Module 2: Screening and Assessment

3E. Critical Juvenile Justice Information for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Providers

The juvenile justice system often requires a youth with co-occurring disorders to participate in a mental health or substance abuse evaluation or treatment program. It is important for the treatment provider to know:

• Length of time the juvenile offender is required to be in treatment
• Length of time the offender is under juvenile justice supervision
• Exact terms of the court order or conditions of the court
• Nature of the juvenile offender’s accountability and to whom the youth is accountable other than family
• Consequences of not complying with treatment requirements
• Expected outcomes of treatment

It is helpful to distinguish between the authority of a written court order requiring treatment and the spoken statement of a staff member stating: "I want you to go into a treatment program." Helpful court orders or probation and parole agreements specify the following and are based on treatment professionals’ input:

• How often treatment is to be provided (e.g., daily, three evenings a week)
• In what kind of setting (e.g., residential treatment facility, residential juvenile justice facility, outpatient program, day treatment center)
• To what extent other goals besides treatment have been set

The specifics of a juvenile justice order are important for the mental health or substance abuse treatment provider to know in order to complete the assessment and design the treatment plan. Treatment staff may have to contact the court (starting with the judge’s clerk or bailiff) or the probation/parole office to get this information. Juvenile justice staff can assist treatment providers in this endeavor. Having copies of any court orders or other documentation related to the conditions of diversion, probation, etc., assists in clarifying expectations with the youth and treatment providers.

The more specific the court order or agreement is about the youth’s juvenile justice status and desired outcomes, the clearer it will be for mental health or substance abuse treatment providers to work with youth and families to fulfill those terms. As these expectations are met, juvenile justice decision makers develop greater confidence in the mental health or substance abuse treatment programs to which they refer youth with co-occurring disorders.