Overview of Managing Access for

Juvenile Offender Resources and Services

Antonio CoorDMHDDSAS

Antonio.Coor@ncmail.net919-715-2771

www.ncmajors.org

• There were limited child substance abuse funds dedicated to treating adolescents with substance abuse problems

• DMHDDSAS & DJJDP identified a need for providing intensive services for youth at risk for penetrating deeply into both the juvenile justice & mental health systems

• MAJORS is a joint initiative between DMHDDSAS & DJJDP

• MAJORS is an innovative model of community substance abuse treatment, transitional care & service coordination for adjudicated delinquent youth

MAJORS services are a specialized part of the overall

treatment system & are administered by LMEs that

monitor services provided at the local level by licensed

private providers staffed by certified substance abuse

professionals

The goals of MAJORS are two-fold:

– to blend the control measures of court requirements, juvenile justice supervision, sanctions & community service with adolescent substance abuse interventions

– to have a measurable impact on relapse & recidivism

The target group for this initiative includes:• Adolescents that have been adjudicated

delinquent; &• Have a substance abuse or dependency DSM

diagnosis; &• Are either:

• on probation in their community; or • released from a YDC or residential

treatment program to their community

MAJORS serves as an important community-based adolescent reentry initiative for incarcerated youth

• Approximately 45-55% of adjudicated adolescents are likely to have a substance abuse problem

• In order to prevent youth from falling through the cracks between the juvenile justice & substance abuse systems, a universal, standard substance abuse screening protocol was developed

Role of Juvenile Court Counselors in Substance Abuse Screening Process

• Screen all adolescents who are adjudicated delinquent

• Use web/PC substance abuse screening tool developed for MAJORS (CSI-SF)

• Refer all who screen positive to MAJORS

• The ONLY way for a child to be referred to MAJORS is through the Juvenile Court Counselor

Role of MAJORS Counselors in Referral Process

• Assess all referrals with Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse Assessment (CASAA) of the MAJORS Assessment System (MAS)

• Conduct diagnostic assessment & formulate DSM substance abuse/dependence diagnosis

• Provide feedback to referring juvenile court counselor within 2 weeks

• Complete MAS Mental Health Module & Readiness for Change Questionnaire

• Develop a Person-Centered Plan (PCP)

Required Core Services

• Face-to-Face Services • Any DMHDDSAS service provided by MAJORS

staff directly to adolescents• Provided at specific rates during particular

intervals of the treatment process• 3 hours per week (average of 12 hours per

month) during the first 2-4 months• Decrease core services & increase alternative &

transitional services during months 4-6• Provided consistent with the PCP established

by the team

DMHDDSAS ServicesCan be provided by the agency or it’s contractor(s) & includes:• Substance abuse day treatment services• Supervised living• Respite care• Child mental health services• Residential treatment• Hospitalization• Intensive in-home treatment• Multisystemic therapy (MST)

Required Core Services• Other Services

• Consultation with:• Parents• Teachers;• Employers;• Mental health professionals; • Juvenile court counselor;• Judge;

• Monitoring, Supervision, Management• Provided a minimum of once per week

Alternative Activities • Non-treatment activities

– Provided by MAJORS staff, other agency staff, community volunteers

– Stresses the inclusion of positive, prosocial, conventional peers

– Prosocial recreational & pre-vocational activities include: mentoring, tutoring, other supplemental educational or vocational training, recreation, community service, volunteer activities, cultural events, etc

• Provided a minimum of 1 time per week

Why are Prosocial, Recreational & Pre-vocational Activities a Fundamental Part

of MAJORS?• Prosocial activities are defined as positive activities

that enable individuals to acquire skills, knowledge, attitudes, values & motives in the groups of which they are or will become members

• Participation in prosocial activities: – assists in practicing developmentally appropriate social skills– assists in learning how to make good, constructive use of

unstructured time & avoid boredom– enables individuals to become effective members of prosocial

groups & conventional society• These activities are a required component of MAJORS

& should not be used as incentives for good behavior, but should be incorporated into each consumer’s PCP

Summary of Treatment Services

• MAJORS is not a short-term intervention; adolescents are expected to participate a minimum of 6 months (or until no longer on probation)

• MAJORS treatment provision requirements offer adolescents the best treatment practices over a sustained period of time

What does the research mean for MAJORS staff?

• Individual & family therapies, & school-based consultation are research-based, preferred methods of treatment for substance abusing adolescents

• Group therapy is not recommended for use with MAJORS youth at the beginning of treatment, because delinquent adolescents have been found to reinforce each other’s antisocial behavior, commit crimes or use drugs together

• Group therapy may be used when the consumer is ready & has transitioned to prosocial behavior