The Youth Justice Mental Health Program

• Key aspect of the vulnerable youth outreach element of redesigned CAMHS (0-25)
• Developing mental health care systems that prioritize early intervention, continuity of care and age appropriate responses

Target Group?

•Established or emerging high prevalence disorder

•Would benefit from involvement with a service

•Navigation of the mental health service system is required

• Consultation on treatment and care plans
• Deliver education and training
• System development to facilitate improved mental health service involvement (e.g. referral pathways)
• Implementation of risk assessment and management framework across service systems

what outcomes do we want?

• Improved access to appropriate mental health treatment and support
• Enhanced capability, skill and confidence of youth justice and mental health staff to respond effectively
• Earlier identification and intervention
• Improved prosocial functioning and life chances

“Juvenile offenders require a higher duty of care

than adult offenders”

(Australian Institute of Criminology, 2011)

Training Package:

1.What is Youth Mental Health?

2.Psychosis and young people

3.Managing self-harm and suicide in the remand setting

4.Anxiety Disorders and young people

5.Complex Trauma presentations in youth justice

6.Mental State Assessment Skills of remanded young people

What does this all mean for

FCSP?

Background

to the program...

• Improve links b/w FCSP & Youth Justice
• Increase awareness of current YJ services (e.g. YHaRS)

• Information gathering re. future clients
• Research opportunities

An evaluation of the Youth Justice Mental Health pilot was conducted in 2013 and the findings were presented to the then Minister for Mental Health.

The outcome of the evaluation process was ongoing funding for the YJMHP effective from 1 July 2013.

•More likely to suffer mental health problems

•Mental health problems may predate, emerge during or develop as a consequence

•Experience barriers to appropriate care for those with complex needs

Youth offending rates have gone down...

Small group of violent offenders

The Youth Justice Mental Health Program

David Reid

YJMHP Coordinator

Aims

PYJP

The two broad aims of the YJMHP are;

1.improve youth justice clients’ access to

mental health services

2.enhance capacity of youth justice staff

and mental health staff to effectively meet

the needs of youth justice clients requiring

mental health services

Time spent on Remand is increasing...

YJMHC intervention is to meet basic needs

• referrals for support in community

• clinical assessment & case consultation

• educate & support YJ staff. re. management on unit

• time-limited intervention to address distress

Remand Units...

Youth Custody Health?

Typical Remand clients?

High school – deviating social trajectory:

•Age-related changes - Pseudo-maturity

•Associating with older peers

•Trouble with teachers, truancy from school

•Basic education failure – reading/writing (ID?)

•Unhappy kids but don’t present as depressed

•Engage in activities that keep them alive, but reduce self-esteem

• Vulnerable but volatile

• Emotional attachment difficulties (complex trauma)

• Negative behaviours – “don’t get along”, overly reactive

• Contained history until 12yo

• DHS become involved

• "I went to CAMHS once but I can’t remember why”

what's happened?

- punitive measures

• higher exterior walls/retina scanning
• handcuffs
• critical response team
• prison doors
• capsicum spray
• over-use of isolation

• Unhappy, bored, impressionable young people become disruptive
• Staff and young people feel unsafe
• YJ staff get worn out and don't show up to work

Young People in Custody Health Survey - 2009

Where to now for YJ in Victoria...?

"Werribee South outraged by the Andrews government's plans to build a $288 million juvenile prison"

The Age (Feb 6, 2017)

224 beds for sentenced and remanded inmates

12-bed mental health unit and an intensive supervision unit of at least eight beds

NSW DHS (242 young people)