Early Intensive Help for High-Risk Juveniles

• NCJ Number: 192227
• Journal: Corrections Today Volume: 63 Issue: 7 Dated: December 2001 Pages: 80-83
• Author(s): Diane Hirth
• Date Published: December 2001
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article highlights the Intensive Delinquency Diversion Services program in Florida.

Abstract

The goal of Intensive Delinquency Diversion Services is to identify juvenile offenders with high-risk characteristics as early as the first arrest, and to provide intensive supervision and services to them while they are still at home with their families. Mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, stress and anger management, tutoring, mentoring, and parenting classes fit within the framework of this program. Parents must agree to participate and be part of the solution. The program, implemented in November 2000, has a target population of juveniles who were first arrested at age 15 or younger with at least three out of four high-risk characteristics: academic failure, school suspensions, and truancy; lack of family stability and supervision; mental health or substance abuse problems; and predelinquent behaviors, including running away, gang affiliation, stealing, and disruptive behavior. The program is aimed at the 14 percent of first-time juvenile offenders in Florida that will go on to commit multiple and serious crimes. Once in the program the offender is surrounded with intensive supervision, therapeutic counseling, and individual services appropriate to that child, such as tutoring, substance abuse treatment, drug testing, and mental health treatment. Private providers who contract with the department are required to complete an initial evaluation of the offender, an individualized treatment plan, three face-to-face contacts per week, one face-to-face contact per week with parent, one face-to-face contact with guidance counselor or teacher, and one contact per week with each entity providing service to the juvenile. The juvenile receives services for 5 to 7 months. In the future, outcome measures will be assessed to determine the impact of Intensive Delinquency Diversion Services.