Thomas J. Stickrath, J.D., director of Ohio Department Youth Services (ODYS), works with high-risk juvenile felons.

Helping Troubled Youths

By Melissa Edler, M.A. '07

In addition to projects with a focus on domestic and international law enforcement, such as Fugitive Safe Surrender, Kent State’s Institute for the Study and Prevention of Violence also works on systems of care, violence and mental health programs, and school-based violence prevention.

The institute’s systems of care projects typically comprise research and evaluation programs for youth and families involved in multiple systems of care, including mental health, education, substance use and juvenile justice. One particular program dealing with such issues is Strengthening Communities for Youth or SCY. A five-year project, SCY targets resources through two child-serving systems, the alcohol and drug addiction services system through the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board and the juvenile justice system through the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. It aims to help 12-year-olds to 17-year-olds with mental health problems who enter the juvenile justice system.

Based on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas-Juvenile Court Division 2005 annual report, a total of 3,102 youths were held in the detention center. Youths who arrived at the Cuyahoga County Detention Center as a result of a new arrest were screened for substance use by a representative from the Public Defender’s office and referred to Catholic Counseling Services for further assessment using the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN). Once assessed, youth were provided with an appropriate level of care for substance abuse treatment and followed at 3, 6 and 12 months.

From April 2003 to March 2007, 232 youths were enrolled in the SCY project. They were arraigned on charges varying from property damages to domestic violence and from assault to illegal use of drugs or alcohol.

“We see a significant background of offenses by the time they even go into the detention center,” says Dr. David Hussey, Kent State associate professor of justice studies and ISPV faculty associate. On average, SCY youth have been charged with at least 10 offenses each, excluding traffic violations, and 62 percent were classified as felons.

Often these youths were involved with multiple systems, such as juvenile justice, alcohol and drug, mental health, special education and the Department of Child and Family Services. Almost a third were involved in three systems, 40 percent were involved in four systems and 15 percent were involved in all five systems.

Many of the youth involved in the SCY project suffered from neglect, physical or sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment during their childhood. In addition, almost two-thirds of youths presented with a mental disorder in addition to substance abuse problems.

Thomas J. Stickrath, J.D., director of Ohio Department Youth Services (ODYS), works with high-risk juvenile felons. He says he has seen similar circumstances in his facilities: “Our kids tend to have a high degree of mental health issues, substance abuse problems and special education needs.”

“We’re a last resort when everything else has failed,” says Stickrath. “The schools, mental health providers and parents haven’t worked for these kids, so we become the teacher, the drug treatment program and surrogate parents.”

Programs such as SCY have shown that cross-system initiatives can be effective in treating high-risk juveniles. SCY youths who completed the full GAIN assessment showed a significant decrease overall from intake over a 12-month period in substance abuse, emotional problems and general crime. “The Institute for the Study and Prevention of Violence’s research shows these initiatives work,” says Stickrath.

"ISPV helps bridge the gap between science and practice to effectively inform public policy related to violence prevention,” says institute director Dr. Daniel Flannery. “We’re often charged with tracking and recording the numbers, but the human aspect to our projects is what it’s all about.”

For more information, visit http://dept.kent.edu/ispv/.

Learn more about ISPV and their involvement with Safe Surrender: read "Safe Surrender: Understanding, Preventing Violence is Kent State Legacy," cover story from the Spring 2008 issue of Kent State Magazine.