Program Goals
The Special Needs Diversionary Program (SNDP) was designed for juvenile with mental illness who have committed an offense. Developed in 2001 in North Texas, SNDP provides mental health treatment in conjunction with specialized probation supervision to juveniles who display low levels of conduct and mental health disorders, with the aim of rehabilitating and preventing them from falling further into the criminal justice system. The SNDP program offers mental health services (including individual and group therapy), probation services (including life skills, mentoring, and anger management), and parental education and support. Specialized juvenile probation and professional mental health staff from the local mental health centers work together to coordinate intensive case-management services.
Target Population/Eligibility
Juveniles are placed into the SNDP after a referral to the program and an evaluation based upon established eligibility criteria. The referrals may initiate from a court intake officer, court order, or field officer supervising the juvenile. Referred youths are identified as needing more intensive and structured services than those provided by traditional probation units.
To be eligible to participate in SNDP, youths between the ages of 10 and 17 must be under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court (either adjudicated to formal probation or have deferred adjudication dispositions) and have an Axis I diagnosis by a mental health professional. Youths also need to have at least 6 months remaining in their case supervision and have a parent or guardian consent to participate. Parents or guardians also need to be willing to participate in program activities. Youths with certain mental health diagnoses (such as mental retardation and stand-alone pervasive developmental disorders) are not eligible to participate in SNDP.
Program Components
SNDP involves collaboration between mental health and juvenile justice officials to provide treatment to reduce recidivism. Once a case is referred to the SNDP, the program follows procedures based upon typical wraparound strategies. For each case, a therapist and SNDP probation officer are assigned to conduct individualized treatment and case management.
Service teams provide intensive community-based services with support from probation officers, mental health personnel, and the community. Services provided to juveniles include individual and family therapy, rehabilitation services, skills training, and chemical dependency education. An initial plan for the juvenile entering supervision services must be completed within the first 72 hours after the juvenile enters the program. Plans are prepared with input from the juvenile, family, and mental health professional. A formal case plan review is conducted on a monthly basis with input from all parties involved in the program.
Parents/guardians and family members of the juvenile are also required to participate. Each juvenile and family receive three to five contacts a week by the SNDP team, including unscheduled home visits from the selected probation officer and scheduled home visits from the therapist once a week.
Two months prior to completion of the program, the service team, juvenile, and family members work together to develop an aftercare plan to increase support from the community and family once the formal services have ended. The treatment plan includes a transition period beginning no later than 2 months prior to the projected discharge date of the program.
Key Personnel
The therapist and SNDP probation officers are assigned to a maximum of 20 juvenile cases. The coordination of caseloads builds the close working relationship between the probation officer and the therapist. Each month, the service team meets to reassess the needs of the juvenile and determine the level of engagement needed by the youth and family to successfully achieve goals. Furthermore, SNDP probation officers can hold enrolled youths accountable for program participation. Working together with therapists, youths, and family members, probation officers assist in determining clients’ criminogenic needs and developing appropriate treatment plans. The therapist works to provide rehabilitative services to the youth and family members to address their identified needs.
Program Theory
Programs such as SNDP are designed to be treatment-oriented, based on the theory of therapeutic jurisprudence (Cuellar et al. 2006; Wexler 2000). This theory is based on the assumption that problem-solving responses are more appropriate than punishment for certain individuals. Within the context of the therapeutic jurisprudence theory, it is argued that legal rules and procedures can be used to improve the mental and physical well-being of clients (that is, juveniles with mental health disorders who have committed an offense) within the criminal justice system. The emphasis is on the selection of a therapeutic option that promotes health, but does not conflict with the normative values of the justice system such as due process (Rottman and Casey 1999). With regard to SNDP, diversion programs can improve coordination across justice and social service agencies (Cuellar et al. 2006). According to the therapeutic jurisprudence approach, including mental health in juvenile diversion programs can help reduce recidivism and the severity of crimes committed by persons with mental health disorders.
