Program use of effective drug abuse treatment practices for juvenile offenders

Henderson, Craig E.; Young, Douglas W.; Jainchill, Nancy; Hawke, Josephine; Farkas, Sarah; Davis, R. Meghan

doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2006.12.021

« Previous Next »Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Volume 32, Issue 3 , Pages 279-290, April 2007

Program use of effective drug abuse treatment practices for juvenile offenders

Craig E. Henderson, Ph.D.
- Department of Psychology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341-2247, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Psychology, Sam Houston State University, Campus Box 2447, Huntsville, TX 77341-2247, USA. Tel.: +1 936 294 3601; fax: +1 936 294 3798.
Douglas W. Young, M.S.
- Institute of Governmental Service and Research, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD 207402, USA
Nancy Jainchill, Ph.D.
- Center for Therapeutic Community Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., New York, NY 10010, USA
Josephine Hawke, Ph.D.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030-1410, USA
Sarah Farkas, M.A.
- Center for Therapeutic Community Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., New York, NY 10010, USA
R. Meghan Davis, M.Sc.
- Department of Psychology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341, USA

Received 25 September 2006; received in revised form 4 December 2006; accepted 25 December 2006. published online 12 March 2007.

Abstract

This study examined the extent to which organizational context predicted use of consensus-based elements of effective substance abuse treatment practices with juvenile offenders. Participants were either directors of substance abuse treatment programs located in residential facilities (institutional sample) or directors of community-based treatment agencies providing services to adolescents in their home communities (community sample). The two settings differed significantly in the number and types of effective practices they were using. Community programs were more likely to have staff qualified to deliver substance abuse treatment, involve families in treatment, and assess their treatment outcomes. In contrast, institutional programs were more likely to provide comprehensive services. Resources dedicated to training, internal support for new programming, and network connectedness with non-criminal-justice facilities were associated with greater use of effective practices. These findings highlight the importance of establishing corrections–community partnerships designed to promote continuity of care for juvenile offenders.

Keywords: Substance abuse, Juvenile justice, Organizational characteristics, Effective treatment practices, Consensus panels