Blog

Adolescent Substance Abuse: Bath Salts and Spice

By Liz Wu, March 27 2012

More than 1 in 10 American high schoolers have used synthetic marijuana (also known as K2 or Spice) in the past year. But many parents, educators and youth workers may not be familiar with this new drug. Thankfully, The Partnership at DrugFree.org has a very informative slideshare presentation on both Bath Salts and K2/Spice. The presentation discusses what exactly the drugs are, how they affect users and what to do if a loved one is abusing these dangerous substances.

Parents360 Synthetic Drugs (Bath Salts & K2 / Spice)
View more webinars from The Partnership at Drugfree.org

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, No bio box

Changing Young Lives in Massachusetts

By Liz Wu, March 26 2012

The Reclaiming Futures model is used in 29 communities (in 17 states) across the country. As National Executive Director Susan Richardson often says, "if you've seen one court, you've seen one court," meaning that while every Reclaiming Futures court implements the same six step model, there are often differences in the program based on what works in each community. In Snohomish County, Washington, troubled teens work with local artists to learn glass blowing and creative writing. In Oklahoma's Cherokee Nation, youth learn about their heritage and partake in cultural events. And in Bristol County, Massachusetts, the focus is on building teens' self-esteem and self-worth. One model with many different approaches -- and all with great results. 
The South Coast Today recently wrote about the success of Reclaiming Futures in Bristol County. From the article:

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, Massachusetts, No bio box, Reclaiming Futures

Link between bullies and substance abuse and more: news roundup

By Lori Howell, March 23 2012

Juvenile Justice Reform
Commentary: Getting smart on juvenile offending and substance use issues - The role of the prosecutor
Join Together
As the gatekeeper to the system, the DA represents the voices of the community in the justice system. That role is amplified when the prosecutor is in juvenile court, where they also must also advance the “needs and best interests” of affected youth.
OPINION: Life without parole: unfair for children
The National Law Journal
On March 20, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide the constitutionality of allowing children to be sentenced to life without parole in homicide cases. The petitioners in Jackson v. Hobbs and Miller v. Alabama, both 14 at the time of their offenses, are not asking the Court to announce any new legal principles. Their arguments are squarely rooted in established constitutional law.
Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

Schools try creative approach to substance abuse, bullying

Galesburg.com
Churchill Junior High, Lombard Middle School and Galesburg High School have all used programs, incentives and curriculum in the past decade to combat the effects of peer pressure and misinformation about behaviors, like substance abuse and teen sex.

Topics: No bio box

From a Violent Childhood to the MLB: Joe Torre on Need to Reduce Children's Exposure to Violence

By Liz Wu, March 22 2012

Baseball fans know Joe Torre as a former MLB catcher and MLB manager. But they may know not that he was exposed to violence as a child, an experience that played a major role in shaping his life. He recently wrote an op-ed in the Miami Herald, explaining why preventing children's exposure to violence is so important to him.
He writes:

I was the youngest of five kids who grew up in an abusive home. My father, a New York City police officer, physically abused my mother and emotionally abused us all. My older siblings protected me from the violence, but they couldn’t shield me from the fear. Baseball became my shelter — the place to which I escaped to feel safe.
I didn’t know until decades later how much the way I felt about myself had been shaped by that fear. More than just fear, though, I felt shame, as well. As a kid, I was embarrassed by the belief that my house was the only one where things like this were happening. I worried that I had done something to cause the problem, and felt ashamed that I couldn’t stop it. As an adult, it took counseling for me to see myself as the innocent child I really had been, and to understand how deeply the violence I had witnessed affected me.

Because of these traumatic experiences, Joe and his wife founded the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation, which provides education and safe rooms in middle schools for kids caught in an abusive environment. Joe also serves as co-chair of Attorney General Eric Holder's National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, which is part of the DOJ's Defending Childhood Initiative.

Topics: Defending Childhood Initiative, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, violence

Applications Available for Youth Justice Leadership Institute

By Benjamin Chambers, March 22 2012

Know any professionals of color who want to lead efforts to help youth in trouble with the law?
Then you should encourage them to apply to the Youth Justice Leadership Institute. The Institute, offered by the National Juvenile Justice Network, is a robust, year-long, distance-learning program that includes leadership development, training in juvenile justice system policies and practices, theories of change, and advocacy skills development. Now in its second year, its goal is to expand the base of advocates and organizers in the field who reflect the communities who are most affected by the way the juvenile justice system operates.

Past fellows have described the Institute variously as a great opportunity, a place that helped them see the national context for their work, connected them to colleagues and peers across the country and which helped them bring back useful information to their communities. But see for yourself what they have to say -- check out the video above.

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Professional Development

Liveblogging Shay Bilchik at PSU: Improving Systemic Coordination and Outcomes for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System

By Liz Wu, March 21 2012

Shay Bilchik (founder and Director of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute) is at Portland State University this afternoon to discuss the juvenile justice system. I'll be liveblogging his talk here, so tune in!
"If We Knew Then, What We Know Now: Implications for Juvenile Justice Policy in America"
4:45pm Dr. David Springer (upcoming Dean of PSU's School of Social Work): I've had the pleasure of serving with Shay on a juvenile justice panel in Austin about a year ago, and we're all in for a real treat.
4:50pm Bilchik: We're launching work with Multnomah and Marion counties' juvenile justice systems...
Oregon has demonstrated a vision that shows the possibility of serving children and families in a great way. The multi-system juvenile justice system here is the best in the country. 
4:55pm Bilchik: We're primed to build a better and smarter juvenile justice system. It's no longer just the juvenile justice field, youth development field, education fields.. we're now working across systems. As Dr. Laura Nissen says, "these are boundary founders" who are working across multiple fields. To put it simply, we want to provide love, opportunity and hope to the children who come in contact with the juvenile justice system.
5:05pm Bilchik: We need to make sure that none of our children fall through the cracks and too often we don't do that. Too often these kids are without power (living in impoverished communities) and kids of color.
So what would we have done differently if we knew then what we know now?

Topics: Evidence-Based Practices, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Reclaiming Futures

Join us for a Juvenile Justice Discussion with Shay Bilchik in Portland

By Liz Wu, March 20 2012

For those in the Portland, Oregon area: We're joining PSU's School of Social Work in hosting Shay Bilchik for a lecture and discussion on the juvenile justice system. He'll address ways to improve systemic coordination and outcomes for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. A local panel of experts will react to Shay's remarks and Dr. David Springer (incoming Dean of the School of Social Work) will moderate.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
4:30 - 6:00 pm (doors open at 4)
Smith Memorial Student Union, Room 327/328
Portland State University
Shay is the founder and Director of the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute.  Prior to joining the Institute in 2007, he was the President and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America. Previously, he headed up the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in the U.S. Department of Justice, where he advocated for and supported a balanced and multi-systems approach to attacking juvenile crime and addressing child victimization. Before coming to the nation's capital, Shay was an Assistant State Attorney in Miami, Florida from 1977-1993, where he served as a trial lawyer, juvenile division chief and Chief Assistant State Attorney. Shay earned his B.S. and J.D. degrees from the University of Florida.
RSVP here and let me know if you're going. I hope to see you there!

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Oregon, Reclaiming Futures

DC Superior Court Helps Teens with Mental Health Problems

By Liz Wu, March 20 2012

A Superior Court in Washington, D.C., is redirecting minors with mental health problems from the juvenile system to treatment and rehabilitation. JM-4, a former juvenile mental health division court, is led by Magistrate Judge Joan Goldfrank, who is known for listening to families and dispensing wisdom and services to kids.
“The message I want to give them is that they are supported,” Goldfrank told the Washington Post. “The whole point of juvenile justice is rehabilitation. How could we not do it on the kids’ side?”
JM-4 is one of a dozen courts in the country that aims to help young people with mental health issues without incarcerating them.
From the Washington Post:

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Juvenile Court, Juvenile Treatment Drug Court, No bio box, Washington DC

Takeaways from Oklahoma: Cultural Sensitivity and Evidence-Based Practices Matter

By Susan Richardson, March 19 2012

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Reclaiming Futures Cherokee Nation site in Oklahoma. I am especially impressed by how committed the team members are to not only serving the youth of the Cherokee Nation, but also to helping them connect with their cultural heritage.
I had a couple of key takeaways:

  • Cultural sensitivity is key: As Treatment Fellow Lori Medina mentions in her video, the Cherokee Nation site has unique cultural challenges in working with local teens. Being able to fully understand and relate to Native American culture has allowed the site to truly connect with troubled kids and make sure they are on the path to rehabilitation and success. There is a particular focus on learning how to make Native American crafts and participating in cultural events, which not only teaches the kids a marketable trade, but also helps them to connect to their heritage and community.
     
  • Evidence-based practices are crucial: Project Director Jennifer Kirby is a big supporter of using evidence-based practices to improve treatment for troubled teens. As Jennifer explains in her video, the Reclaiming Futures model provides them with the tools to better assess troubled youth at intake. This allows them to make better-informed recommendations for treatment and services, which leads to stronger outcomes.

 

Topics: Cherokee Nation, Evidence-Based Practices, No bio box, Oklahoma, Reclaiming Futures

Suspensions, Expulsions Mask the True Issue

By Jeanette Moll, March 19 2012

Recently, the U.S. Department of Education released a study documenting disproportionality in rates of suspensions and expulsions in public schools across the United States.
The report, which covered 72,000 schools across the United States, states that African-Americans only make up 18 percent of youth at the studied schools, but 35 percent of students suspended once and 39 percent of those expelled.
These findings mirror one aspect of a Texas study released last year, which found that African-American students in Texas were 31 percent more likely to be disciplined in school, at least once, than otherwise identical Caucasian or Hispanic students.
Jason Riley of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board looked at these findings and deduced that this highlights the need for increased school choice. Just as importantly, it highlights another education reform priority – the overcriminalization of students of all races.
As zero tolerance policies have increased in both scope and consequences (now covering fish oil dietary supplements, asthma inhalers, oregano, and butter knives), more and more minor misbehavior spurs referrals to the justice system or triggers suspensions, when it previously would have been handled through parental involvement or traditional disciplinary methods, such as a visit to the principal’s office, after-school detention, or requiring the student to perform school or community service.

Topics: Disproportionate Minority Contact, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, schools

Cheryl Reed: Serving Portland State University for 20 outstanding years

By Susan Richardson, March 16 2012


One the most valuable lessons I've learned in my first year as national executive director of Reclaiming Futures, is who really runs this office. As anyone who calls or visits our office knows, Chery Reed is a quiet and powerful force, who makes certain that our work is always done to the highest standard.
Cheryl came to the position of administrative manager for Reclaiming Futures from the impressive job of marketing and public information at Portland State University. Cheryl has always worked in education and the arts. She taught in public school and served as education director for a regional arts council in Oregon. Her graduate degree is from the University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts.
Please join me in celebrating Cheryl's impressive 20 years of service to Portland State University.
 

Topics: cheryl reed, No bio box, Reclaiming Futures

State must be smart on youth crime and more; news roundup

By Lori Howell, March 16 2012

Juvenile Justice Reform
OPINION: State must be smart on youth crime
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Juvenile crime has been dropping for many years in a row. That's good news because it means fewer victims and safer neighborhoods. One interesting factor in the falling crime rate has been that we lock up fewer juveniles. That's right — the crime rate is dropping at the same time we are putting fewer youngsters behind bars. And that makes sense once you think about it.
PODCAST: Stanford Law professor on California’s criminal justice realignment  Stanford Law Professor Joan Petersilia discusses the realignment of California’s criminal justice system, realignment’s impact on county jails, the need for comprehensive realignment research and analysis, and the importance of researcher-practitioner partnerships.
Preckwinkle: “Blow up” juvenile jail and put kids in smaller regional centers
Cook County Reporter
When Cook County Bord President Toni Preckwinkle was asked if she agreed with the report’s recommendation that the juvenile detention center be closed, Preckwinkle said: “Of course. I said that from the beginning. I think I said we should blow it up.”
Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment
National Inhalant Prevention Coalition: Stop encouraging kids to huff helium
Join Together
Huffing helium is not safe, and adults must stop encouraging children to do it, according to the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition
NIPC, a group that promotes awareness and recognition of inhalant use.

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Juvenile Life Without Parole Infographic and Round-up

By Liz Wu, March 16 2012

Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in two separate cases regarding juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences. The internet's been ablaze with legal briefs, searing critiques, compelling videos and strongly worded opinions.
Here's a few you may have missed:

Topics: infographic, JLWOP, Juvenile Justice Reform, Juvenile Life Without Parole, No bio box, Supreme Court

NYU Law School Dean Says Life Without Parole is Wrong for Kids

By Liz Wu, March 14 2012

NYU's School of Law Dean Randy Hertz joins a growing list of legal scholars and youth advocates calling for an end to the practice of sentencing juveniles to life without the possibility of parole (JLWOP). 
Writing in The Nation, Hertz explains:

In Roper v. Simmons, which ruled out the death penalty for under-age offenders in 2005, the Court reasoned that “juvenile offenders cannot with reliability be classified among the worst offenders” because they are less mature and their sense of responsibility has not fully developed. They are more vulnerable to negative internal and external influences, including peer pressure. Unlike adults, they can’t control or escape dysfunctional homes and dangerous neighborhoods—two major contributing factors to youth crime. They also have a greater chance for rehabilitation. Thus, as the Court said, “from a moral standpoint it would be misguided to equate the failings of a minor with those of an adult.”
In 2010, the Court applied the same guiding logic in its decision in Graham v. Florida, concluding that children convicted of non-homicide crimes cannot be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. As Justice Kennedy wrote for the majority, “Juveniles are more capable of change than are adults, and their actions are less likely to be evidence of ‘irretrievably depraved character’ than are the actions of adults.”
...
The recognition that children are different is supported by recent neuroscience and psychosocial studies that have shown adolescence to be a period of intense change in the brain. We now know that the parts of the brain that drive emotional reactions, impulses and reactivity to peers develop before those that control impulses and imagine consequences, and which enable adults to resist pressures, delay gratification and weigh risk and reward. Scientists who study the teenage brain describe it as akin to a car with a fully functioning gas pedal but no brakes.

Topics: JLWOP, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Disparity in Treatment of Girls, Boys by Maryland Department of Juvenile Services

By Ryan Schill - J..., March 14 2012

About 80 percent of girls accused of misdemeanors in Maryland were committed to residential treatment centers compared to 50 percent of boys, according to statistics from Maryland’s Department of Juvenile Services (DJS).
The statistics, part of the Female Offenders Report, show more than two-thirds of girls sent to residential treatment centers were committed for offenses such as fighting and shoplifting or for drug offenses.
“That disparity between boys and girls is troubling and quite large,” Juvenile Services Secretary Sam Abed told Capital News Service. “It’s something I’m concerned about. It’s a very complicated question, but it’s something that merits explanation.”
The Maryland Legislature in 2011 passed a law requiring DJS to provide statistics breaking down services for boys and girls. Lawmakers grew concerned because DJS has the authority to make decisions about how youth committed to the juvenile justice system are treated.

Topics: Gender-Specific, Juvenile Justice Reform, Maryland, No bio box

Report Suggests Measure 11 Laws Haven’t Made Oregon any Safer

By Christopher Brahim, March 13 2012

After the recent passage of House Bill 2707 that allows youth to be held in juvenile detention centers rather than adult jails while awaiting trial, the Campaign for Youth Justice and the Partnership for Safety and Justice released a report outlining the reasons Oregon should reassess its policies relating to Measure 11.
Measure 11 was originally marketed to Oregon voters as a way to deal with the state’s most serious youth offenders, but according to the report, the law hasn’t made Oregon any safer and has proven to have a detrimental impact on kids who commit less serious crimes. The study shows us that there are better ways to curb delinquency and increase the likelihood of young offenders becoming productive members of society.
In November of 1994, Oregon voters created new mandatory minimum sentences for a total of 16 crimes and required that teens charged with those crimes be tried as adults in the form of Measure 11. Those crimes included assault, arson, rape, kidnapping, manslaughter, robbery, sexual abuse, and murder. The state’s legislature followed suit and added even more crimes to the list. Today, the law requires youth who are 15 and older and charged with one of 21 crimes to be prosecuted automatically in the adult criminal justice system. If convicted of that crime, they are required to serve mandatory sentences usually reserved for adults. For instance, a conviction of robbery carries a minimum sentence of 70 months, regardless of age.

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Oregon

Bullying, Substance Abuse and Where to Go From Here

By Liz Wu, March 12 2012

Sticks and stones may break bones, but mean words and taunts are proving to be harmful as well. Every day, kids across the country are bullied at school. Not only does this behavior make it difficult for them to learn, but in some cases, students skip school from fear of being bullied. 
Last year, the White House elevated this issue by holding a bullying prevention summit to provide resources for schools. And recently, pop sensation Lady Gaga launched the Born This Way Foundation to empower teens to be nicer and more accepting of each other. "The victim and the bully are both going through mental turmoil," noted Gaga at the launch event. "Don't just save the victim, save the bully."
Gaga may be onto something. A new study published in Addictive Behaviors, found that bullies are more likely to use alcohol, drugs and cigarettes than non-bullies. And four out of five youth arrests either involve substance use, are committed while under the influence, or the kid later admits to having a substance abuse problem.
So where do we go from here?

Topics: bullying, No bio box, schools

Internet addiction linked to drug abuse and more: new roundup

By Lori Howell, March 09 2012

Juvenile Justice Reform

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Webinar

Addiction Recovery for Young Adults: It's Complicated

By Ryan Schill - J..., March 09 2012

Pipeline Art
Michael Fishman

At the National Collegiate Recovery Conference Wednesday at Kennesaw State University, Michael Fishman, Director of the Young Adult Program at Talbott Recovery Campus in Atlanta, neatly summed up everything he had learned in 22 years of treating addiction in young adults. The recurring theme of his keynote address: It’s complicated.
“Most young adults are generally poly-substance abusers,” he said.
They aren’t just using marijuana; they’re also drinking, Fishman says. It’s not just opioids, it’s opioids and anti-depressants or any other combination. And that complicates the picture for doctors trying to get to know their patient’s true diagnosis.
“The drugs and alcohol may mask the underlying pathology,” Fishman said. Withdrawal symptoms, he added, “cloud the picture,” as do toxicity and detox.
Additionally, many young adults suffering from addiction are also suffering from mental illness of some kind, what Fishman calls “dual-diagnosis.” Depression and anxiety are common in substance abusers and the addiction may begin as an attempt to self-medicate, which Fishman says doesn’t work.
“Ask any young person who self-medicates how that’s working out for them,” he said with a laugh.

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, No bio box

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