NCJ Number
231413
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 72 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2010 Pages: 66-68
Date Published
June 2010
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The evolution of Kentucky's mental health services for juveniles following the creation of a juvenile justice department.
Abstract
In 1995, Kentucky entered into a consent decree agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, which required the development of a juvenile justice department in the State. Following the hiring of a new commissioner by the end of 1996, a chief of mental health services was hired and three doctorate level psychologists. They were tasked with developing and implementing mental health treatment services. The department also hired clinicians with master's degrees to be treatment directors at the residential programs. By the end of 2000, the department met the requirements of the consent decree. After several years in the planning and development phase, the department opened a unit that dealt with more intensive psychiatric issues. The unit is more intensively staffed with both counselors and youth workers resulting in youth receiving more individual attention and observation. Over the past year, the department has focused more on improving quality and consistency. Ongoing improvement efforts are seen in the development of a format for sex offender evaluations and sex offender treatment provider training, informational updates, the provision by regional psychologists in ongoing consultation and support, and in the initiative to simplify the treatment planning process and tie it into the risk/needs assessment inventory used by the department. 12 endnotes