A Pilot Study to Adapt a Trauma-Informed, Mindfulness-Based Yoga Intervention for Justice-Involved Youth

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashli Owen-Smith ◽  
Holle Black ◽  
David Emerson ◽  
Michaela Cotner ◽  
Herschel Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Juvenile Justice ◽  
Juvenile Justice System ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Feasibility Trial ◽  
Black African ◽  
Intervention Impact ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Hispanic White

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to adapt and pilot a trauma-informed, mindfulness-based yoga (TIMBY) intervention focused on enhancing self-regulation among youth in the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice system. In this article we (1) describe the process by which we systematically adapted an evidence-based protocol specifically for this population, (2) describe the nature of and rationale for those adaptations, (3) present some preliminary qualitative findings based on interviews with youth participants, and (4) briefly summarize how the adapted protocol will be evaluated in the subsequent feasibility trial. The iterative drafting and revision process involved modifications to a well-established, protocolized Trauma-Informed Yoga program and was identified by the project advisory board and t h rough formal interviews with intervention staff. Qualitative interviews were conducted with youth participants concerning intervention impact, credibility, and satisfaction. Several needed modifications were identified so that the intervention would be contextually appropriate for justice-involved youth. Thirty youth were enrolled in the pilot study: 77% we re Non - Hispanic Black/African-American, 18% were Non-Hispanic White, and 5% were Hispanic White. The average age was 16.45 years (range 14–20). The youth consistently reported satisfaction with the sessions and positive beliefs about how the sessions were helping them with a range of physical and psychological/ emotional challenges. Adaptations to the protocol in the present study highlight how mindfulness-based interventions for justice-involved youth need to consider what is both developmentally suitable for youth and appropriate in a justice setting. A feasibility study using this revised TIMBY protocol is underway at four Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice facilities to formally identify the barriers and facilitators to implementation for the present study and a future, larger-scale trial.

scholarly journals Trauma-Responsive Engagement and Treatment (TREAT)

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 92-105
Author(s):  
Joseph Tomassone
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Justice ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Juvenile Justice System ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Service Delivery System ◽  
Systemic Transformation ◽  
Trauma Informed

This article will outline a conceptual framework for Trauma-Responsive Engagement and Treatment (TREAT), which can be implemented as a model for organizational and programmatic transformation in a juvenile justice system. The proposed TREAT framework is designed to create juvenile justice programming that is not only trauma-informed, but is actually trauma-responsive with respect to all of the members of its community. That is, TREAT staff identify and respond to the outcomes of traumatic experiences in order to help people recover. They work to increase emotional and behavioral self-regulation of participants and help them to achieve self-identified goals. The article will discuss the evolution of this model in the context of recent and historical forces that have fueled juvenile justice reform efforts nationwide. The article will also describe how systemic changes in reaction to those forces should include a clear understanding of, and response to, the impacts of trauma on youth, staff, and systems, and will emphasize that true systemic transformation requires a model which engages, motivates, and benefits all members of a juvenile justice service delivery system—staff and youth alike.

Impact of a Trauma-Informed Intervention for Youth and Staff on Rates of Violence in Juvenile Detention Settings

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051985716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carly Lyn Baetz ◽  
Michael Surko ◽  
Mahtab Moaveni ◽  
Felicia McNair ◽  
Amanda Bart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Justice ◽  
Juvenile Justice System ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Juvenile Detention ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Facility Level ◽  
The Impact

The majority of youth in the juvenile justice system have experienced multiple traumatic events in their lives, including community violence, physical abuse, neglect, and traumatic loss. These high prevalence rates, coupled with the known negative consequences of trauma in childhood and adolescence, have led to a greater emphasis on implementing trauma-informed services and practices within juvenile justice settings. However, although many stakeholders and government entities have expressed support for creating more trauma-informed juvenile justice systems, there is still limited empirical knowledge about which interventions are most effective at improving outcomes, particularly at the organizational or facility level. In an effort to fill this gap, the current study evaluated the impact of a trauma-informed milieu intervention, including skills training for youth and training for staff, on rates of violence at two secure juvenile detention facilities ( N = 14,856) located in a large Northeastern city. The analyses revealed that the intervention was significantly related to a reduction of violent incidents in Facility A, with no impact on incidents in Facility B. Follow-up analyses revealed that a larger proportion of eligible youth in Facility A completed the skills group program as compared with eligible youth in Facility B (16% vs. 9%). This finding has important implications for the implementation of trauma-informed interventions for youth in juvenile detention settings, as it suggests that to impact outcomes at the facility level, a minimum threshold of youth may need to be exposed to the intervention. In addition, reductions in violence at Facility A were only realized after both staff training and youth skills components were implemented, suggesting that both components are necessary to create change at the facility level. Future research is needed to further explore the impact of organizational and implementation-level factors on trauma-informed care outcomes in juvenile justice settings.

Polyvictimization and Psychosocial Outcomes Among Trauma-Exposed, Clinic-Referred Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System

2021 ◽  
pp. 107755952110250
Author(s):  
Heather T. Pane Seifert ◽  
Angela M. Tunno ◽  
Ernestine C. Briggs ◽  
Sherika Hill ◽  
Damion J. Grasso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Justice ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Juvenile Justice System ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Latino Youth ◽  
Psychosocial Outcomes ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Cross System

Polyvictimization is a robust predictor of emotional and behavioral problems and is linked to involvement in juvenile justice and other public sector systems. This study extends prior research by employing person-centered methods for identifying polyvictimization patterns among trauma-exposed, clinic-referred, justice-involved youth ( n = 689; ages 12–18 years) and how identified classes differ on psychosocial outcomes and demographic characteristics. Most participants had experienced multiple traumatic event (TE) types. Latent class analyses identified three classes: mixed trauma/bereavement exposure group (55.1%; Mean = 3.0 TE types); maltreatment polyvictimized group (29.3%; Mean = 5.7 TE types); and maltreatment plus extreme violence polyvictimized group (15.7%; Mean = 9.3 TE types). Polyvictimized youth were more likely to be female, in out-of-home placements, and experiencing negative psychosocial outcomes (e.g., Posttraumatic Stress Disorder). Hispanic/Latino youth were overrepresented in the extreme polyvictimized subgroup. Results underscore the need for cross-system coordination of trauma-informed, comprehensive services for clinic-referred, justice-involved youth.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document