two articles summarized in this fact sheet examine the relationship between mental health and involvement in the juvenile justice system, as well as the value of juvenile courts and the influence of these values on mental health treatment referrals.

***

Author: Robertson, A., Grimes, P., & Rogers, K. (April 2001). 
Title: A short-run cost-benefit analysis of community-based interventions for juvenile offenders. Crime and Delinquency, 47(2), 265-284.

Recent empirical research indicates that for juvenile offenders various community-based intervention techniques result in significantly greater positive effects when compared to more traditional approaches. This article presents a cost-benefit evaluation of two such techniques: intensive supervision and monitoring (ISM) and intensive outpatient counseling with cognitive behavioral therapy (CB). The results indicate that participants in the cognitive behavior program imposed significantly fewer costs on the justice system during the investigative period. The ISM group demonstrated no significant difference in justice system expenditures from the control.

April 2002

National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice www.ncmhjj.com Policy Research Associates, Inc. 345 Delaware Avenue Delmar, NY 12054 (866) 9NC-MHJJ Email: ncmhjj@jprainc.com

This new center was established to promote awareness of the mental health needs of youth in the Juvenile Justice System and to assist the field in developing improved policies and programs based on the best available research. Some of the primary responsibilities of the NCMHJJ include:

  • Informing the field

  • Development of an electronic database of the most current research on mental health issues in juvenile justice

  • Developing fact sheets, annotated bibliographies, and research and program briefs

  • Providing assistance to the field through a call center and consultants

Author: Wasserman, Gail A.; Ko, Susan J.; and Jensen, Peter S. 
Title:
Columbia Guidelines for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Referral 
Source: Journal of Emotional and Behavior Disorders in Youth, Winter, 2001. Resource: A special report

This article suggests interventions that produce positive effects and have consistent evidence of efficacy when used with youth presenting with various DSM IV Diagnoses. There is discussion of inconsistencies where there are few studies on populations of children and youth. The article is another item for your toolbox and can be especially helpful when parents and the coordinating team are thinking through the treatment plan for a youngster.

Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice 
www.promotementalhealth.org Columbia University/NYSPI 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 74

The Center for the Promotion of Mental Health in Juvenile Justice was created to provide expert guidance to the field regarding best practices for psychiatric assessment of youth in juvenile justice settings. The center works with juvenile justice sites interested in incorporating scientifically sound mental health assessments into practice and helps the sites to map mental health services to those assessments.

The CPMHJJ will provide training and technical assistance to juvenile justice administrators and practitioners in the use of scientifically sound instruments for assessing psychiatric status. They sponsor consensus conferences and present the results to practitioners, policy makers and scientists. They also produce journal articles, referral guidelines, newsletters, and other products to promote best practices and a higher standard of care for children, youth, their families, and the practitioners and caregivers who are part of their treatment.

Author: The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform
Title: Recommendations for Juvenile Justice Reform October, 1999- October 2001 A Monograph: Fourteen Chapters

This excellent monograph is intended to provide community leaders, policy makers, community agencies, government agencies, legislators, service providers, professional organizations, and child advocates with recommendations for reform so that the entire juvenile justice community becomes more responsive to children and adolescents with mental health disorders who are in the system. The fourteen articles reinforce the need for easy access to a comprehensive array of medical and mental health services that are family-centered, community based, culturally competent, gender sensitive, developmentally sound, and integrated with the other child-serving agencies within the system.

The articles address specific issues of treatment, problems with screening, assessment, disproportionate confinement of minority children with mental health disorders, alternatives to confinement, drug courts, mental health courts, and other creative solutions to problems seen in this population.

Author: Underwood, Lee A.; Newton, Jessel A.; and Jageman, Mary A.
Title: Integrating Juvenile Correctional and Community Mental Health Approaches: A Promising Program for Juvenile Offenders with Mental Health Disorders
Source: Juvenile Correctional Mental Health Report; Vol. 1, Issue 3, pp 33-48

The article addresses the growing concern of juvenile justice facilities and mental health professionals around the increasing numbers of juvenile offenders with mental health disorders in the system. This concern complicates issues between the two systems, which have to justify effective treatment and appropriate correctional responses for the client. It discusses real dilemmas presented when choosing the most appropriate mental health intervention and when determining whether the least restrictive setting is going to be possible for the youth. Several interventions that have been particularly successful with this population are discussed.

The author discusses treatment programs he has designed that integrate both correctional and community mental health approaches. In his program, structure, support, mental health, behavior management, and personal accountability are emphasized. The outcome data from this program is promising for both mental health and juvenile justice.

March 2002

Author: Schindler, Marc A.
Title: Mental Health Issues Facing Adolescents in the Juvenile Justice System: Part 1, The Lack of Mental Health Resources
Source: AACAP News/January - February, 1999 pages 10, 11 and 23-25 (periodical)

This paper discusses in some detail the lack of mental health resources and services for youth in the juvenile justice system. The author presents a brief history, the scope of the problem, and the more severe problem areas and makes recommendations to improve assessment, treatment, and training and for improving conditions for youth living in juvenile institutions.

The author also addresses the overrepresentation of minority youth in the juvenile justice system and how this overrepresentation gets worse at every stage of the juvenile justice process. There is a brief discussion of the need for norm assessment on the population to be served and for minority clinicians to be party to the analysis and interpretation of the meaning of the data.

Interestingly, the problem is laid at the feet of juvenile justice, but clearly there are not enough special education and support personnel to serve the needs of this population. There needs to be a national agenda to attract more students to be trained to work with this population and in the settings where they are found.

Author: Schindler, Marc A.
Title: Mental Health Issues Facing Adolescents in the Juvenile Justice System: Part I1, Prosecution of Juvenile as Adults
Source: AACAP News/January - February, 1999, Pages 47-49 and 64 (periodical)

This article focuses on the issue of prosecution of juveniles as adults. The "super predator" hypothesis of juvenile offenders was debunked in 1996, and currently only about six percent of juveniles arrested annually are arrested for violent offenses; yet state officials tightened laws as if the numbers were escalating wildly. This article reminds the reader of the terrible tragedies that occur when juveniles are housed in adult facilities. Youth are at much higher risk for suicide, for heinous beatings and sexual assaults, and for physical and mental deterioration.

The article makes a case for more services in the juvenile justice system and less transfer to the adult system for the safety and sanity of these young people. The author argues that there is reason to fear that mental illness and intellectual disabilities will not be identified in many adult court proceedings.

Author: Twedt, S.
Title: Lack of Options Keep Mentally Disturbed Youth Locked Up
Source: Pittsburgh, PA: Post-Gazette, July 2001. (Newspaper 15 pages)

This dramatic article is based on interviews the author held with people working with and in dozens of juvenile facilities and community placements, as well as administrators of juvenile justice programs. Along with children and their families, the author interviewed judges, attorneys, and program operators across the nation. He concludes that evidence-based programs in the home communities of mentally disturbed delinquents are desperately needed and that these youth and their families are being ill served by the system as it exists today.

Author: Grisso, Thomas
Title: Juvenile Offenders and Mental Illness
Source: Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 6(2): 143-151, 1999 (journal article)

The author discusses the significance of mental illness in a child in the juvenile justice system and the lack of adequate services to address the needs these youth present. He discusses the fact that child psychology and child psychiatry have not developed an adequate system for classifying mental disorders among children and adolescents and reviews the overlap between mental illness and delinquency. He also discusses the problems inherent in identifying mentally ill and disordered youth at the juvenile justice door because of the shortage of qualified clinical personnel to fully assess and treat them. The author is an authority on screening and with Richard Barnum developed a screening tool (MAYSI) that is being used routinely to screen for indicators of possible mental health problems in many juvenile facilities nationwide.

Author: Walker, Jane A. (LCSW) and Friedman, Karen (MA)
Title: "Listening and Learning from Families in Juvenile Justice" A Project of the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health
Source: A Report

The authors' report on the outcomes of nine focus groups, conducted around the state of Maryland, comprised of families caring for children with mental health disorders who were also involved in the juvenile justice system. It tells the experiences of families as they engaged the juvenile justice system stakeholders. The goal of the project was to make sure there was family voice in the discussions and recommendations on juvenile justice reform that had been going on for the previous year. Parents had been noticeably absent at those meetings, and the Coalition decided to fund a special project to bring family voice into the initiative.

The authors synthesized the experiences in the nine focus groups and presented collective recommendations for improved services for children at risk of committing offenses; children who have already committed offenses; and for the families of these children.

To download a copy of the report, please visit http://www.mdcoalition.org.

February 2002

Authors: Ewing, J., Coleman, R. 
Title:
Mental Health Program for Juveniles 
Source:
American Jails 23-25, November/December, 1993. (Journal Article: 3 pages)

This article is important because the reader has a chance to review early program responses to incarcerated youth with mental health disorders in the juvenile justice system.

In 1986, the King County, WA, Department of Youth Services and the University of Washington Division of Psychiatry collaborated to develop a mental health service and training program to serve the needs of youth while incarcerated. The program exceeded the standards that existed in 1986 and meets standards today. The article also discusses the implementation of the program.

Author: Boesky, Lisa, Ph.D. 
Title: Why Train Juvenile Justice Staff on Mental Health Issues?
Source: Juvenile Correctional Mental Health Report, Volume 1, Issue 3, pp. 35-36 & 44-45, March/April, 2001

This article addresses that controversial issue of cross training. Examples are given of opportunities where probation officers and juvenile correctional officers could intervene more timely and effectively if they were better trained to identify and respond to mental health issues and triggers. The author makes recommendations and arguments to support cross training of both mental health and juvenile justice staff.

Author: Portland State University Research and Training Center 
Title:
Focal Point: A National Bulletin on Family Support and Children's Mental Health 
Source: Minneapolis, MN: Pacer Center 11(1): Spring 1997. (Bulleting: 40 pages)

(This bulletin is published quarterly and can be accessed on line.)

This entire issue is devoted to the topic of families, juvenile justice, and children's mental health. Issues discussed include: prevalence, mental health services, girls, youth of color, parent support, youth with disabilities, treatment approaches and programs and the challenge all of these are for the juvenile justice system.

Author: Leone, Peter 
Title: The Prevalence of Mental Health Disabilities among Youth in the Juvenile Justice System 
Source: Alexandria, VA: The National Mental Health Association, 2001 (Fact Sheet: 3 pages)

A large number of youth in the juvenile justice system have serious mental health problems. Many youth have already been diagnosed and an equal number have their first diagnosis of a mental disorder while in custody. Psychosocial and environmental risk factors also contribute to juvenile offending. Exposure to multiple risk factors and co-occurring disorders make it difficult to determine the cause of the problems the youth is having. Dr. Leone discusses some of the characteristics of those youth in the juvenile justice system, not just in institutional care.

Author: Kamradt, Bruce
Title:
Wraparound Milwaukee: Aiding Youth With Mental Health Needs
Source: Juvenile Justice Journal, Volume VIII, Number 1 (April 2000) pp.14 -23

This article explores Wraparound Milwaukee, a program that has successfully integrated a broad array of services to better respond to the needs of youth with mental health problems who have adjudicated delinquent. The author discussed implementation of this strengths-based, family lead model in a managed care environment. The key components, array of services and blended funding philosophy are particularly impressive.

January 2002

Authors: Banum, R., Keilitz, I.
Title: Issues in Systems Interactions Affecting Mentally Disorder Juvenile Offenders
Source: In Cocozza, J. (ed.) 1992. Responding to the Mental Health Needs of Youth in the Juvenile Justice System. (Monograph Chapter: 38 pages)

This chapter begins with a general analysis of organizational functions and structures that are involved in addressing the needs of any youth in the juvenile justice system. It further discusses in greater detail the issues that arise in dealing with juvenile delinquents with mental health disorders. This article discusses the importance of understanding systems issues, diagnostic services, evaluation and treatment services. The best thing about the article is that it proposes characteristics of an ideal system of care and suggests areas for further research.

Author: Wilson, J. 
Title:
Coalition for Juvenile Justice--Lost in the Shuffle: Treating the Mental Health Needs of Young Offenders
Source: Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, November, 2000 (Keynote Address: 7 pages)

The speaker discusses current projects and future initiatives that will help address the challenges facing the juvenile justice system entering the 21st century. The mental health issues of youth in the system present challenges that the system is not currently designed to handle. OJJDP recognizes the need for interagency collaboration and blending of funds to serve this growing population.

Author: Bilchik, S. 
Title: Mental Health Disorders and Substance Abuse Problems Among Juveniles Source: Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), July, 1998, (Fact Sheet: 2 pages)

Research has demonstrated that juvenile delinquents tend to have both mental health disorders and substance abuse problems at a much higher rate than that of juveniles in the general population. A very high percentage of them have conduct disorders. Research and experience demonstrate that the services available in the juvenile justice system to alleviate these problems are woefully inadequate.

Authors: Burrell, Sue, Warboys, Loren. 
Title:
Special Education and the Juvenile Justice System
Source: Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), July 2000. (Bulletin: 16 Pages)

Large numbers of youth involved in the juvenile justice system have education-related disabilities. Incredibly, as many as 20 percent of children with emotional disabilities are arrested, at least once, before they leave school. Information about disabilities can be very helpful in determining whether formal delinquency proceedings should take place. Information and education about disabilities is a must for school personnel, families and others who work with special education students. The bulletin is intended to inform judges, attorneys, advocates, probation officers, institutional staff and other youth-serving professionals about the impact of special education issues on juvenile justice matters.

Author: Coalition for Juvenile Justice
Title:
Handle With Care: Serving the Mental Health Needs of Young Offenders.
Source: Washington, DC: Coalition for Juvenile Justice Annual Report, 2000. (Report: 112 pages)

This report illustrates findings from a yearlong investigation into the scope of mental health concerns and services in the juvenile justice system. It shows the system's shortcomings and the lack of an integrated approach to respond to the screening, assessment and treatment services. It speaks to the integral parts poverty, race, gender and sexual orientation play in who gets access to appropriate services.