FRONTENDDIVERSIONINITIATIVEPROGRAMPolicyandProcedureManualOverview
TexasJuvenileProbationCommissionVickiSpriggs,ExecutiveDirector
4900NorthLamarBoulevard,5thFloorEastPostOfficeBox13547Austin,TX78711
Tel512.424.6700Fax512.424.6717TDD512.424.4000www.tjpc.state.tx.us
LastRevisedMay29,2009
TableofContentsSectionI: GeneralInformationandOverview
GeneralHistory.................................................................................................................................1
FutureGoals......................................................................................................................................2
SectionII: ProgramImplementation
ProgramGuidelines...........................................................................................................................2
CaseManagement...........................................................................................................................4
DataCollection..................................................................................................................................6
DataAnalysis.....................................................................................................................................6
TechnicalAssistance.........................................................................................................................6
OutcomeMeasures...........................................................................................................................6
SECTIONIII: Attachments
AttachmentA:TheCaseforSpecializedSupervisioninJuvenileJustice..........................................7
AttachmentB:ProgramOverviewBexarCounty...........................................................................15
AttachmentC:ProgramOverviewDallasCounty..........................................................................16
AttachmentD:ProgramOverviewLubbockCounty.......................................................................18
AttachmentE:ProgramOverviewTravisCounty...........................................................................20
AttachmentF:OhioScaleYouth..................................................................................................22
AttachmentG:OhioScaleParent.................................................................................................24
AttachmentH:OhioScaleWorker...............................................................................................26
AttachmentI: OhioScaleScoringGuidelines.............................................................................28
TheTexasJuvenileProbationCommission,anequalopportunityemployer,doesnotdiscriminateonthebasisofrace,color,nationalorigin,sex,religion,ageordisabilityinemploymentortheprovisionofservices,programsoractivities.IncompliancewiththeAmericanwithDisabilitiesAct,
thisdocumentmayberequestedinalternativeformatsbycontactingtheTexasJuvenileProbationCommissionattheaboveaddress.
FrontEndDiversionInitiative |PolicyandProcedureManualOverview 1
SECTION1:
GENERALINFORMATIONANDOVERVIEWGeneralHistory InSeptember2007,theTexasJuvenileProbationCommission(TJPC)incollaborationwiththeTexasYouthCommission(TYC),theHealthandHumanServicesCommission(HHSC),theTexasCorrectionalOfficeonOffenderswithMedicalorMentalImpairments(TCOOMMI),theBexarCountyJuvenileProbationDepartment,andtheTarrantCountyJuvenileProbationDepartmentrepliedtoarequestforparticipationintheModelsforChangeMentalHealth/JuvenileJusticeActionNetwork.Ofthe21applicationsreceived,TexaswasoneoffourstatesselectedtojointheexistingfourModelsforChangestatestoformtheMentalHealth/JuvenileJusticeActionNetworkfundedbytheJohnD.andCatherineT.MacArthurFoundationandcoordinatedbytheNationalCenteronMentalHealthandJuvenileJustice.Theinitiativeisaimedatdevelopinginnovativesolutionsandstrategiestobetteraddressthementalhealthneedsofyouthinvolvedwiththejuvenilejusticesystem.Asapartoftheeffort,theFrontEndDiversionStrategicInterventionGroup(SIG)wasformed.ThisSIGhasfocuseditseffortsonthepreadjudicatorydiversionofyouthwithmentalhealthneedsfromtheearliestpointsofcontactwiththejuvenilejusticesystem.Theoriginatingplanninggroupidentifiedthreecriticalpointsofcontacttotargetwithadiversionstrategy:lawenforcement,schoolsandintake.TexaschosetotaketheintakebasedoptionfordiversionbycreatingtheFrontEndDiversionInitiative(FEDI).Thisapproachhasfocusedonprovidingmotivationalinterviewing,familyengagement,crisisintervention,andmentalhealthtrainingtospecializedjuvenileprobationofficerstohelpthembetteridentifyandworkwithyouthwhohavementalhealthproblems.Intake(eitherprobationorjuvenilecourt)isoftenviewedasthegatekeepertojuvenilecourt,andassuch,representsanidealpointforapplyingapreadjudicatorydiversionstrategy,particularlyforyouthwithmentalhealthneeds.Buildingontheworkthathasbeendoneintheadultprobationsystem(Skeem,EmikeFrancis&Louden,2006),thisapproachwill:
implementanintakebaseddiversionstrategyusingspecializedjuvenileprobationofficerswhohavereceivedsubstantialmentalhealthtrainingtoenablethemtoworkeffectivelywithyouthwithmentalhealthneeds;
haveestablishexclusivementalhealthcaseloadsforspecializedjuvenileprobationofficersthataresmallerthanthecaseloadsoftraditionaljuvenileprobationofficers;
provideintensivecasemanagementandsupporttoyouthandtheirfamilies;and providecommunitybasedlinkageswithserviceproviderstolinkyouthandtheir
familiestothementalhealthservicesandothersupportstheyneed.Thesespecializedofficersserveasacasemanagerworkingwithareducedcaseloadthattargetstheofficerseffortsonengagingfamilies,linkingtheyouthtocommunityservicesandprovidingsupporttodiverttheyouthandfamilyfromtheadjudicationprocess.ThedemonstrationsitesforFEDIincludeBexar,Dallas,Lubbock,andTravisCountyJuvenileProbationDepartments.
2 PolicyandProcedureManualOverview |FrontEndDiversionInitiative
FutureGoalsAlldataandinitiativereviewswillbeconsolidatedbyTexasJuvenileProbationCommission(TJPC)toreportthestatusoftheFrontEndDiversionInitiative(FEDI)totheoversightboardoftheTJPCasrequestedbytheExecutiveDirectorofTJPC,andtotheNationalCenteronMentalHealthandJuvenileJustice(NCMHJJ)byDecember2009.Priortotheendoffiscalyear2010,acomprehensivereportevaluatingtheimpactofFEDIwillbecompiledbyunitstaffofTJPCandsubmittedtoNCMHJJ,theoversightboardofTJPC,andtoallidentifiedstakeholdersinvolvedwiththeeffortsoftheTexasMentalHealthandJuvenileJusticeActionNetwork.SECTION2:
PROGRAMIMPLEMENTATIONSpecializedsupervisionwithspeciallytrainedprobationofficerscarryingareducedcaseloadhasbeenproventobecosteffectiveandefficienttowardrehabilitatingtheadultmentallyilloffender.Theseprogramsapplythetheoryoftherapeuticjurisprudenceandaredesignedtobetreatmentorientedontheassumptionthat,formentallyilloffenders,problemsolvingresponsestoviolationsofprobationconditionsaremoreappropriatethanstrictenforcementofthoseconditions(Wexler,2000a,2000b;Winick,2003).Thespecializedofficercollaborateswiththeoffenderonidentifyingtheproblem(s)thatoccurredandgeneratesaplanorcontractwiththeoffender(andinthecaseofajuvenileoffender,theoffenderandhisorherfamily)toaddressthebehaviorthroughanewcourseofaction(Skeemet.al.,2006).Themostcommoncomponentsoftheproblemsolvingprocessincludes(a)havingafair,twowayconversationabouttreatmentnoncomplianceanditslikelycauses;(b)generatingalternativestrategiesforaddressingtheproblem;and(c)mutuallyagreeingonaplanforsolvingtheproblemtoachievecompliance(Skeemetal.,2006,p.180).ProgramGuidelinesEachdemonstrationsitehascollaboratedwithTJPCinthedevelopmentoftheminimumprogramimplementationguidelinesforFEDI.AlthoughtherearesomevariancesinimplementationofFEDIacrosslocations,thefollowingguidelinesaretheuniversaloperatingguidelinesfollowedbyeachsite.Thepurposeofthisinitiativeistocoordinateaccesstoeffectiveservicesinordertodiverttheyouthfromadjudication.
a. Targetpopulation.Youthwhowillbeservedthroughthisinitiativearethosewho:
i. Havereceivedoraredeemedbythelocaldepartmentasbeingeligiblefordeferredprosecution,deferreddisposition,orarependingadjudicationundercourtorderedconditionsofrelease,andarebeingsupervisedinthecommunitybythejuvenilecourt;and
ii. ArefoundtohaveaDSMIVAxisIdiagnosisorarescreenedaspotentiallyhavingaDSMIVAxisIdiagnosisotherthanorinadditiontosubstanceabuse,mentalretardation,autism,orpervasivedevelopmentaldisorder;and
iii. Areatriskofadjudication;andiv. Haveatleastonefamilymemberorotheradultinthehouseholdwhoiswillingtoactivelyparticipateinthe
program.
FrontEndDiversionInitiative |PolicyandProcedureManualOverview 3
b. ReferralintotheFrontEndDiversionInitiative.Eachofthefollowingactivitiesshallbecompletedtodetermineeligibilityfortheprogram:
i. MentalHealthScreening:Inordertoidentifyallpotentialyouthfordiversion,eachyouthshouldbescreened
atintake.Thisscreeningprocessmaytakeseveralformsasfollows:
1. MassachusettsYouthScreeningInventory(MAYSI2).In2001,StateofTexashasadoptedtheMAYSI2asthemandatorymentalhealthscreeningforallyouthreferredtolocaljuvenileprobationdepartments.ThoseyouthwhomeetthesetcutoffcriteriaontheMAYSI2areeligibleforFED.I
2. ExistingDiagnosis.Someyouthmayhavehadapriormentalhealthassessment.Howevertheymaynot
becurrentlyactiveintreatment.Ifthefamilyindicatestheyouthhadapriorassessmentresultinginanexistingdiagnosis,thenthatyouthiseligibleforFEDI.
3. SpecialEducation.Ifthefamilyindicatesthattheyouthisinspecialeducationduetoemotional
disturbances,thenthatyouthiseligibleforFEDI.4. JuvenileMentalHealthHistory.Ifthefamilyindicatesthattheyouthhashadpreviousmentalhealth
treatment,suchashospitalization,psychiatricservices,orhasreceivedservicesfromacommunitymentalhealthprovider,theyouthiseligibleforFEDI.
5. FamilyMentalHealthHistory.Someyouthmaybereferredtothelocalj