A Practice/Research Collaborative: An Innovative Approach to Identifying and Responding to Psychosocial Functioning Problems and Recidivism Risk Among Juvenile Arrestees

Effectively identifying and responding to the psychosocial problems and recidivism risk of arrested youths remain critical needs in the field. Centralized intake facilities, such as juvenile assessment centers (JACs), can play a key role in this process. As part of a U.S. National Demonstration Project, the Miami-Dade JAC, serving a socioculturally diverse population of 2.2 million, is partnering researchers and operational staff in the active reform of a functioning system. Critical to this effort was integrating psychometrically sound screening and assessment instruments into new procedures to comprehensively identify the needs of arrested youth. The NDP has developed a state-of-the-art protocol for screening, assessing and developing intervention plans for arrested youths processed at the JAC. The process utilizes a decision-tree model involving: (1) youths being screened separately for mental health or substance abuse problems and risk for recidivism, (2) administered, if needed, more in-depth instruments to identify psychosocial symptom profiles needing intervention and specific areas of recidivism risk needing supervision, and (3) the development of appropriate intervention and supervision monitoring plans. Initially created for diversion eligible youth entering the JAC, plans call for this protocol to be used for all arrested youths entering the facility. We discuss the process leading to the development of this protocol, and review in detail its component instruments and decision-making activities, with a view to: (1) assisting other centralized intake facilities in strengthening their ability to serve the needs of troubled youth, and (2) reducing the flow of these youth deeper into the justice system.