Whenever possible, children should be diverted away from the juvenile justice system and towards community-based services. Juvenile detention and correctional facilities may impact youth with mental health issues due to overcrowding, lack of available treatment/services, and separation from support systems-such as family members and friends. In addition, for juveniles in correctional facilities, being placed in solitary confinement or restrictive housing also has the potential to worsen mental health issues (National Institute of Justice 2016).
Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is a family-and-community-based alternative to juvenile incarceration that strives to keep youth safely at home. If you are interested in bringing MST to your community, contact us here.
Interested in bringing MST to your community?
