NCJ Number
203033
Date Published
2003
Length
34 pages
Annotation
An Oregon juvenile counselor describes his growth and change as a counselor in interaction with troubled youth; using case studies, he advocates a paradigm for juvenile case management that focuses on a through assessment, with attention to neurodevelopment, and the delivery of services that address the underlying needs that have contributed to delinquent behavior.
Abstract
The author's breakthrough to a new paradigm for responding to problem youth came in the late spring of 1995 when 30 middle school students were referred to the Department of Youth services (DYS) Education Center for a summer vacation project. These were the children whom the schools were unable to help. They had manifested serious behavioral problems in school, in the community, and also at home. The Education Center conducted a neurological, psychological, and social assessment of each child in an effort to find the root causes of his/her delinquent behavior and poor school performance. These assessments found that many of the students had neurological deficits and disabilities that impeded their ability to learn, thus impacting their self-esteem and their reactive behaviors. In addition, many of the juveniles were socially handicapped by negative familial and peer interactions. The author generalizes from his experience in Oregon and from his research to conclude that schools have the task of teaching an increasing number of children who can't pay attention; are physically and/or mentally restless; are unable to learn or to make friends; and manifest symptoms of depression, aggression, or detachment. The author advocates for early intervention when there are clear signs that a student has learning and social disabilities. Such intervention will include diagnostic tests designed to identify the causes of problem behaviors and poor progress in school. Intervention services and case management will then focus on specialized services tailored to identified individual needs.