NCJ Number
46769
Date Published
1978
Length
41 pages
Annotation
THE GOALS AND STRUCTURE OF THE BRONX COURT RELATED UNIT (CRU) ARE REVIEWED, AND THE ADMISSION PROCESS, TREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS, STAFFING PATTERNS, AND INTER-/INTRA-AGENCY COOPERATION ARE EVALUATED. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE.
Abstract
THE BRONX CRU IS A PILOT PROJECT ESTABLISHED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE CARE AND TREATMENT OF MALE ADJUDICATED JUVENILE DELINQUENTS WHO ARE DETERMINED TO BE VIOLENT AND IN NEED OF PSYCHIATRIC CARE. THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HYGIENE COMPONENT IS A 10-BED, SECURE IN-PATIENT DIAGNOSTIC UNIT (IPDU) DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE NATURE AND DEGREE OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND TO DETERMINE AN APPROPRIATE DISPOSITION, PLACEMENT, AND TREATMENT PLAN FOR YOUTHS IN NEED. YOUTHS DIAGNOSED AS EPISODICALLY MENTALLY ILL ARE TRANSFERRED TO THE DIVISION FOR YOUTH COMPONENT, A 20-BED, SECURE LONG-TERM TREATMENT UNIT (LTTU). REFERRAL CAN BE MADE THROUGH THE FAMILY COURT, THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT, AND THE DIVISION FOR YOUTH. IF PLACEMENT WITHIN THE PROGRAM IS DEEMED INAPPROPRIATE, THE YOUTH IS TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY OR REMAINS WITHIN THE DIVISION OF YOUTH. THE PROGRAM WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED IN FEBRUARY 1976, DURING ITS FIRST 10 MONTHS THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN EXTREMELY UNDERUTILIZED. FOR THE FIRST 9 MONTHS ONLY ONE-FOURTH OF THE BEDS IN THE IPDU WERE UTILIZED. THIS FIGURE WAS EVEN LOWER FOR THE LTTU, WHICH RELIES SOLELY ON THE IPDU REFERRALS. DURING THE STUDY PERIOD, 59 YOUTHS WERE REFERRED TO THE CRU FOR POSSIBLE ADMISSION; 45 PERCENT OF THE REFERRALS WERE MADE DURING THE FIRST 2 MONTHS, AFTER WHICH REFERRALS DROPPED OFF. OF THE YOUTHS ADMITTED, ALL BUT ONE REMAINED IN THE IPDU FOR THE FULL 3 MONTHS PERMITTED. OF THOSE ADMITTED TO THE LTTU, ONLY ONE HAS BEEN RELEASED TO ANOTHER FACILITY, AND THE REMAINING YOUTHS HAVE BEEN IN THE LTTU AN AVERAGE OF 118 DAYS. THE NUMBER OF CASES PENDING, SOME FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, SUGGESTS A NEED TO IMPROVE THE PROCESSING. BEHAVIOR MOST OFTEN DISPLAYED BY YOUTH ADMITTED TO THE PROGRAM IS ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND DEPRESSION; INDICATORS SUGGEST THAT SLIGHT IMPROVEMENTS ARE MADE IN BOTH UNITS, WITH GREATER IMPROVEMENT OCCURRING IN THE IPDU. A COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HYGIENE AND THE DIVISION FOR YOUTH HAS FAILED TO DEVELOP, AND RELATIONS BETWEEN THE IPDU AND THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HYGIENE HAVE NOT BEEN ENTIRELY SATISFACTORY. RECOMMENDATIONS MADE FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE CRU INCLUDE: ESTABLISHMENT OF A LIAISON OFFICER BETWEEN THE CRU AND REFERRAL SOURCES; INCREASED EFFICIENCY AND MONITORING OF PROCESSING; CLARIFICATION OF ADMISSION CRITERIA; IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH ON TREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS; IMPROVED STAFFING PRACTICES; AND IMPROVEMENT IN INTER- AND INTRA-AGENCY COOPERATION. DESPITE PROGRAM SHORTCOMINGS, CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRAM IS RECOMMENDED ON THE GROUNDS THAT SOME IMPROVEMENT HAS BEEN SHOWN AND THAT AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM SUCH AS THIS IS REQUIRED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF MENTALLY ILL DELINQUENTS. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED, AS WELL AS A PROGRAM FLOW CHART AND A MORE DETAILED PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.