NCJ Number
196059
Date Published
1998
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This document contains information for the development of appropriate responses to drug testing results presented via teleconference.
Abstract
Training objectives of the teleconference, as defined in this document, were to define and describe desired responses to be made to every youth in a program who was drug tested, including praise and reinforcement for negative results, and treatment referral and or sanctions for positive tests; choose appropriate responses for youth at various points in the juvenile justice system; state the key elements of an interagency agreement and summarize the process for developing one; delineate how treatment referrals will be made in their community/jurisdiction; implement a system of graduated sanctions for repeated episodes of positive drug tests; implement a system of responses for youth who test negative for drug use; plan how treatment providers and juvenile justice agencies will provide aftercare/relapse prevention for youth who have completed treatment and/or are returning from a juvenile justice institution to the community; and discuss the importance of determining co-occurring mental illnesses and other issues that may contribute to or be affected by a youth's substance abuse and decide how their programs will identify and respond to these issues. Key points emphasized in this training were the fact that responding to youth was the reason for conducting drug testing; why knowledge of treatment resources and specific plans for obtaining needed treatment resources was necessary to leverage needy youth into treatment; developing and implementing graduated rewards and sanctions for youth who are drug tested; relapse prevention; and identifying the special needs of youth with co-occurring mental illnesses, family issues, and medical problems.