Abstract
A national study of clinical directors examined professional development (PD) focused on mental health provided to professionals in juvenile justice facilities for adjudicated youth. A total of 85 clinical directors responded to a mail survey (45% return rate). The survey questions related to (a) topics of staff training and the basis for choosing topics, (b) which professionals participated in each PD topic, (c) training format and frequency of PD, (d) recommended attributes of PD, (e) methods of evaluating PD, and (f) adequacy of PD and how can it be improved. For each topic, PD was typically provided once per year and face to face, rather than online. PD participation rates were commonly in the 30% and 40% ranges for professionals other than clinical directors and counselors, with teachers, correctional officers, administrators, and teaching assistants receiving PD the least. Rarely did PD include recommended attributes of PD, and it was commonly viewed as ineffective. Implications for research and practice related to PD and its relationship to youth reentry from juvenile justice facilities are discussed.
Highlights
For many incarcerated youth, preparation and opportunities for eventual reentry and reintegration into school, community, and the workforce are complicated from the point of intake (Gagnon et al, 2018)
Despite the importance of providing mental health supports to incarcerated youth, it has long been acknowledged that the inadequate training of professionals in juvenile justice (JJ) has stymied the provision of mental health services, inhibiting their reintegration (Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice, 2006; Gagnon et al, 2012; Mellin & Pertuit, 2009; Meservey & Skwyra, 2015)
correctional officers (COs), who have the most contact with youth and possibility for intervening regularly (Holt, 2011), have asserted their lack of mental health training, concerning substance abuse, and reported that they are in dire need of professional development (PD) focusing on youth mental health needs (Penn et al, 2005)
Summary
This is a cross-sectional descriptive survey study designed to provide a snapshot of PD in JJ settings. As no previous research has examined mental health–related PD for staff in JJ and given the limitations of survey research, the goal was to provide a broad, initial understanding of PD
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