Many justice-involved youth have a history of mental health or substance use challenges and have experienced a great deal of trauma. Research has also found both short- and long-term negative consequences associated with youth detention. Over 20 years ago, Ohio’s groundbreaking Behavioral Health/Juvenile Justice (BHJJ) Initiative was created to divert justice-involved youth with mental health and substance use issues away from detention and into community- and evidence-based behavioral health treatment. Over 20 years and 8,000 youth later, the program has become one of the largest statewide diversion initiatives in the country. Since its inception, the Begun Center has served as the statewide evaluator for the program. This presentation will highlight the program’s history, outcomes, and lessons learned, and will feature a firsthand account from one of the original project sites that is still operating today.
Join Dr. Jeff Kretschmar, Research Associate Professor at the Mandel School and the Managing Director of the Begun Center, as he shares insights about the BHJJ Initiative.
Thomas Pipkin, Director of Programming at the Cuyahoga Juvenile Court, will join Dr. Kretschmar as the discussant.
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Presented in collaboration with The Community Health Research & Practice Seminar of the CWRU Master of Public Health Program
Meeting ID: 934 4303 4524
Passcode: MPH