This presentation was created to provide attorneys an overview of what evidence based practice is and why it is important that Juvenile Delinquency clients receive services that are grounded in evidence.
7. “Nothing Works”
In 1975 Lipton, Martinson, & Wilks
concluded that research could not support
rehabilitation of juvenile offenders
Today some effective interventions have been
developed, but most services utilized in the
juvenile justice system have either not been
proven effective or not been evaluated at all
7
8. Ineffective Programs and Policies
Processing in juvenile justice system
Analysis showed that processing in the juvenile
court tends to increase criminal behavior,
especially when compared to diversion programs
Juveniles in criminal court
Transfer to adult court is associated with higher
recidivism rates among juveniles
8
9. Ineffective Programs and Policies
Surveillance (probation or parole, all levels)
Current evidence is mixed regarding the effects of
probation and parole on juvenile offending
Used widely, but lack of strong empirical support
Shock incarceration interventions (Scared
Straight)
Increase the criminal behavior of juvenile
offenders
9
10. Ineffective Programs and Policies
Residential Placement
Includes boot camps, group homes, detention
centers, residential treatment centers, and
wilderness camps
Mental health, substance abuse, and educational
needs are deficient
Increases criminal activity
10
11. EPB’s with Strong JJ Outcomes
Parent Training
Family Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Mentoring
Out of Home Care (not placement)
11
12. Blueprints for Healthy Youth
Development
In 1996, the
Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV), at
the University of Colorado Boulder, designed and launched a
national youth prevention initiative to identify and replicate
violence, delinquency and drug prevention programs that
have been demonstrated as effective.
Each Blueprints program has been reviewed by an independent panel
of evaluation experts and determined to meet a clear set of scientific
standards. Programs meeting this standard have demonstrated at least
some effectiveness for changing targeted behavior and developmental
outcomes.
Programs are rated as either Promising or Model. Promising
programs meet the minimum standard of effectiveness. Model
programs meet a higher standard and provide greater confidence in
the program’s capacity to change behavior and developmental
outcomes.
12
13. Blueprints
MODEL PROGRAMS
Model programs meet these additional standards:
Evaluation Quality: A minimum of (a) two high quality
randomized control trials or (b) one high quality
randomized control trial plus one high quality quasi-
experimental evaluation.
Positive intervention impact is sustained for a minimum
of 12 months after the program intervention ends.
Over 1,100 programs have been evaluated – three
meet the “model” criteria for intervening with
juvenile offenders – FFT, MST, and MDFT
13
14. Functional Family Therapy (FFT)
Blue Prints for Violence prevention model
program
One of the first EBP’s in the field
www.fftinc.com
14
15. Functional Family Therapy (FFT)
Presenting problem is viewed as symptom of
dysfunctional family relations
Interventions aims to establish and maintain
new patterns of family behavior
Integrates behavioral (i.e. communication
training) and cognitive behavioral (i.e.
assertiveness training, anger management)
interventions into treatment
15
16. Functional Family Therapy (FFT)
Phased-based; initially focuses on engaging
family members, moves to extensive effors at
individual and family behavior change,
concludes with interventions to allow for
sustainability
Therapists are required to participate in
intensive training protocol
16
17. Multisystemic Therapy (MST)
Blue Prints for Violence prevention model
program
Focuses on youth with serious clinical issues
(violent or sexual offenses, substance use,
serious emotional disturbance)
Uses “person-in-environment” persepective,
theory of social ecology
17
18. Multisystemic Therapy (MST)
Comprehensive and flexible interventions that
address factors at individual, family, peer,
school, and community levels
Includes intensive quality assurance and
improvement program
18
19. Multidimensional Treatment Foster
Care (MTFC)
Developed as a community-based foster care
alternative to detention or group care facilities
Intended to be used when other intensive in
and out of home services have failed
19
20. Multidimensional Treatment Foster
Care (MTFC)
Based on social learning theory, including
behavioral principles
Reward and punishment
Uses behavioral management plans and
cognitive behavioral techniques
20
21. Program Components
Effective Ineffective
Address key risk factors Ignore risk factors or
(assessing family directly conflict with
functioning, disassociation research (i.e. peer
from deviant peers) contagion in residential
settings)
Interventions are outside of
Are behavioral in nature youth’s natural
and are community-based environment (residential
and work to address settings, courts, probation
problems where they occur offices, etc.) and fail to
(work, school, home) consider context of real
world
21
22. Effective Ineffective
Well specified and Absence of supportive
include intensive research, even with
support for intervention “systematic”
fidelity interventions
22
23. Conclusion
Despite well established evidence of effective
services for juvenile offenders, the vast
majority of services provided either result in
increase criminal behavior or have not been
evaluated.
23