Adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system are commonly referred to mental health services in order to address the behaviors that led them to legal involvement in the first place. These services are offered via individual therapy, group therapy, substance abuse treatment, family preservation services, residential placement services, etc.
Each modality of service has its own unique advantages and disadvantages for various clients. However, all modalities generate a basic treatment plan that guides the delivery of services, a plan that theoretically addresses the proposed mechanism of change that will alleviate dysfunctional behaviors.
Over the past 10 years, I have reviewed hundreds of treatment plans across these settings. These plans are tailored to each client’s needs, but most have the same common components. For example, there is usually mention of the generic term “coping skills” that is supposed to lead to the desired change of behavior. These coping skills can include techniques such as thought identification and restructuring, positive thinking, perspective changes, variations of DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) skill training and other related concepts.
Many of these techniques have been researched and proven to have some effectiveness in the treatment of behavioral health disorders. However, no treatment modality is perfect, and a unique quality of adolescents involved in the legal system is that they tend to be somewhat resistant to traditional talk therapy treatment. This creates a conundrum that I believe can be efficiently addressed by focusing on the roots of emotional experience.
[For more of this story, written by Ryan Cole, go to http://jjie.org/2017/02/15/bef...-control-their-body/]
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