Juvenile Mental Health Courts for Adjudicated Youth: Role Implications for Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses

Abstract

TOPIC Juvenile mental health courts for adjudicated youth. PURPOSE To describe the role of psychiatric nurses in reducing mental health disparities for adjudicated youth via juvenile mental health courts. SOURCES ISI Web of Knowledge; Sage Journals Online; HighWire; PubMed; Google Scholar and Wiley Online Library and websites for psychiatric nursing organizations. Years included: 2000–2010. CONCLUSIONS Juvenile mental health courts may provide a positive and effective alternative to incarceration for youth with mental health problems with psychiatric nurses playing a key role in program implementation.

Aggression, substance use disorder, and presence of a prior suicide attempt among juvenile offenders with subclinical depression.

“…In response to growing awareness of the high rates of serious mental disorders (e.g., major depression and bipolar disorder) in criminal justice settings when compared with the general population, many juvenile justice agencies have developed, are considering, or are planning to use specialty services to reduce reoffending among juvenile offenders with severe mental illnesses (Cocozza & Shufelt, 2006). Specialty services include mental health courts and specialized probation caseloads, which have demonstrated efficacy at preventing recidivism (Burriss, Breland-Noble, Webster, & Soto, 2011; Cocozza & Skowyra, 2000; Skowyra & Cocozza, 2007). However, because access to community treatment providers is often limited (Grisso, 2008), specialized mental health courts for juveniles often have eligibility requirements based on whether the offender has a diagnosable serious mental disorder (Arredondo et al, 2001; Burriss et al, 2011; Redlich, Steadman, Monahan, Petrila, & Griffin, 2005).…”

“…Specialty services include mental health courts and specialized probation caseloads, which have demonstrated efficacy at preventing recidivism (Burriss, Breland-Noble, Webster, & Soto, 2011; Cocozza & Skowyra, 2000; Skowyra & Cocozza, 2007). However, because access to community treatment providers is often limited (Grisso, 2008), specialized mental health courts for juveniles often have eligibility requirements based on whether the offender has a diagnosable serious mental disorder (Arredondo et al, 2001; Burriss et al, 2011; Redlich, Steadman, Monahan, Petrila, & Griffin, 2005). Diagnoses of mental illness in juvenile justice settings typically rely on the system set forth by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.…”

Prevalence of internalizing, externalizing, and psychotic disorders among low-risk juvenile offenders.

“…This issue is especially relevant to youth in the juvenile justice system, who are more likely to suffer from mental disorders compared to children and adolescents in the general population (Teplin, Abram, McClelland, Dulcan, & Mericle, 2002;Underwood & Washington, 2016;Wasserman, McReynolds, Lucas, Fisher, & Santos, 2002). In recent years, juvenile justice agencies have begun to adopt targeted programs, such as mental health courts and specialized case management approaches, to assist youthful offenders with psychological disorders (Almquist & Dodd, 2009;Arredondo et al, 2001;Burriss, Breland-Noble, Webster, & Soto, 2011;Cocozza & Skowyra, 2000;Redlich, Steadman, Monahan, Petrila, & Griffin, 2005;Skowyra & Cocozza, 2007;Watson, Hanrahan, Luchins, & Lurigio, 2001). Grisso and Underwood (2004) have identified the legal and public policy considerations that obligate juvenile justice agencies across all jurisdictions to evaluate and provide treatment for juvenile offenders with mental health problems.…”