Juvenile justice and mental health

Using a public health approach to youth violence as an overarching framework, the need for a community-based, family-centered, strength-based system of care philosophy is outlined.

Abstract

Addressing the mental health needs of youth in the juvenile justice system is a key imperative for all stakeholders interested in preventing and reducing juvenile delinquency. Despite the substantially higher rates of mental health disorders among these youth, services and approaches are fraught with barriers including inadequate assessment, fragmentation, and deficit-based intervention. Comprehensive, system-level reform is necessary to better address the needs of youth with mental health disorders entering the juvenile justice system. Using a public health approach to youth violence as an overarching framework, the need for a community-based, family-centered, strength-based system of care philosophy is outlined.