Responding to the mental health and substance abuse needs of youth in the juvenile justice system: Ohio’s Behavioral Health/Juvenile Justice Initiative
Source: American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
Resource Type: Documents and Publications
Focus Population: People in Recovery from Substance Use, People with Criminal Justice System Involvement, People with Serious Mental Illness (SMI)
Topics: Criminal or Juvenile Justice System, Recovery from Mental Health or Substance Use Disorders, Suicide Prevention
The authors aim to fill a gap in the field of behavioral health concerning justice involved individuals. The article focuses on Ohio’s Behavioral Health Juvenile Justice Initiative (BHJJ), an initiative that came to transform the ability of local justice systems to identify, assess, evaluate and treat youth experiencing behavioral issues. Throughout the article, the authors highlight successes and challenges of BHJJ, but ultimately advocate for the need to continue developing creative solutions that address these issues.