Association between child’s mental health and emotional maltreatment among children in out-of-home placement in Israel: importance of the child’s age, poverty, domestic violence and number of maltreatment reports

While prior studies of juvenile court outcomes have examined the impact of legal representation on out-of-home placement versus community sanctions, previous research has not fully explored the variation within sanctions that youth receive. The current study examines the influence of type of legal representation (public defender or private attorney) when predicting juvenile adjudications and dispositions. Using a sample of delinquent referrals from a Northeast state between 2009 and 2014, results showed that youth do receive different outcomes (e.g., probation, drug and alcohol treatment, accountability-oriented dispositions, etc.) based on the type of legal representation. The findings have important implications for juvenile court processing related to how courtroom actors impact case outcomes.

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Detection of Domestic Violence and Abuse by Community Mental Health Teams Using the BRAVE Intervention: A Multicenter, Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/08862605211004177 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052110041

Author(s):

Roos Ruijne ◽

Cornelis Mulder ◽

Milan Zarchev ◽

Kylee Trevillion ◽

Roel van Est ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Domestic Violence ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Referral Rates ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Cluster Randomized ◽

And Control ◽

Domestic Violence And Abuse

Despite increased prevalence of domestic violence and abuse (DVA), victimization through DVA often remains undetected in mental health care. To estimate the effectiveness of a system provider level training intervention by comparing the detection and referral rates of DVA of intervention community mental health (CMH) teams with rates in control CMH teams. We also aimed to determine whether improvements in knowledge, skills and attitudes to DVA were greater in clinicians working in intervention CMH teams than those working in control teams. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial in two urban areas of the Netherlands. Detection and referral rates were assessed at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after the start of the intervention. DVA knowledge, skills and attitudes were assessed using a survey at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after start of the intervention. Electronic patient files were used to identify detected and referred cases of DVA. Outcomes were compared between the intervention and control teams using a generalized linear mixed model. During the 12-month follow-up, detection and referral rates did not differ between the intervention and control teams. However, improvements in knowledge, skills and attitude during that follow-up period were greater in intervention teams than in control teams: β 3.21 (95% CI 1.18-4.60). Our trial showed that a training program on DVA knowledge and skills in CMH teams can increase knowledge and attitude towards DVA. However, our intervention does not appear to increase the detection or referral rates of DVA in patients with a severe mental illness. A low detection rate of DVA remains a major problem. Interventions with more obligatory elements and a focus on improving communication between CMH teams and DVA services are recommended.

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