Juvenile Offenders and Drug Treatment: Promising Approaches

• NCJ Number: 168617
• Date Published: December 1997
• Length: 0 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP Teleconference Videotapes
• Grant Number(s): 95-JN-MU-0001
• Agencies: OJJDP-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)

Annotation

This video of a satellite teleconference focuses on three programs that involve treatment for juvenile drug abusers and offenders: the Juvenile Drug Court in Pensacola, Fla.; the Integrated Treatment Network in Denver, Colo.; and the Bridge Program in Columbia, S.C.

Abstract

The descriptions of the programs are offered by program administrators and staff as well video clips of program operations. Following each program description, teleconference participants call in from across the Nation to ask program representatives about the features of their programs. The Juvenile Drug Court in Pensacola focuses on dealing with juvenile drug abusers from a treatment perspective. The court administers and monitors a comprehensive continuum of care, based on treatment-offender matching. The program encompasses early intervention, case management, and aftercare. The program provides for 12 months of treatment, but the treatment may be completed earlier. For those who do not comply with the treatment regimen, clinical and legal sanctions are implemented. The Denver Integrated Treatment Network focuses on family involvement, case management, and interagency cooperation. Police, courts, corrections, social services, and mental health services cooperate with treatment agencies to ensure that juvenile drug users are not only treated for drug abuse but for other problems that may underlie their delinquent behavior. The program builds upon the TASC program. The Bridge Program in Columbia, S.C., is a comprehensive family-focused program that uses team-building and case management as important program components. The programs are noted to have the common elements of early intervention, thorough assessment, careful monitoring, swift sanctions for noncompliance, family involvement, and a support network for transition.