Module 2: Screening and Assessment

8. Collaborative Models of Screening and Assessment

Several States have established Juvenile Assessment Centers to help identify youth with mental health and substance abuse disorders who come into contact with the juvenile justice system and link them with appropriate treatment services.

Juvenile Assessment Centers are centralized multiagency assessment and case management systems. Substance abuse, mental health, social service, and juvenile justice agencies all work collaboratively to assess and evaluate the needs of youth. They serve as the initial entry point for juveniles who are charged with or arrested for an offense and are characterized by the following key elements:

• Central location for law enforcement officers to take youth
• Mental health, substance abuse, and social service agencies are located on the same premises
• Continual communication and integration between treatment providers and juvenile justice professionals
• 24 hours a day/7 days a week operation
• Immediate screening and clinical assessment for a youth’s placement and service needs
• Ongoing case management and tracking of a youth
• Computer linkages with key agencies in the juvenile justice system

Florida, New York, and Ohio are examples of three different ways the juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse systems can work together for change. All three models conduct comprehensive assessments with youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Various agencies work together to assess and provide treatment services to these youth.

The collaborative model of Juvenile Assessment Centers offers several benefits:

• Consistent and coordinated response to juvenile crime
• Immediate and comprehensive assessments of youth, with information passed on to the courts in a timely manner
• Referral to appropriate treatment services
• Reduction in time between arrest and assessment
• Collaborative funding opportunities
• Reduced duplication of information
• Increased information sharing and communication
• More holistic approach to case management/treatment planning
• Comprehensive risk assessment increases public safety
• Family involvement