Mental/behavioral health
Research and tools related to meeting the mental health needs of youth without unnecessary juvenile justice system involvement.
Read the strategic innovations of the Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Action Network.
Featured
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Strengthening Our Future: Key Elements to Developing a Trauma-Informed Juvenile Justice Diversion Program for Youth with Behavioral Health Conditions
- Dec 21, 2015, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice
- Diverting youth from the juvenile justice system to effective community-based services and supports will require systems that recognize and respond to trauma-related disorders. These include the…
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Better Solutions for Youth with Mental Health Needs in the Juvenile Justice System
- Jan 22, 2014, Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Collaborative for Change
- Up to 70 percent of all youth in contact with the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Yet, the juvenile justice system is not always the best or most appropriate place…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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Improving Diversion Policies and Programs for Justice-Involved Youth with Co-occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders
- Dec 31, 2013, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice at Policy Research Associates
- Large numbers of youth come in contact with the juvenile justice system each year. In 2009, the most recent year for which data are available, 1.9 million youth under the age of 18 were arrested. …
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Adolescent Domestic Battery Typology Tool Manual
- Dec 8, 2015, Wendy Nussbaum, M.A., LCPC, Stuart M. Berry, M.S.W., LISW, Shannon Hartnett, M.A., Gina M. Vincent, Ph.D.
- There has been an increase in the number of youth referred to the juvenile justice system for charges related to abusing their parents. The Adolescent Domestic Battery Typologies Tool (ADBTT) was…
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Caring for Youth with Mental Health Needs in the Juvenile Justice System: Improving Knowledge and Skills
- May 7, 2015, Fred Meservey, LMSW and Kathleen R. Skowyra, NCMHJJ/Collaborative for Change
- Approximately two-thirds of youth in the care of the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health and/or substance use disorder. Too frequently, staff supervising these youth have…
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Mental Health Screening in Juvenile Justice Services
- May 5, 2015, Andrew Wachter, Research Associate, NCJJ
- This StateScan publication is the 4th in a series that distills important knowledge from NCJJ’s new Juvenile Justice Geography, Policy, Practice and Statistics website. The author, Andrew…
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Diverting Youth at Probation Intake: The Front-End Diversion Initiative
- Apr 8, 2015, Erin Espinosa, Ph.D., Kathleen R. Skowyra
- This Research and Program Brief describes the Front End Diversion Initiative, which is a probation-intake based diversion program for youth with specific mental health conditions that grew out of the…
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Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators Toolkit: Reducing the Use of Isolation
- Mar 30, 2015, Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators
- A response to behavioral problems in many facilities has been reliance on isolation for acting out youths who are mentally challenged, chronically violent, or gang involved. Instead of being used as…
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Innovation Brief: Mental Health Screening as a Valuable Tool for Truancy Intervention
- Dec 8, 2014, Center for Children & Youth Justice
- The Clark County Truancy Project (CCTP) was designed to effectively respond to truancy while reducing the need for formal court intervention. Research indicates that one of the most prevalent issues…
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Advancing Juvenile Justice: Recommendations in Three Key Areas
- Dec 8, 2014, Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Collaborative for Change, Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice, Status Offense Reform Center
- As OJJDP considers how best to carry out its mission, three core issues stand out for their intense need, their proven potential for reform, and the opportunities they offer OJJDP to lead significant…
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Supporting JJ-Involved Youth Experiencing Behavioral Health Disorders
- Dec 8, 2014, LSUHSC Institute for Public Health and Justice
- Presentation
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Time for a Check-Up: How Advocates Can Help Youth in the Juvenile Justice System Get the Mental Health Services They Need
- Dec 8, 2014, National Juvenile Justice Network
- NJJN's policy update summarizes the major changes on the horizon for the provision of mental health services for youth in the juvenile justice system and provides recommendations to help advocates…
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Crisis Intervention Teams - Youth: A Law Enforcement Diversion Project
- Dec 8, 2014, LSUHSC Institute for Public Health and Justice
- Presentation
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Washington State Mental Health Diversion Guidebook
- Dec 1, 2014, University of Washington and the Center for Children & Youth Justice
- This guidebook presents a number of policies and programs occurring within Washington State that are bridging services between the judicial system and the community to serve youth with mental health…
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Innovation Brief: Schools Turn to Treatment, Not Punishment, for Children with Mental Health Needs
- Dec 12, 2013, Giudi Weiss, Kathleen Skowyra
- In 2008, the new Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network selected “early diversion” as its first area of focus. Its goal was to create opportunities for youth with mental health…
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Improving Diversion Policies and Programs for Justice-Involved Youth with Co-occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders
- Dec 8, 2013, National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc.
- Summary of the MacArthur Foundation and SAMHSA collaboration to increase the number of youth with behavioral health disorders diverted out of the juvenile justice system to appropriate…
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Juvenile Competency Procedures
- Dec 8, 2013, National Center for Juvenile Justice
- This 4-page brief summarizes state statutes concerning juvenile competency to stand trial and supports a topic profiled on the Juvenile Justice Geography, Policy, Practice and Statistics website…
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Guide to Developing and Revising Suicide Prevention Protocols for Youth in Contact with the Juvenile Justice System
- Dec 1, 2013, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
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National Context: Principles of Model Screening, Assessment, and Service Delivery (brief)
- Dec 1, 2013, LSU Institute for Public Health and Justice
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Preventing Juvenile Suicide through Improved Collaboration: Strategies for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Agencies - Full Report
- Dec 1, 2013, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
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Preventing Suicide: Working with Youth Who Are Justice Involved - Executive Summary
- Dec 1, 2013, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
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Preventing Suicide: Working with Youth Who Are Justice Involved - Full Report
- Dec 1, 2013, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
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Screening and Assessment for Suicide Prevention: Tools and Procedures for Risk Identification Among Juvenile Justice Youth
- Dec 1, 2013, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
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Screening and Assessment in Louisiana's Juvenile Justice System (summary)
- Dec 1, 2013, Louisiana State University Institute for Public Health and Justice
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Suicidal Ideation and Behavior Among Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: A Review of the Literature
- Dec 1, 2013, National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
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Providing and Receiving Technical Assistance
- Dec 1, 2013, Center for Children's Law and Policy; National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice; D. Alan Henry
- Provides a brief overview of key aspects of technical assistance;
Describes the distinctive approaches used to offer technical assistance through the Models for Change initiative;
Discusses the…
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Improving Outcomes for Children in Schools
- Dec 1, 2013, Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut
- Over the last several years, Connecticut has established one of the country’s most extensive arrays of children's mental health evidence-based practices delivered in home and community…
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Juvenile Justice GPS StateScan: Juvenile Competency Procedures
- Dec 1, 2013, National Center for Juvenile Justice
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Evidence-Based Practices with Latino Youth: A Literature Review
- Nov 25, 2013, Elizabeth Feldman, Ph.D. Eric Trupin, Ph.D. Sarah Walker, Ph.D. Jacquelyn Hansen, MPH
- This review will outline some of the most pressing mental health concerns for Latino immigrants and highlight what is currently known about how best to respond to these concerns. Discussion will…
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Screening and Assessment in Juvenile Justice Systems: Identifying Mental Health Needs and Risk of Reoffending
- Dec 1, 2012, National Youth Screening and Assessment Project
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Innovation Brief: Juvenile Justice and Mental Health: A Collaborative Approach
- Nov 30, 2012, Barbara Chayt, Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators
- 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…
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Innovation Brief: Mental Health Needs and Due Process Rights: Finding the Balance
- Nov 30, 2012, Autumn Dickman, Juvenile Law Center
- 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…
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Competency to Stand Trial in Juvenile Court: Recommendations for Policymakers
- Nov 1, 2012, National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN)
- How do courts determine when a youth is competent to stand trial? What do they do if a youth is found "incompetent" for court proceedings? Most states lack statutory guidance to answer these…
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Chester County Pennsylvania Intake Diversion Program Final Report
- Oct 31, 2012, Andrew Wachter, Teri Deal, Mary Gaspari, Valerie Williams, Rebecca Nelson
- In 2009, with support from Models for Change, Chester County, Pennsylvania developed an Intake Diversion Program. Through collaboration with experts in the field of juvenile justice including the…
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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…
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Developing Statutes for Competence to Stand Trial in Juvenile Delinquency Proceedings: A Guide for Lawmakers
- Apr 2, 2012, Kimberly Larson, Ph.D., J.D.; Thomas Grisso, Ph.D.; National Youth Screening & Assessment Project
- The purpose of this guide is to assist states in developing legislation that will provide clear assistance for juvenile courts when applying competence to stand trial to juvenile court proceedings.…
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Screening and Assessment in Juvenile Justice Systems: Identifying Mental Health Needs and Risk of Reoffending
- Jan 18, 2012, Gina M. Vincent, Ph.D. Associate Professor Co-Director, National Youth Screening & Assessment Project
- Each year, more than 2 million children, youth, and young adults formally come into contact with the juvenile justice system, while millions more are at risk of involvement with the system for myriad…
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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…
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Responder Program Development Manual (Summit County, Ohio)
- May 6, 2011, Judge Linda Tucci Teodosi, William P. Kannel
- 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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Training Module--Mental Health Screening with the MAYSI-2 for Juvenile Probation Power Point Slides
- Feb 8, 2011, Valerie Williams, Samantha Fusco
- The purpose of this powerpoint is to train staff in probation on the background, history, administration, and use of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-2. This powerpoint can be used for…
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Report on the Behavioral Health Program for Youth Committed to Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
- Jul 29, 2010, Illinois Models for Change Behavioral Health Assessment Team
- In response to a request for technical assistance from the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), the Illinois Models for Change initiative assembled a team of mental health and corrections…
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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…
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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…
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Clark County Truancy Program: Mental Health Screening Protocols - Administering MAYSI 2
- Nov 11, 2009, Jodi Martin
- Protocol incorporating MAYSI-2 screening into the Clark County Truancy Program intake procedure.
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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…
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10 Steps for Implementing Mental Health Screening
- Oct 9, 2009, Thomas Grisso
- The document provides 10 essential considerations for juvenile justice agencies planning mental health screening to support programs and placements.
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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.
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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.
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Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument --Version 2 Training Video Instructions
- Sep 14, 2009, Shannon M. Maney
- This document provides a summary of the MAYSI-2 Training Video and instructions for obtaining the video.
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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…
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Guidelines of Instructing Youth Prior to Administration of a Mental Health Screening Tool
- Aug 18, 2009, Valerie Williams, Thomas Grisso
- This document was created to assist juvenile justice personnel when introducing youth to a mental health screening tool as part of an intake process.
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A Template for Written Reports of Pre-Disposition Psychological Evaluations
- Aug 17, 2009, Perry Hill, Laura Goodwin, Thomas Grisso
- This document is a model outline for psychologists or psychiatrists to report the results of their evaluations of youth in delinquency cases involving assessment questions of disposition after…
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A Template for Profiling Detention Centers Regarding Mental Health Services
- Aug 17, 2009, Valerie Williams, Thomas Grisso
- This document was created for use as a survey tool. The information gathered provides a description of a detention center's daily operations, programs, and use of mental health services, including…
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Evidence-Based Practice Recommendations for Juvenile Drug Courts
- Jul 1, 2009, Holly Hills, Ph.D., Jennie L. Shufelt, M.S., Joseph J. Cocozza, Ph.D.
- This guide provides a series of recommendations for juvenile drug courts along three critical areas—screening and assessment (Chapter 2), treatment (Chapter 3), and outcome monitoring (Chapter…
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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…
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Pennsylvania Progress: Addressing the Behavioral Health Needs of Court-Involved Youth
- Aug 1, 2008, Susanna Zawacki, Patricia Torbet, and Patrick Griffin, National Center for Juvenile Justice
- This issue of Pennsylvania Progress focuses on efforts to create a comprehensive model for addressing the needs of youth with behavioral health disorders in the juvenile justice system. Pennsylvania…
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Improving Access to Health Coverage for Transitional Youth
- Jul 1, 2008, National Academy for State Health Policy, Sonya Schwartz, Melanie Glascock
- 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…
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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.
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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…
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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…
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Lessons Learned: Facilitating Mental Health Screening in Juvenile Justice Programs
- Oct 1, 2006, Valerie Williams, M.A., M.S. and Thomas Grisso, Ph.D.
- 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…
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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…
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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, Kathleen R. Skowyra; Joseph J. Cocozza, Ph.D.
- 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.…
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Keystones for Reform: Promising Juvenile Justice Policies and Practices in Pennsylvania
- Oct 12, 2005, Youth Law Center, Neelum Aryna, Eric Lotke, Liz Ryan, Marc Schindler, Dana Shoenberg, Mark Soler
- 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…
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Developing Mental Health Screening in Juvenile Justice
- Dec 1, 2004, Gina Vincent, Ph.D. and Thomas Grisso, Ph.D.
- 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,…