MacArthur Initiative on Mental Health and Juvenile Justice
background
The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice was established in July 2001 through a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to Policy Research, Inc. and the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators. The Center was created to improve the identification and treatment of youth with mental health disorders in contact with the juvenile justice system. To fulfill this mission, the Center aims at providing a centralized national focal point that pulls together and links the various activities and research that are currently underway, maximizing the awareness and usefulness of new products and learnings, and using the best available knowledge to guide practice and policy.
The Center implements three specific tracks of activity:
Track One: Operation of the NCMHJJ Resource Center
The Resource Center serves as a central repository and dissemination point for information and resources pertaining to youth with mental health disorders in contact with the juvenile justice system. Our Resource Center includes:
- A toll-free number (866-962-6455) to take inquiries and requests from the field for information on mental health and juvenile justice. Requests for assistance can be submitted to the Center via the toll-free number, our website, or by emailing the Center at ncmhjj@prainc.com We offer the following:
- A comprehensive database of the best available research and information
- A compendium of effective and innovative programs and policies
- Specialized information on evidence-based practices
- A list of national experts and technical assistance resources
- A variety of publications that synthesize current knowledge
- A comprehensive list of government agencies, associations, research centers, advocacy groups and provider organizations that cut across the mental health, juvenile justice, family services, and child welfare field
Track Two: Comprehensive Systems Change Initiative
The Comprehensive Systems Change Initiative (CSCI) was developed to work intensively with select jurisdictions to improve the delivery of mental health services to youth involved with the juvenile justice system, focusing primarily on coordinating the efforts of the juvenile justice and mental health agencies. The Center is currently working with three jurisdictions: Connecticut ; Pima County , Arizona ; and Pennsylvania . The Center will be expanding its focus to include up to three additional sites. This expansion is targeted to jurisdictions that are involved with the MacArthur Site-Based Juvenile Justice Initiative.
Track Three: Policy Development Activity
The Center's Policy Development activities are aimed at using the developing knowledge base, as well as experiences from the field, to influence changes in national, state and local policies that affect youth with mental health needs who are in contact with the juvenile justice system. In November 2002, the Center convened its first Policy Forum, which included recognized experts from the mental health and juvenile justice fields, and resulted in the development of a series of agreed upon recommendations for future policy development and activity. Click here for a copy of the Center's Policy Paper.
Building on these recommendations, as well as the recommendations included in the President's New Freedom Commission Report on Mental Health, the Center is now working to develop a coordinated policy and action agenda for meeting the mental health needs of youth in the juvenile justice system. This effort, which is being undertaken in conjunction with the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA) will build upon the vision outlined in the New Freedom report and result in the development of a set of pragmatic action steps for the juvenile justice and mental health systems.
