Module 2: Screening and Assessment

Summary

The prevalence of mentally ill youth and youth abusing drugs or alcohol is greater among youth coming into contact with the juvenile justice system when compared to youth in the general population. Many of these youth have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Accurate screening and assessment of youth with co-occurring disorders in the juvenile justice system are essential if youth are to receive adequate treatment and rehabilitation services. Substantial progress has been made in developing and using standardized screening and assessment instruments with youth with co-occurring disorders. The Maysi~2 is increasingly being used to identify the mental health needs and substance use of youth in the juvenile justice system. Several States have established collaborative models of screening and assessment, such as Juvenile Assessment Centers, which are multiagency assessment and case management systems. In Module 3 you will learn about emerging treatment strategies for youth with co-occurring disorders, and in Module 4 strategies are presented for coordinating and integrating the juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse treatment systems.