Examining the impact of a juvenile justice diversion program for youth with behavioral health concerns on early adulthood recidivism

AbstractObjectivesThe Flint Community Resilience Group (Flint, Michigan USA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; Atlanta, Georgia USA) assessed behavioral health concerns among community members to determine the impact of lead contamination of the Flint, Michigan water supply.MethodsA Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) was conducted from May 17 through May 19, 2016 using a multi-stage cluster sampling design to select households and individuals to interview.ResultsOne-half of households felt overlooked by decision makers. The majority of households self-reported that at least one member experienced more behavioral health concerns than usual. The prevalence of negative quality of life indicators and financial concerns in Flint was higher than previously reported in the Michigan 2012 and 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey.ConclusionsThe following can be considered to guide recovery efforts in Flint: identifying additional resources for behavioral health interventions and conducting follow-up behavioral health assessments to evaluate changes in behavioral health concerns over time; considering the impact of household economic factors when implementing behavioral health interventions; and ensuring community involvement and engagement in recovery efforts to ease community stress and anxiety.FortenberryGZ, ReynoldsP, BurrerSL, Johnson-LawrenceV, WangA, SchnallA, PullinsP, KieszakS, BayleyegnT, WolkinA. Assessment of behavioral health concerns in the community affected by the Flint water crisis — Michigan (USA) 2016. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(3):256–265.

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STRENGTHENING AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING TO ADDRESS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONCERNS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1139 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S311-S311

Author(s):

Bronwyn Keefe ◽

Rita Kostiuk

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Capacity Building ◽

Behavioral Health ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Service Providers ◽

Health Concerns ◽

Stigma Of Mental Illness ◽

Health Related ◽

Second Tier ◽

The Impact

Abstract The Center for Aging and Disability Education and Research at Boston University in collaboration with the Age-Friendly New Bedford received funding from Tufts Health Plan Foundation to reduce the stigma of mental illness and increase awareness of the effects of social isolation in the community. In order for older adults to be fully engaged in community life, behavioral health concerns need to be addressed with a focus on social isolation, depression, and substance use. Many Age Friendly efforts don’t address these issues even though significant numbers of older adults are impacted. Without a community-wide capacity building effort, behavioral health issues among older adults often fade into the background. We developed and implemented a 3-tiered approach to incorporating behavioral health into an Age Friendly initiative. In the first tier, we focused on increasing awareness of the impact of behavioral health concerns and stigma by creating an anti-stigma campaign in multiple languages. The second tier focused on holding workshops for older adults on behavioral health related issues. The third tier provided training to key stakeholders, including aging service providers, clergy, first responders, and resident coordinators focusing on the need to effectively identify and respond to older adults with behavioral health concerns. Using the Depression Stigma Scale, we measured perceived stigma among older adults pre and post workshop participation. We found statistically significant changes in how older adults perceive depression after participation in the workshop. Training results were also statistically significant with gains pre-post training in key competency areas.

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The Role of Sexual Abuse in Trauma Symptoms, Delinquent and Suicidal Behaviors, and Criminal Justice Outcomes Among Females in a Juvenile Justice Diversion Program

Violence Against Women ◽

10.1177/1077801217724921 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 24 (8) ◽

pp. 973-993 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Krystel Tossone ◽

Madison Wheeler ◽

Fredrick Butcher ◽

Jeff Kretschmar

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Substance Use ◽

Juvenile Justice ◽

Behavioral Health ◽

Psychological Trauma ◽

Trauma Symptoms ◽

Diversion Program ◽

Future Directions ◽

Running Away

Female juvenile justice–involved (JJI) youth experience more sexual abuse (SA) than their non-JJI counterparts or their male JJI counterparts. This study examines SA’s role among JJI females ( N = 1,307) in a behavioral health diversion program. Results indicate that SA increases the risk of psychological trauma, particularly posttraumatic stress and depression. SA also increases the odds of suicidal behavior, running away, and substance use. SA females have the same odds of successfully completing behavioral health diversion and being charged with any offense or misdemeanor after termination as non-SA females. Implications of research and future directions are discussed.

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