Most kids who end up in juvenile hall have lived a life that causes and/or exacerbates any behavior, learning, and mental health problems. These kids have not had the support they needed to succeed and thereby have ended up in the juvenile justice system. Instead of working as a corrective experience, the juvenile hall experience often further reinforces the kids’ problems, returning them to the community no greater skilled than they were before incarceration.
In order to help brighten this bleak picture, partners at the Santa Maria Juvenile Hall (SMJH)—Santa Barbara Probation Department, Santa Barbara County Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Program (ADMHS), Santa Barbara County Education Office, and a team of researchers from UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School led by Dr. Jill Sharkey—have come together to transform services to youth on probation. The goal is to help these youth, particularly girls who end up in jail after a childhood tainted by abuse, trauma, and forced sex and drug use.
To this end, Probation repurposed an available living unit into a gender-responsive treatment space with feminine decorations, inspiring words, and a fluffy pink couch. ADMHS designed a therapeutic “girls group” offered 2-5 times weekly that focuses on addressing mental health needs, wellness, social skills, and leadership. The girls were allowed to sit together on comfortable chairs/couch, brush each others’ hair, and enjoy tea served to them by staff. They were given nice smelling shampoo and soap. ADMHS staff trained Probation staff in trauma-informed care and how to respond to girls in crisis with positive interventions rather than relying on sanctions. These small but important transformations have encouraged the girls to engage in treatment and feel optimistic about change.
“The young women in our care have responded well to this and are eager to participate in counseling delivered in non-traditional ways,” says Brian Swanson, Probation Manager for Santa Maria Juvenile Hall. “Their behavior in other daily activities has improved too. Our hope is that these efforts will have a long-lasting positive impact on all areas of their lives.”
Funded by the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act, the researchers from UCSB’s Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology are consulting with the team to develop and evaluate these efforts. Their findings, published in a comprehensive technical report and presented to the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council on February 6, 2015, reveal several areas that are important to address in future efforts. These findings include:
- Girls are more likely to have a mental health diagnosis than boys, for depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety, in that order of prevalence.
- Boys are more likely to experience substance abuse and conduct problems.
- Mental health diagnoses such as alcohol abuse, cannabis dependence, conduct disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder are related to recidivism.
- Cognitive-behavior treatments help participants avoid reoffending.
The Gevirtz School researchers will continue their work to understand what is working for girls in custody and for the broader Probation system approach for all youths. A comprehensive evaluation will help this team determine what is working for whom and how to best support the development of children involved in the juvenile justice system so they can reenter their communities with the skills to thrive.
“It has been so exciting to be a part of a team working together to transform the juvenile justice system to better serve youths who struggle due to a variety of family, community, mental health, substance, and educational challenges,” Jill Sharkey says. “Our community of professionals serving youths has really come together to evaluate and reflect upon their practices, which is not easy. This effort has led to rapid change that is rare among large institutions.”
Dr. Sharkey’s research team dedicated to this project included Project Scientist Michela Lenzi, Ph.D., School Psychology M.Ed. student Rebecca Parker, and School Psychology Ph.D. student Allie Wroblewski.