Citation

Anderson R, Treger J, Lucksted A. Juv. Fam. Court J. 2020; 71(1): 19-30.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/jfcj.12158

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Many youth in juvenile justice settings meet criteria for a mental health condition. Front line staff need to be able to recognize and respond to their needs, but training is often lacking. Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is an 8-hour training for adults without mental health education to recognize and assist distressed youth. This study surveyed 1,279 [State blinded] DJS front-line staff trained in YMHFA. Of 338 returned surveys (26% response), 44% reported using YMHFA skills at work, 56% in preventing a crisis, 25% during crises. Respondents rated YMHFA as significantly improving their responsiveness to distressed young people.

Language: en

Keywords

early intervention; mental health; Mental Health First Aid; risis prevention; staff training