Publications

Mental Health / Juvenile Justice Action Network

Innovation Brief: Juvenile Justice and Mental Health: A Collaborative Approach: Nov 30, 2012, Barbara Chayt; No single agency can solve the mental health/juvenile justice crisis. It demands a collaborative model.Three Pennsylvania counties—Allegheny, Chester, and Erie—and a state-level team…
Innovation Brief: Strengthening the Role of Families in Juvenile Justice: Nov 30, 2012, Wendy Luckenbill; In 2007, Models for Change-Pennsylvania established a multidisciplinary workgroup—including both family advocates and juvenile justice practitioners—to address the role of families in the…
Innovation Brief: Media Relations: Transforming a Crisis into an Opportunity for Reform: Nov 30, 2012, Marie Yeager; The Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, “kids-for-cash” tragedy provided many opportunities for education regarding juvenile justice in the United States. The publicity, shaped by thoughtful…
Innovation Brief: Mental Health Needs and Due Process Rights: Finding the Balance: Nov 30, 2012, Autumn Dickman; Models for Change sites have launched a variety of initiatives to identify and treat justice involved youths with mental health and substance abuse problems. They include screening and assessment…
Research on Pathways to Desistance: December 2012 Update: Nov 30, 2012, Carol Schubert; This brief reports on four key findings: • The majority of young, serious offenders do not make a career of crime, and the original crime is not a good predictor of future patterns of offending;…
A Family Guide to Pennsylvania's Juvenile Justice System: Nov 7, 2012, Doreen Barkowitz; If your child is in the juvenile justice system in Pennsylvania, this guide is for you! This guide was developed by the Family Involvement Committee of the Pa Council of Chief Juvenile Probation…
Measurable Progress: A Summary of Illinois Juvenile Justice Reforms: Oct 1, 2012, Various; This report summarizes some of the key changes in juvenile justice law, policy and practice that have taken place in Illinois during the period 2005 – 2012. These changes have accelerated over…
Family Involvement Resource Inventory: An overview of resources for family, youth and staff: Sep 5, 2012, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; This Family Resources Inventory was compiled to assist the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network States in the identification of publications and resources that address the barriers families…
Adding Up Models for Change: Initial Findings from the Models for Change Database: Dec 9, 2011, Patrick Griffin; Models for Change was deliberately designed to be wide-ranging—to support state and local reformers in a variety of settings, working in variety of issue areas, and taking a variety of…
Juvenile Justice Guide Book for Legislators: Dec 5, 2011, National Conference of State Legislators; Under a partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, NCSL has published a juvenile justice guidebook addressing the most important juvenile justice policy issues of the day. …
Innovation Brief: Using Diversion Fairly, Consistently, and Effectively: Dec 1, 2011, Juvenile Law Center; Juvenile justice leaders in Pennsylvania wanted to create a model system to channel youths away from formal processing. The idea was to hold young offenders accountable withless costly and more…
Knowledge Brief: Can Risk Assessment Improve Juvenile Justice Practices?: Dec 1, 2011, Models for Change Research Initiative; A growing number of juvenile justice experts are suggesting a new, potentially more effective approach to reducing recidivism: first identify a youth’s risk of re-offending; then match services…
Knowledge Brief: Mental Health Services in Juvenile Justice: Who pays? What gets paid for? And who gets to decide?: Dec 1, 2011, Models for Change Research Initiative; Providing effective mental health services for youths in the juvenile justice system raisescomplex policy questions, including: Who pays? What services get paid for? And who getsto decide? The…
Knowledge Brief: Does Mental Health Screening Fulfill Its Promise?: Dec 1, 2011, Models for Change Research Initiative; As many as two-thirds of youths in pre-trial detention exhibit behaviors serious enough to qualify them for a mental disorder. Under the stress of detention, these youths can act out in ways that are…
Knowledge Brief: How Well Is the Child Welfare System Serving Youths with Behavioral Problems?: Dec 1, 2011, Models for Change Research Initiative; Child welfare systems were designed with a focus on ensuring the safety and stability of abused and neglected children. Today, though, these systems also serve as an alternative to secure confinement…
Knowledge Brief: How Can We Know If Juvenile Justice Reforms Are Worth the Cost?: Dec 1, 2011, Models for Change Research Initiative; With governments at every level facing grim budget forecasts, policymakers need to knowas much as possible about what juvenile justice activities yield the greatest social good fora given level of…
An Executive Summary: Rethinking Juvenile Justice: Dec 1, 2011, Models for Change Research Initiative; Elizabeth S. Scott and Laurence Steinberg, leading figures in juvenile law and adolescentdevelopmental psychology, have brought their disciplines together to define a newapproach to juvenile crime.…
Responder Program Development Manual (Summit County, Ohio): May 6, 2011, Judge Linda Tucci Teodosi; This Responder Program Manual was developed out of the work that Ohio has been undertaking as part of their work in the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network. It is meant to serve as a guide…
Workforce Development: Strategic Innovations from the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network: Apr 1, 2011, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; This report provides a detailed update and summary on the work of the MH/JJ Action Network's Workforce Development Strategic Innovation Group. Recognizing the need for comprehensive mental health…
Law Enforcement-Based Diversion: Strategic Innovations from the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network: Apr 1, 2011, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; This report provides a detailed update and summary on the work of the MH/JJ Action Network's Law Enforcement-based Diversion Strategic Innovation Group. While standard Crisis Intervention Team…
Intake Based Diversion: Strategic Innovations from the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network: Apr 1, 2011, The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; This report provides a detailed update and summary on the work of the MH/JJ Action Network's intake-based diversion strategic innovation group. The intention of the Action Network's Front-End…
School-Based Diversion: Strategic Innovations from the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network: Apr 1, 2011, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; This report provides a detailed update and summary on the work of the MH/JJ Action Network's School-Based Diversion Strategic Innovation Group. The four participating states (Connecticut, Illinois,…
Juvenile Diversion Guidebook: Mar 1, 2011, Models for Change Juvenile Diversion Workgroup; Programs that divert youth from involvement in the juvenile justice system have become more frequent in response to the growing recognition that such involvement often is not necessary to achieve…
Turning Knowledge into Practice: A Manual for Human Service Administrators and Practitioners about Understanding and Implementing Evidence-Based Practices, 2nd edition (revised): Nov 19, 2010, John A. Morris; The mission of the authors and sponsors of this manual is to enhance independence, self sufficiency, and community living for people with disabilities through the implementation and approaches of…
2010 Overview of Models for Change: Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice: Nov 16, 2010, Models for Change; Provides an overview of the Models for Change initiative including: Background/Perspective, Framework, Grantmaking Strategy, Advancing the Models, Frequently Asked Questions, National Resource Bank…
Guide to Developing Pre-Adjudication Diversion Policy and Practice in Pennsylvania: Sep 1, 2010, Diversion Subcommittee of the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice state work group of the Models for Change Initiative in Pennsylvania; In 2006, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania issued a Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Joint Policy Statement (the “Joint Policy Statement”)1 as a blueprint for creating a model system that…
Healing Invisible Wounds: Why Investing in Trauma-Informed Care for Children Makes Sense: Jul 7, 2010, Justice Policy Institute; Any number of factors can contribute to a person becoming involved in the criminal justice system, including a history of trauma or victimization. Over 93,000 children are currently locked up in…
Washington State Models for Change Newsletter-July 2010: Jul 6, 2010, WA State Models for Change; Hello from Benton/Franklin Counties Models for Change! We hope this issue of our newsletter finds you well. It looks like summer is finally here and with that comes a chance to breathe a bit and…
Mental Health Issues in California’s Juvenile Justice System: May 26, 2010, Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice; Young delinquents diagnosed with mental illness have been incarcerated at steadily higher rates in California's juvenile justice system for nearly a decade. Yet these young offenders rarely receive…
First, Do No Harm: How Educators and Police Can Work Together More Effectively to Preserve School Safety and Protect Vulnerable Students: May 3, 2010, Johanna Wald and Lisa Thurau; Today, the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School released a policy brief, entitled, “First, Do No Harm,” (authors Johanna Wald and Lisa Thurau)…
Conducting Benefit-Cost Analyses of Juvenile Court Jurisdiction and Other Juvenile Justice Policies: Dec 21, 2009, Jens Ludwig; Concern about juvenile crime in the 1980s led most states across the country to enact policy changes that made it easier to transfer juvenile arrestees into the adult criminal justice system (Hahn et…
Models for Change 2009 Update: Core State Progress: Nov 2, 2009, Patrick Griffin; Central to the Models for Change strategy is its long-termpartnership with four key states: Pennsylvania, Illinois, Louisiana,and Washington. By supporting comprehensive reformsin these core states,…
Family Involvement in Pennsylvania's Juvenile Justice System: Nov 1, 2009, Wendy Luckenbill & Clay Yeager; When children are involved with juvenile justice, the involvement of families is critical to a successful outcome. Yet, family involvement is frequently associated with negative rather than positive…
Advances and Innovations Emerging from the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network: 2009 Update: Nov 1, 2009, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; Offers a brief update on the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network’s strategic innovation group (SIG) projects. Through the SIG process, the Network developed and piloted front-end…
Louisiana Juvenile Justice System Screening & Assessment & Treatment Services Survey: Sep 28, 2009, Stephen Phillippi; To find alternatives to formal processing and incarceration, to have more Evidence-based community services available for youths in LA and their families, and to use data analyses and other research…
School-Based Diversion Questionnaire: Sep 25, 2009, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; To collect process/implementation data on the school-based diversion program being implemented by the MH/JJ Action Network states.
Probation Diversion Questionnaire: Sep 25, 2009, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; To collect process/implementation data on the probation-based diversion program being implemented in Texas.
Louisiana Treatment Provider Survey Sample Results Report: Sep 11, 2009, Stephen W. Phillippi; As a first step for the Evidence-based Community Services TAI, a survey was developed to assess the current state of affairs within Louisiana counties with respect to a) the extent and methods of…
Connecticut School Based Diversion Initiative Manual: May 29, 2009, Vicki Spriggs; This manual summarizes the major activities of the Connecticut School-Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI) and is intended to aid communities in developing their own school-based diversion programs with…
Models for Change 2008 Update: Gathering Force: Dec 9, 2008, Models for Change; Outlines specific achievements made in each of the four Model States and three Action Networks since December 2007. Over the last year the sense of movement in the field of juvenile justice, of…
The Second Century: Juvenile Justice Reform in Illinois: Dec 1, 2008, Center for Children's Law and Policy; Describes a number of promising juvenile justice policies and practices in Illinois that provide a solid base for further reform efforts. The report shares information about these efforts in the hope…
An Overview of Illinois Medicaid and SCHIP Programs: Aug 1, 2008, National Academy for State Health Policy; Intended to assist professionals who work in systems serving children, such as juvenile justice and child welfare. For more information about Medicaid and its key concepts as they relate to the…
Improving Access to Health Coverage for Transitional Youth: Jul 1, 2008, National Academy for State Health Policy; Offers a detailed examination of ways to improve states’ ability to keep foster care and juvenile justice youth enrolled in Medicaid and SCHIP. The report focuses on the areas of simplifying…
Overview of The Models for Change Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network: Apr 8, 2008, Models for Change Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network; Provides information on the startup, organization and strategies of the iniative's Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network including background on the issue of mental health in juvenile justice.
Mental Health Screening within Juvenile Justice: The Next Frontier: Nov 15, 2007, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; Discusses issues surrounding the mental health screening of juvenile offenders such as screening procedures, policies and implementation. Chapters of this report are: "Introduction" by Kathleen R.…
Mental Health Screening within Juvenile Justice: The Next Frontier: Oct 1, 2007, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; Discusses issues surrounding the mental health screening of juvenile offenders. Chapters of this report are: "Introduction" by Kathleen R. Skowyra and Joseph J. Cocozza; "Procedures and Policies:…
Mental Health Needs of Juvenile Offenders: Jun 21, 2007, National Conference of State Legislatures; Describes disorders, issues and strategies for addressing the mental health needs of youth in the juvenile justice system: as many as 70 percent of youth in the system are affected with a mental…
Redeploy Illinois Annual Report Implementation and Impact 2007: May 24, 2007, Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board (RIOB); Documents how four Redeploy Illinois pilot programs reduced commitments to Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice on average by 44%, or 226 fewer youth in the first two years, thereby saving the…
Improving and Coordinating Access to Mental Health Services for Youth in Pennsylvania's Juvenile Justice System: Apr 10, 2007, Models for Change; Outlines approaches and opportunities for the juvenile justice and mental health systems to better respond to the needs of the large number (over 70%) of youth with mental health needs who come into…
Pennsylvania Models for Change Monthly Newsletter: February 2007 Issue: Mar 8, 2007, Juvenile Law Center; February 2007 issue of the Pennsylvania Models for Change newsletter features updates on target area of improvement, information exchange, upcoming events, national news etc.
Pennsylvania Models for Change Monthly Newsletter: January 2007 Issue: Feb 1, 2007, Juvenile Law Center; Inaugural issue of the Pennsylvania Models for Change newsletter features updates on target area of improvement, information exchange, upcoming events, national news etc.
Washington State Models for Change Initiative: Selected County Highlights: Dec 31, 2006, National Center for Juvenile Justice; Provides statistics on intake, demographics, mental health diversion/treatment programs for Benton, Franklin, Clark, King, Pierce and Spokane Counties in Washington.
Louisiana Models for Change Initiative: Selected Parish/Judicial District Highlights: Oct 1, 2006, National Center for Juvenile Justice; Provides statistics on intake, demographics, mental health diversion/treatment programs for Caddom Calcasieu, Jefferson, Rapides Parish, and 16th Judicial District parishes in Louisiana.
Lessons Learned: Facilitating Mental Health Screening in Juvenile Justice Programs: Oct 1, 2006, Valerie Williams; Recent evidence suggests that the prevalence of mental disorders among youths in the juvenile justice system is two to three times higher than youths in the general population. Screening upon entry…
Washington Models for Change Initiative Background Summary: Sep 30, 2006, National Center for Juvenile Justice; Contains a broad spectrum of historical and more recent information regarding Washington State's juvenile justice system as well as a wide range of statistics to support the strategic planning…
Joint Policy Statement on Mental Health/Juvenile Justice: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Aug 31, 2006, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Joint statement by The Mental Health/Juvenile Justice (MH/JJ) Work Group (comprised of representatives from the juvenile justice, mental health, child welfare, drug and alcohol, and education systems…
Louisiana Models for Change Initiative Background Summary: Mar 22, 2006, National Center for Juvenile Justice; Contains a broad spectrum of historical and more recent information regarding Louisiana's juvenile justice system as well as a wide range of statistics to support the strategic planning required at…
Blueprint for Change: A Comprehensive Model for the Identification and Treatment of Youth with Mental Health Needs in Contact with the Juvenile Justice Network: Dec 31, 2005, The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; Presents a comprehensive model for providing a broad range of mental health services to youth in contact with the juvenile justice system with recommended actions and over 30 detailed suggestions.…
Keystones for Reform: Promising Juvenile Justice Policies and Practices in Pennsylvania: Oct 12, 2005, Juvenile Law Center; The first state report for the Models for Change initiative, this report describes promising juvenile justice policies and practices in Pennsylvania that provide a solid base for further reform…
Developing Mental Health Screening in Juvenile Justice: Dec 1, 2004, Gina Vincent; The first step toward managing the mental health needs of juveniles is to be able to identify them. Mental health screening is crucial for identifying mental conditions in need of immediate response,…
Changing the Status Quo for Status Offenders: New York State's Efforts to Support Troubled Teens: Dec 1, 2004, Tina Chiu & Sara Mogulescu; In December 2004, the Vera Institute of Justice released an 'Issue in Brief' discussing the work of child welfare and probation leaders in New York State to reform the PINS (Persons in Need of…