Adolescent Portable Therapy (APT) for the Juvenile Justice System

• NCJ Number: 193160
• Author(s): Jean Callahan; Fred Patrick
• Date Published: January 2001
• Length: 30 pages
• Grant Number(s): 99-JR-VX-0004
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Corporate Author: Vera Institute of Justice; New York City Dept of Juvenile Justice
• Sale Source: Vera Institute of Justice; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded on 02/22/2002

Annotation

This report described the portable drug treatment program developed by the Vera Institute of Justice and the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice and funded by the U.S. Department of Justice. The demonstration program treats serious adolescent drug abusers immediately upon entering a detention facility and follows them throughout the system and back into the community.

Abstract

Nationally, today's teenagers are seen as more likely to experiment with drugs than a decade ago. New York City appears to follow this national trend. The more teenagers abuse drugs, the more likely they are to commit delinquent or criminal acts. Evidence supports early intervention as a means of reducing the frequency of drug use, as well as other behaviors. There is a large concentration of juvenile drug abusers in detention facilities offering a convenient place to begin treatment services. However, the challenge becomes sustaining treatment as teenagers move through the system, being transferred to other facilities or being released on probation. To address this issue, the Vera Institute of Justice and the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice, with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, developed a model of portable drug treatment. Portable drug treatment begins by treating the most serious drug abusers when they enter detention and provides continuous care with interruption. The treatment provider has the authority to follow the adolescents from agency to agency and back into the community. This portable drug treatment model combined the elements of cognitive-behavioral and family-centered therapies. The model will be part of a 3-year demonstration program serving about 130 juveniles each year. Providing this type of treatment has the potential to eliminate the breaks in treatment. In addition, providing appropriate drug treatment without interruption could have a positive impact on the most serious drug abusers in the juvenile justice system.