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This program offers interventions, resources, and quality assurance tools for low risk youth involved in the juvenile court system. The services are based on identified needs and focus on areas such as life skills, mental health, education, and family life. The program aims to limit court involvement and provide minimal, less intensive services for optimal long-term outcomes. The resources include skillstreaming, online courses, published programs, and a free assessment tool.
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Services for Low Risk Youth Perry Palumbo, Program Development Manager
Interventions for moderate and high risk youth on probation will include EPICS, Motivational Interviewing, and/or Carey Guides by July 2019. Low risk youth also may be served by these interventions but at lower dosages. • Other services for low risk youth should be at least research based. Courts will have discretion in selecting these services. • Bureau of Court & Community Service is in the process of developing a manual of resources for these services. We also will assist courts in developing quality assurance tools/processes for these services. • Some moderate and high risk youth also could benefit from these services, but they should not be involved together with low risk youth.
Risk Principles for Low Risk Youth • Best long term results are achieved by limiting the youth’s involvement with the juvenile court and providing minimal, less intensive services. • Youth referred to diversion should not be required to attend a formal court hearing and should not be adjudicated. • Youth that are adjudicated and placed on probation should not be scheduled for routine review hearings. • Diversion youth should not be scheduled for routine meetings with the diversion coordinator/officer. Probation youth also should have limited face to face contact with their officer. Contact should be what is minimally necessary to insure that the youth is complying with their diversion or probation plan. • Youth should not participate in any services (such as community service, educational groups, etc.) with moderate and high risk youth. • Any services that are included in the youth’s probation or diversion plan should be based primarily on identified youth needs, which may or may not correspond to criminogenic risks. Services may be educational or skill development oriented.
Low Risk Youth – Program Elements • Youth likely does not have significant criminogenic risk factors but may have needs in the areas of life skills, mental health, school/education, family life, etc. • OYAS may not identify all youth needs. Court may add a brief assessment (such as Ohio Scales, CANS, etc.) to help identify additional needs. • Any interventions or activities included in the youth’s plan should be based on the identified needs. Some standard rules of behavior also should be included. • Timeframe for youth involvement should be less than that for moderate and high risk youth (such as 2 – 3 months for diversion youth and 3 – 6 months for adjudicated youth).
Sources/Examples of Services for Low Risk Youth • Skillstreaming – employs a four part training approach (modeling, role-playing, performance feedback, and generalization) to teach essential pro-social skills. Program covers skill areas such as dealing with feelings, dealing with stress, alternatives to aggression, planning, listening, following instructions, apologizing, etc. Written assignments are included and a set of 400 skill cards also may be purchased. Can be done individually or in small groups. Sessions do not need to be sequential. • 3rdMillenium – offers on-line courses in the areas of alcohol and marijuana education, abusive behaviors, healthy relationships, shoplifting/theft, and respect & resolve. Courses are individual and include exercises as well as post-tests. • Research Press Publishers – various programs and interventions can be viewed and purchased from this site. Topics covered include texting, anger, bullying, social skill development, emotional awareness, impulse control, etc. • Socialworkerstoolbox.com – over 200 resources can be downloaded from this site at no cost. A wide range of tools and resources are available such as controlling anger, healthy relationships, stress, anxiety, parental substance abuse, feelings, coping skills, etc. • Casey Life Skills - a free tool that assesses the behaviors and competencies youth need to achieve their long term goals. Includes a Resources to Inspire Guide that is used to develop a learning plan to help youth gain the skills that they need (healthy relationships, work habits, budgeting, etc.).
