Module 1: Overview of the Juvenile Justice, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Treatment Systems

Summary

In addition to holding youth accountable for their delinquent behavior, an important goal of the juvenile justice system is to help youth learn a new way of thinking about their delinquent behavior and develop skills that will help them participate in more prosocial activities. Current research now estimates that at least 20 percent of all youth entering the juvenile justice system experience a serious mental or emotional disorder. The majority of these youth also have significant problems with the abuse of substances. Thus it is imperative that professionals from the juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse treatment systems learn about each system and seek ways to coordinate their services. In addition, professionals in these systems often find it necessary to work with the schools, special education, and the child welfare system. The focus of Module 1 is to provide an overview of these systems to reduce the barriers that have interfered with collaboration in the past and to provide a common ground from which to go forward.

In Module 2 you will learn about mental illness and substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders among youth in the juvenile justice system, and screening and assessment strategies. Module 3 provides information on effective treatment strategies for youth who have co-occurring disorders. In Module 4 you will consider ways to achieve effective communication and systems coordination among the juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse treatment systems.