This brief publication by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges provides guidelines for juvenile probation administrators on using public health data and resources to address substance abuse disorders (SUDs).
This publication by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges provides guidelines for juvenile probation administrators on how to use public health data and resources to address substance abuse disorders (SUDs). Juvenile probation administrators are responsible for ensuring that their probation department equitably offers evidence-based services to youth. It is important that these services meet the needs of youth, and that the services foster positive outcomes. This is especially true for SUD treatment because the juvenile justice system continues to be the largest referral source for this type of intervention. To understand the needs of youth in their communities, probation administrators can use their jurisdiction’s data with national public health data to understand how their jurisdiction fits into the broader picture of substance misuse by adolescents. This added layer of analysis and comparison can be useful to probation administrators in their roles as leaders and educators for probation staff and case managers. This publication discusses five ways probation administrators can use data and resources to improve policy and practice related to youth who are involved in the justice system and have a SUD. The list is not exhaustive but instead serves as a starting point for probation administrators to better use the data and resources available: (1) understanding the scope of the problem; (2) ensuring equitable access to services vs. more restrictions; (3) facilitating training for juvenile probation officers; (4) encouraging accurate data collection; and (5) developing local resources.