Juvenile Offenders With Mental Health Needs: Reducing Recidivism Using Wraparound

Abstract

The rate of youth with mental health needs is disproportionately high in juvenile justice. Wraparound planning involves families and providers in coordinating juvenile justice, mental health, and other services and supports. This study compares data from two groups of juvenile offenders with mental health problems: 106 youth in a juvenile justice wraparound program called Connections and a historical comparison group of 98 youth in traditional mental health services. Cox regression survival analyses revealed that youth in Connections were significantly less likely to recidivate at all, less likely to recidivate with a felony offense, and served less detention time.

Outcomes for Youth with Severe Emotional Disturbance: A Repeated Measures Longitudinal Study of a Wraparound Approach of Service Delivery in Systems of Care

“…This analysis reviewed seven studies that utilized random assignment or a comparison group. Of the seven studies, four were conducted with a child welfare population (Bruns et al 2006a;Clark et al 1998;Mears et al 2009;Rauso et al 2009); two with a juvenile justice population (Carney and Buttell 2003;Pullmann et al 2006); and three with a mental health population (Evans et al 1996;Hyde et al 1996;Myaard et al 2000). Overall, the findings of the review were favorable for wraparound; noting small to medium effects in the areas of improved youth functioning, youth behavior problems, living situations, and community adjustment.…”

Turning Point-Rethinking Violence: A Youth Violence Reduction Intervention

“…More appropriate referrals for individual counseling beyond the TPRV program were then made possible when needed by a given participant. Given the high incidence of mental health problems identified within the juvenile justice system [34], this early identification and treatment for such issues in first-time offenders may be a deterrent for future legal problems relating to mental health disorders. In response to the most recent findings that almost one of every three juveniles referred to Florida's Department of Juvenile Justice is female [2], we have added female first-time violent crime offenders to the inclusion criteria for TPRV.…”

Bridging Positive Youth Development and Mental Health Services for Youth with Serious Behavior Problems

“…Research on the effectiveness of Child Youth Care Forum (2008) 37:209-226 219 wraparound and similar case management models indicates that the impacts vary by the particular model, with the more structured therapeutic models (e.g., Multisystemic Therapy) typically producing stronger effects than the less structured systems-level models (see Bickmna et al 2003;Bruns et al 2005;Carney and Buttell 2003;Farmer et al 2004;Pullmann et al 2006;Stambaugh et al 2007). Because of the variation in wraparound models and the challenges often encountered ensuring high implementation fidelity, ongoing evaluation of both the process and outcomes is critical (Bruns et al 2005;Eber et al 2002).…”