Social work's weak presence in the field of corrections is peculiar, given that those involved in the criminal andjuvenile justice systems are undeniably among the vulnerable and oppressed populations that the profession has traditionally served. The field of juvenile probation shares roots with the profession of social work but lacks a strong connection to it today. Traditional explanations focus on the reluctance of social workers to engage clients in coercive environments, but historical analysis suggests that this account tells only part of the story. An examination of social work's origins shows that issues involving gender stereotyping and the failure of theory help explain social workers' diminished role in juvenile probation. In recent decades, changes in attitudes regarding gender and working with coerced clients, as well as evidence of effective interventions, suggest that social workers may be ready to reengage meaningfully with juvenile probation and other corrections work. This article outlines steps in professional education and workforce development that would move the profession toward reintegrating social work into the corrections field.
The purpose of this Special Issue is to describe innovative school-related initiatives to reduce the population prevalence of youth mental health concerns. In this introduction to the Special Issue, we identify strategies that have not worked as well as those that have promise in improving youth mental health outcomes. We then provide a brief overview of each article in this issue. The first several articles focus on a comprehensive countywide approach to child and youth mental health that developed out of a unique tax initiative. In combination, these projects screen school-age youth in the county three times a year; support all county schools in providing universal, selective, and indicated interventions based on these screening data; deliver a mentoring program and schoolbased psychiatric care to youth with more intensive needs; and provide no-cost evidence-based evaluations, referrals, and ongoing progress monitoring to any family with concerns about their child's mental health. Three additional articles in the Special Issue expand the focus to include other national models, including a statewide initiative in Georgia to bring mental health services to every school, policy issues related to school mental health in South Carolina, and cost analysis strategies for specifying the economic benefit of mental health initiatives.
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