Issues for Change

Mental Health

Many young people who come into contact with the juvenile justice system have mental health and co-occurring substance abuse treatment needs. It is essential that these youth be identified as early as possible, diverted from the system where appropriate, and given timely access to appropriate treatment.

A model juvenile justice system would feature five critical elements:

• Collaboration. The juvenile court and juvenile probation would work collaboratively with other youth-serving systems (e.g., child welfare, mental health, drug & alcohol, education) to prevent the unnecessary involvement of mental ill and substance abusing youth in the juvenile justice system.
• Cross-systems training. Youth-serving systems would receive training on how other systems operate, including their strengths and limitations.
• Information-sharing: Child-serving systems should share information appropriately in order to prevent youth from further penetration into the juvenile justice system.
• Screening and assessment. Youth would be screened for mental health and substance abuse problems and referred for assessments and/or clinical evaluations if needed.
• Services: Community-based behavioral health agencies would provide appropriate services to youth.

Models for Change is working in Pennsylvania to bring about the kinds of good practice cross-system collaboration called for here, so that court-involved youth will have better coordinated and more accessible mental health services.

• Interagency policy coordination. A Models for Change work group with high-level representation from a range of state agencies has produced a Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Joint Policy Statement, laying out the principles of a comprehensive model system, and committing the state to the goal of establishing such a system in every county by 2010.
• Clearing barriers. The work group is also actively engaged in clearing away barriers to mental health/juvenile justice collaboration and information-sharing—for example, drafting legislation to address self-incrimination issues arising from the screening and assessment process in the juvenile justice context.
• Demonstration projects. Pilot efforts in Allegheny, Chester, and Erie Counties have been established, each of which is working to improve collaboration among local youth-serving agencies and ensure that court-involved youth with mental health issues are identified and appropriately treated. Each is anchored by a Mental Health Coordinator hired with Models for Change funding, who serves as a central point of contact for planning and collaboration.
• Cross-fertilization. Models for Change also makes it possible for representatives of counties participating in demonstration projects to gather periodically, learn from one another’s experiences, communicate directly with state policymakers, and receive training and advice from national experts.

In addition to the activities described above, Models for Change has formed a Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network to develop innovative solutions and strategies to better identify and treat youth with mental health needs. Participants include demonstration sites in Models for Change states as well as additional state and local partners selected through an application process.

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