Dr. Brittany Rudd of the University of Illinois at Chicago joins the podcast to share the findings from her recent paper “Harnessing quality improvement and implementation science to support the implementation of suicide prevention practices in juvenile detention.” We discuss the alarming increase in suicidal behaviors in youth and the important role that juvenile justice professionals can play in suicide prevention.

Paper Abstract: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10- to 25-year-olds, and suicidal behavior is four times more likely among youth who enter juvenile justice settings. The current quality improvement work aimed to improve the use of suicide prevention practices in a behavioral health unit within a juvenile detention center and was informed by the Plan-Do-Study-Act method and the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment model of evidence-based practice implementation. Aligned with guidelines for suicide prevention in juvenile detention, the quality improvement work resulted in the implementation of universal screening and assessment of behavioral health concerns and the Stanley and Brown Safety Planning Intervention. We review the quality improvement process, provide an overview of the final clinical model, including methods for tailoring and sustainably implementing the Safety Planning Intervention within juvenile detention, and end with a case example and future directions to expand the impact of this work.

Rudd, B. N., George, J. M., Snyder, S. E., Whyte, M., Cliggitt, L., Weyler, R., & Brown, G. (2022). Harnessing quality improvement and implementation science to support the implementation of suicide prevention practices in juvenile detention. Psychotherapy, 59(2), 150–156. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000377

Dr. Brittany Rudd is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Rudd completed her doctoral training in clinical science at Indiana University, pre-doctoral clinical internship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and her postdoctoral training in Implementation Science at the University of Pennsylvania. The central theme of her program of research is accelerating research-to-practice implementation in settings that support young people who are marginalized due to race, socioeconomic status, and other factors. She is especially focused on efforts to transform the current legal system into one that centers wellness and enacts equitable justice. Since 2013, she has been continuously funded by the Indiana Supreme Court to engage in research that supports the mental health of families in civil family law cases. This includes developing, evaluating, and implementing digital mental health tools to promote wellness among family members accessing family law services. She is currently funded by the Indiana Supreme Court to develop and evaluate a model of family law navigation that connects family law litigants to needed mental health, legal, and social services. Dr. Rudd’s NIMH career award builds upon a 5-year partnership with juvenile legal stakeholders across the nation who are concerned about the rising rate of suicide among Black youth. Over the next 5 years, Dr. Rudd will work with an advisory board of Black, formerly-detained young people and juvenile legal stakeholders from the National Partnership for Juvenile Services to build a Zero Suicide Model for juvenile detention that centers the needs and voices of Black young people.

The post “We Can Save Lives”: Harnessing quality improvement and implementation science to support the implementation of suicide prevention practices in juvenile detention with guest Dr. Brittany Rudd appeared first on NCJFCJ.

Kara Beckman, Cynthia Prosek, and Gio Veliz join the podcast to share the findings from their recent paper Reducing Re-arrest Through Community-Led, Police-Initiated Restorative Justice Diversion Tailored for Youth.

We discuss the challenges of working with a wide range of stakeholders to improve outcomes for youth as well as the many benefits of this restorative, collaborative approach.

Paper Abstract: Restorative justice diversion aligns with youths’ developmental needs more than traditional approaches. However, there is a research gap regarding its effectiveness among diverse youth, and when initiated by police. This study evaluated misdemeanor cases that occurred in Minneapolis between September 2014 and December 2018 finding that youth who participated in restorative justice diversion after arrest were less likely to experience re-arrest in the following year compared to those processed traditionally. Positive program impacts for Black and American Indian youth demonstrate RJ diversion can be effective with diverse youth while differences in rates of successful diversion by participating community agency highlight opportunities for further study. This study demonstrates the importance of continuing to understand and expand restorative justice diversion with youth.

Beckman, K. J., Jewett, P. I., Gacad, A., & Borowsky, I. W. (2024). Reducing Re-arrest Through Community-Led, Police-Initiated Restorative Justice Diversion Tailored for Youth. Crime & Delinquency, 70(10), 2780-2802. https://doi.org/10.1177/00111287231158569

GUEST BIOS:

Kara Beckman is a Researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Healthy Youth Development * Prevention Research Center. She partners with school- and community-based restorative practitioners to develop meaningful approaches to learn about restorative justice implementation, effectiveness, and the potential to transform systems. Kara is a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend, a life-long learner, a listener, and an aspiring warrior and healer, as Angela Davis calls us to be. When able, she fills her soul by being near water or in forests, growing and cooking good food, sharing time with family and friends or attending Lynx games.

Gio Veliz is a servant leader with over 29.5 years of service in the public sector. As a prior commander of the juvenile unit of the Minneapolis Police Department, he is an accomplished, inclusive, and collaborative leader, building trust and relationships with state, local government, universities, non-profits and community sectors. He leads multidisciplinary teams with a procedural justice philosophy to provide fairness to our most vulnerable community members.

Cynthia Prosek has over 25 years of restorative justice practice. As executive director of Restorative Justice Community Action (RJCA), Cynthia leads a trajectory of growth, expanding services and deepening community engagement in restorative justice practices. She draws on the knowledge and wisdom of community, collaborating with a network of volunteers, practitioners, leaders, and agencies to promote community well-being. Cynthia promotes and implements new programming through a lens of race equity as the means to transform the criminal legal system and redefine public safety as rooted in community.

The post It’s Not Hard If We Do It Together: Reducing Re-arrest Through Community-Led, Police-Initiated Restorative Justice Diversion Tailored for Youth with guests Kara Beckman, Cynthia Prosek, and Gio Veliz appeared first on NCJFCJ.

Trauma Matters: Racialized Gender Differences in Mental Health Service Use, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Recidivism Among Justice‑Involved African American Youth with guest Abigail Williams-Butler.

Dr. Abigail Williams-Butler of Rutgers University joins the podcast to share the findings from her recent paper Racialized Gender Differences in Mental Health Service Use, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Recidivism Among Justice‑Involved African American Youth.

We discuss the importance of studying within-group differences, the need for culturally specific gender-responsive programming, and Williams-Butler’s critical message that “trauma matters.”

Paper Abstract: This study examines the racialized gender differences of mental health service use, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and recidivism for justice-involved African American youth. Analyses were based on the Northwestern Juvenile Project Study, the first prospective longitudinal study that explores the mental health and substance use disorders and needs among a juvenile justice-involved population. Findings indicate that justice-involved African American girls were significantly more likely to receive mental health services at Follow-up 1 compared to boys and have a higher number of cumulative ACEs compared to boys at baseline. African American girls who received mental health services were more likely to be re-arrested compared to African American boys over time. We advocate for culturally responsive and gender responsive services to reduce recidivism among justice-involved African American youth. Furthermore, it is important to recognize bias within the juvenile justice system that may hinder positive outcomes for youth. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.

Williams-Butler, A., Liu, FY., Howell, T. et al. Racialized Gender Differences in Mental Health Service Use, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Recidivism Among Justice-Involved African American Youth. Race Soc Probl 15, 101–114 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-022-09360-9

GUEST BIO:

Abigail Williams-Butler is an Assistant Professor at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Williams-Butler’s research interests include 1) strengths-based science to identify mechanisms to promote positive developmental outcomes for families and youth in child-serving systems, 2) examining the intersectional nature of development and factors that influen

ce this development over time, and 3) identifying innovative approaches towards trauma-informed care for youth and families involved in child-serving systems. Her work primarily focuses on outcomes for Black families and youth and the role that intersectionality plays in developmental outcomes for those in child serving systems.

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