Maryland Department of Juvenile Services: Expansion of Evidence-Based Services

1. Maryland Department of Juvenile Services: Expansion of Evidence-Based Services Arleen Rogan, Ph.D. Director, Behavioral Health Services Maryland Department of Juvenile Services March 31, 2008

2. DJS Goals Keeping Maryland’s Children in Maryland Improving Conditions of Confinement at all DJS Facilities Better Outcomes for Children and Families by Becoming a Results-Driven Agency Improve Public Safety by Reducing Juvenile Homicides and Non-Fatal Shootings of DJS-supervised Youth.

3. Objectives of Expansion of EBS Reduce out-of-home and out-of-state placements Achieve the best outcomes for youth, their families and their communities

4. Target Population Youth who have been identified by the Court to be at risk of out-of-home placement Youth who are in “pending placement” status in a detention facility or the community Youth in a detention facility who are likely to be identified as in need of out-of-home placement Youth currently in out-of-home, especially out-of-state, placements

5. Services Currently in Place Functional Family Therapy Family-based prevention and intervention program Treat a range of high-risk youth and their families Has been shown to be effective as an alternative to incarceration and/or reentry for youth returning to the community following release from a high-security, severely restrictive institutional setting. Data from numerous studies suggest that when applied as intended, reduces recidivism and/or the onset of offending between 25 and 60 percent more effectively than other programs

6. Services Currently in Place Multi-systemic Therapy Home-based model to deliver services. Trials with violent and chronic juvenile offenders have demonstrated: reduced long-term rates of criminal offending in serious juvenile offenders, decreased recidivism and rearrests, reduced rates of out-of-home placements for serious juvenile offenders, extensive improvements in family functioning, decreased behavior and mental health problems for serious juvenile offenders, favorable outcomes at cost savings in comparison with usual mental health and juvenile justice services.

7. Multi-dimensional Treatment Foster Care Developed as an alternative to institutional, residential, and group care placements for boys with severe and chronic criminal behavior, children and adolescents with severe emotional and behavioral disorders, girls referred from juvenile justice for severe delinquency, and with youth in regular state-supported foster care. Studies have found that MTFC can prevent escalation of delinquency and other problem behaviors such as youth violence and that placement in MTFC more economical and more effective than placement in group care at decreasing offense and incarceration rates in follow-up. Treatment Components close supervision, fair and consistent limit setting, decreased association with delinquent peers, positive adult-youth relationship