Treating Substance Abuse Among Virginia's Juvenile Offenders (From Juvenile Justice Programs and Trends, P 71-77, 1996, Alice Fins, ed. -- See NCJ-172261)

• NCJ Number: 172271
• Author(s): S Reiner; T Joost; M King; C McLaughlin; B Smith
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: American Correctional Association
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice addresses substance abuse problems in the State's juvenile offender population through a balanced strategy that involves the protection of public safety, offender accountability, and the provision of treatment and prevention services and community referrals.

Abstract

Program development and implementation efforts have focused on developing a range of services across a variety of juvenile justice settings, with an emphasis on balancing flexibility and consistency. The settings range from secure confinement in juvenile correctional centers to nonsecure community-based residential-care facilities and probation and parole offices. Flexibility involves matching service delivery to the particular needs of each community and setting. The specific needs are determined by examining the substance abuse-related problems along with the services available in the particular community or institution. The Department of Juvenile Justice then fills potential gaps between service needs and available services through coordination with other agencies. This approach also avoids duplication of efforts. Consistency is maintained through uniform screening and assessment procedures across settings. This paper describes Virginia's institutional programs of substance abuse treatment, community-based programs, and human resource development. Efforts in evaluation and research for substance- abuse programs are also profiled. 3 resources