Reclaiming Futures, Rebuilding Lives; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Reclaiming Futures, Rebuilding Lives - PDF Download (Grantmakers in Health Views from the Field)
  "Reclaiming Futures was originally piloted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2001 in 10 communities across the United States. It is designed to improve treatment services for mental health and substance abuse, provide a comprehensive system of care that coordinates available services, and involve the community in creating new opportunities for youth when reintroduced to the community."
• Creative Destruction at a California Juvenile Lockup (JJIE.org)
  "Don Meyer has seen more than his share of approaches aimed at rehabilitating kids during his nearly five decades working in California’s juvenile justice systems. Those approaches — from boot camps to sports programs to jail-like detention facilities — have had limited success in rehabilitating kids and preventing recidivism."
• Juvenile Justice Secretary Walters To Retire from State Government (TheLedger.com)
  "Secretary Walters' legacy is that she managed, in her time there, to completely change the culture of the Department of Juvenile Justice for the better," said Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island. "She switched its focus to investment and prevention services, and we've already seen the results of her vision and her work with record low crime rates for juveniles."
• Life after Juvenile Detention (JJIE.org)
  Of all the birthdays Julie Kisaka remembers from her childhood, one clearly stands out among the rest. “There’s nothing worse than celebrating your 15th birthday in jail,” Kisaka said.

Jobs, Grants, Events and Webinars

• Please share the Reclaiming Futures Opportunity Board with your colleagues in the juvenile justice, adolescent substance abuse and teen mental health areas. It's free to browse and post!

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment and Mental Health

• A Sobering Story: Mental Illness, Addiction Often go Hand in Hand (Indiana Gazette)
  Just as the body can suffer from more than one illness at a time, so, too, can the brain. And more often than not, an addict has both an addiction and a mental illness, such as depression or bipolar disorder. Addiction specialists refer to such cases as a dual diagnosis or a co-occurring mental disorder.
• Can Recovery High Schools Keep Kids Off Drugs? (Pacific Standard Magazine)
  Treatment for teens with drug problems can be stigmatizing and punitive. Advocates say that recovery high schools offer a kinder, less dogmatic, and more effective alternative.
• Can Recovery High Schools Keep Kids Off Drugs? (WickedLocal.com)
  The Wakefield Police Department recognizes the need to educate its members and others who interact with children and adolescents, on the risk factors and symptoms of mental health problems in young people. That is why Officer Kelly Tobyne teaches an intensive, eight-hour course that focuses specifically on young people.

Cecilia Bianco is an account executive for Prichard Communications. She contributes to the Reclaiming Futures blog regarding topics of juvenile justice reform and substance abuse prevention.