NCJ Number
186026
Date Published
2000
Length
147 pages
Annotation
This report presents an overview and the texts of the speeches and panels of a 4-day national forum that focused on mental health issues in juvenile corrections and was attended by 160 juvenile corrections and detention directors and administrators.
Abstract
Participants also included the executive committee of the American Correctional Association, officials of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and others. The meeting focused on the mental health issues of at-risk juvenile offenders, the quality of services and treatment they receive, and the best ways to prevent their future involvement in the juvenile justice system. The introduction to the report noted that an estimated 14-20 percent of youth in the juvenile justice system have at least one mental disorder, 32 percent have an alcohol abuse or dependence disorder, and 11 percent have a drug abuse or drug dependence disorder. The keynote address focused on the importance of not making the same mistakes in the juvenile justice system as have occurred in relation to mental health services in adult corrections. Additional presentations focused on the identification of mentally ill juveniles, risk assessment and the screening process, the elements of a comprehensive correctional mental health system, and juvenile suicide prevention. Further presentations focused on the relationship between mental illness and juvenile delinquency, gender-specific interventions that are effective with detained mentally ill juveniles, and identifying the mental health needs of juvenile sex offenders. A panel presentation examined obstacles in providing mental health services to juvenile offenders, current programs and gaps in services, and funding issues. Tables, checklists, and list of 8 references on violent juvenile offenders