Understanding the Use of Mental Health Placements by the Juvenile Justice System

Abstract

Philosophically, juvenile justice incorporates the need to assess offender needs and provide appropriate services to them.Yet the extent to which juvenile justice systems currently identify and service mental health needs is questionable. Furthermore, it is unclear whether certain types of offenders are more or less likely to receive services based on individual and case characteristics. In this study these issues were examined by using juvenile cases processed in an East Coast state between 1992 and 1994. Findings from this study show that mental health placements are used rarely relative to other court outcomes (i.e., dismissal, probation, or other types of placements), and gender and race significantly influence whether an offender receives this type of placement.

Mental Health and Substance-Related Treatment Utilization, Dropout, and Continuity of Care among Detained Adolescents: A 14-Year Longitudinal Study

“…When considering gender and race together, White females DAs are most likely to obtain mental health services, whereas Black male DAs are least likely to obtain treatment (Abram et al, 2008). In fact, White females are approximately 8 times more likely than Black males, and 2.5 times more likely than Black females and White males, to receive mental health treatment post-detention (Herz, 2001).…”

“…shows that Black adolescents with mental illness are 6 times more likely to be placed in detention/prison than similarly-aged White adolescents with mental illness (Isaacs, 1992), whereas White adolescents are 4 times more likely to receive a mental health treatment placement (Herz, 2001). When considering gender and race together, White females DAs are most likely to obtain mental health services, whereas Black male DAs are least likely to obtain treatment (Abram et al, 2008).…”

“…Current findings suggest a possible two-tiered approach within the juvenile justice system, in which younger offenders are placed on a treatment-focused rehabilitation track and older offenders are placed on a punishment-focused incarceration track (Herz, 2001).…”

“…There appears to be a negative relationship, in that the likelihood of service utilization post-detention decreases as age increases (Aalsma et al, 2012b;Lopez-Williams, 2006). Thus, younger DAs are more likely to obtain mental health referrals, receive mental health placements, be connected to services, and utilize a variety of service types (e.g., inpatient, outpatient, family) than older DAs of similar gender or racial/ethnic background (Herz, 2001;Vander Stoep, Evens, & Taub, 1997). …”

“…The few studies that have examined treatment utilization among detained adolescents (DAs) report inconsistent findings, such that conclusions about treatment prevalence, types of services, and characteristics of treatment users remain uncertain (Herz, 2001;Johnson, Cho, Fendrich, Graf, Kelly-Wilson, Pickup, 2004). Furthermore, the majority of studies have examined treatment utilization cross-sectionally (Rawal, Romansky, Jenuwine, & Lyons, 2004;Sedlak & McPherson, 2010), so patterns in service use over time, particularly upon community reentry, are not well understood.…”