Needs Assessment 1 [Juvenile Access To Resources]

Meeting the Needs of Youth in the Juvenile Court Process

Colleen Holman

Western Washington University

Identifying the Need

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Snohomish County has a passionate and professional group of individuals working with juveniles who have been accused of committing criminal offenses. Many programs and resources are available and utilized effectively to assist these youth in putting their lives back on track however one area which has shown room for improvement is the process of identifying youth with substance abuse or mental health issues which contribute to their criminal behavior. Assessment tools are available but not implemented on a consistent basis. This is not a reflection of lack of interest on any professionals part it is simply to state there is not a standard protocol of utilizing the assessment tools. Statistical information provided through intake interviews with youth entering detention in Snohomish County indicate 87% of youth entering detention have substance abuse or mental health issues (Michael Conrad, personal communication, February 1, 2013). The needs assessment will aid in determining if youth will have an increased likelihood of success if their substance abuse or mental health issues are addressed at the same time their criminal cases are being resolved. Research is specific to the population of youth involved with the juvenile court process due to the natural structure that allows for a starting point (entry into the juvenile court system) and an exit point (resolution of criminal charges) which to collect information and gage the likelihood of success.

Assets

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There is a network of substance abuse and mental health care facilities in the Snohomish County area that currently provide treatment to the juvenile population. There is a strong and supportive Drug Court and Juvenile Probation staff and others in the field with an interest in working with youth to get their lives headed on a more productive path. Local community members have voiced interest in working with at-risk youth through mentorship and community engagement. The research will determine how partnerships could be formed to utilize the skills of numerous providers to assist youth with substance abuse and mental health issues. There is a National reform effort called Reclaiming Futures which will provide a grant, training, and support services to assist Snohomish County in bringing key community members together to form a supportive partnership to support the goal of helping youth develop connections with their communities to support living drug free/crime free lives. The concept is along the lines of providing wrap-around services or a one-stop shop for youth to access the services they need.

Data Collection Methodology

The research will utilize one-on-one interviews with professionals who currently work with youth in the juvenile court system. The interviews will address what methods are currently in place, and how assessment tools are currently used to determine if youth entering the juvenile court system would benefit from substance abuse and mental health services. The

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collected data will be utilized to determine what partnerships the juvenile court staff feels would assist in reaching the goal of assisting juveniles in accessing the resources they need to increase the likelihood of a clean and sober crime free life( see Appendix A). In addition youth will be surveyed to determine if their needs are currently being met and their level of interest in a program that assists them in connecting with services. We will seek to determine what the barriers are that keep youth from engaging in treatment or in engaging in pro-social activities within their communities (see Appendix B). The data will be collected and shared with the Snohomish County Reclaiming Futures board (referred to as Fellows) to aid in developing an effective reform effort for Snohomish County utilizing the many existing assets that already exist in Snohomish County (see Appendix C).

Data
The data collected indicates professionals welcome the idea of creating better partnerships with other professionals to meet the needs of youth in the juvenile court process. They report feeling a lack of clarity exists on when current assessment tools are to be used. For example, it is not currently common practice to utilize assessment tools on a juvenile who enters the court system on an offense that is not drug or alcohol related. This is a key area where current practices could be updated to better meet the needs of youth in the juvenile court system. The statistics on substance abuse rates of youth within detention indicate drugs or alcohol are a factor in criminal

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activity that is not viewed as drug or alcohol related, such as assault or shoplifting. A universal approach to instituting an assessment tool would give indicators of the need for substance abuse treatment and may lead to earlier intervention and increased success rates.

Identification of Gap in Service

Despite the caring efforts of individuals involved with youth and their families it is clear we have not yet met their need for access to services. In fact, by not fully utilizing the tools currently in place we are not recognizing the need for substance abuse or alcohol treatment in many youth. There are barriers that continue to keep youth from connecting with treatment professionals and a lack of established mentoring programs county wide that would meet the needs of the at-risk youth population. An important factor in the long term success of youth is the support of a caring adult and engagement in pro-social activities in their community. A long term plan should include an individualized plan with a holistic approach that reaches youth where they are currently and supports and guides them toward an alcohol/drug free, crime free future.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Data Collection Methodology

While I believe the interviews and surveys developed assisted in determining the gap in service it is possible a wider range of professionals

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accessed would provide a more complete picture. It was essential to start with a focused population in order to secure a funding source and develop data that would indicate the potential for success. This research can be broadened to a larger group (perhaps school staff) to determine methods of reaching youth who have substance abuse or mental health issues yet have not committed criminal acts which brought them to the courts and gave them access to the resources mentioned. While I believe the juvenile court professionals I spoke with were honest and upfront with me in their feedback I think it is possible some staff may be reluctant to be honest and risk being viewed as not successfully doing their jobs. The goal of this process is not to identify flaws in any individuals, it is to identify potential areas of opportunity within the systems that engage with at-risk youth.

Program or Service Goals/Outcomes

Based upon the needs assessment design and pilot implementation Snohomish County youth would benefit from having easy access to caring professionals. They also are receptive to and would benefit from forming relationships with caring clean and sober adults in their communities. The mentoring piece appears to be a large part of what makes this program unique and successful in obtaining the potential for long-term success in youth engaging in their communities, increasing their pro-social skills, and

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aiding in appropriate decision making which is likely to keep them from entering (or re-entering) the court system. Some of the main service goals as the program is developed are: Early, accurate assessment of treatment needs Immediate engagement with suggested evidence-based treatment protocols Early pairing of an adult mentor to support youth through the entire process Documentation of benchmarks to gage success and make adjustments on an individual basis if recommended

Reflections
The needs assessment showed there is a gap between what we want for our youth in Snohomish County and what we are currently providing in terms of tools for success. It is exciting to consider the enormous impact Snohomish County may have on youth by simply addressing the issues that are currently barriers to their success. The remedy seems more like creating a community where individual entities currently exist. We have all if not much of what we need already in place to create better outcomes for our atrisk youth and their families. We have passionate professionals and a highly focused court system that appears eager and open to creating strong

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independent youth who will be the future of our Snohomish County community. I truly believe the best is yet to come.

Appendix A Interview of Juvenile Probation Staff (Part 1 of 2)

Needs Assessment 9 [Juvenile Access To Resources] 1. When juveniles enter your caseload is there a universal assessment tool in place to determine what services should be offered to individual youth? Explain.

2. Is there a referral process in place to request substance abuse or mental health treatment? Explain.

3. Do the systems currently in place interact effectively together to link youth with services as quickly as possible? Explain.

4. What suggestions do you have that would make the process more effective and more beneficial to youth?

5. What barriers currently exist that interfere with the best possible outcomes for youth?

Appendix A

Interview of Juvenile Probation Staff (Part 2 of 2)

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Using the sliding scale indicated below please answer the following questions

1(true)---------2-----------3(uncertain)---------4---------5(not true)

1. I find that most juveniles accurately identify if they have an addiction problem.

2. I feel that the juveniles I interact with trust me enough to be honest.

3. Most of the kids on my caseload report they do not have a caring adult they can turn to.

4. Access to treatment is a barrier to many of the youth I have contact with.

Please use the area below to provide any further information you feel would assist in creating programs and services to meet the needs of youth in Snohomish County.

Appentix B

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Youth Survey Please complete the following survey so we can determine if mentoring is of interest to you and to assist in making the best possible match 1. I would like to develop a relationship with a caring adult in my community. a. b. c. d. e. Strongly agree Sort of agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree

2. I am interested in trying new activities if someone wants to take the time to share them with me. a. b. c. d. e. Strongly agree Sort of agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree

3. I have obstacles that keep me from meeting with a mentor (ie; transportation). a. b. c. d. e. Strongly agree Sort of agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree

4. If I met an adult mentor that I felt connected to I would probably ask them for advice if I needed to (ie; how can I get back in school, get transportation, find out about things I am interested in for the future?) a. b. c. d. e. Strongly agree Sort of agree Not sure Disagree Strongly disagree

5. Below please list the types of activities you would be interested in participating in and the types of things you would be interested in talking to a caring adult mentor about.

Thank you for your feedback!

Appendix C

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Note: Appendix C is intended to give a brief description of the fellows since they are referred to in the needs assessment. It also helps to indicate the effort to provide a wrap-around type process for youth to obtain services. In order to accept grant funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Reclaiming Futures office Snohomish County will develop a board of Fellows representing each of the systems indicated below: Snohomish County Reclaiming Futures Fellows Judicial Fellow: Represents and communicates with the Superior Court judges Treatment Fellow: Represents and communicates with the treatment community Juvenile Justice Fellow: Represents and communicates with the Juvenile Court (probation/detention) Community Fellow: Represents and communicates with the community, businesses and faith based organizations Project Director Fellow: Coordinates, communicates and oversees the work of the team.

Note: Appendix C is intended to give a brief description of the fellows since they are referred to in the needs assessment. It also helps to indicate the effort to provide a wrap-around type process for youth to obtain services.