Citation

Ezell JM, Richardson M, Salari S, Henry JA. J. Child Adolesc. Trauma 2018; 11(4): 507-519.

Affiliation

2Children's Trauma Assessment Center, Unified Clinics, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s40653-018-0223-y

PMID

32318172

PMCID

PMC7163902

Abstract

Many youth entering juvenile court systems show manifestations of psychological trauma. Focusing on rural juvenile courts, systems with greatly underserved and under-researched populations, we assessed practices, barriers, and recommendations around trauma-informed practice, an evidence-based approach for addressing trauma and reducing delinquent behavior and recidivism. As part of a pilot trauma-informed practice initiative at four rural Michigan juvenile courts, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 court staff, including probation officers, referees, judges, and on-site clinical therapists. Respondents expressed an ideological affinity for trauma-informed practice, describing growing inclinations to rely on referral-making around mental health treatment in lieu of traditional (punitive) sentencing. Key implementation barriers included limited access to local mental health resources, insufficient buy-in from K-12 schools, government, and police, and concerns over professional abilities/boundaries. Respondents recommended additional technical trainings on trauma-informed practice and cross-disciplinary education for clients' families and external stakeholders.

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018.

Language: en

Keywords

Delinquency; Intervention; Mental health; Qualitative; Recidivism; Rural