TREATING TEENS

Overview
The Denver Juvenile Justice Integrated Treatment Network (DJJITN) is an integrated treatment network for substance-abusing juvenile offenders in Denver. Created in 1995 by the Denver Juvenile Court and the Colorado Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division with funding support from CSAT, the goal of the Network is to expand conventional substance abuse treatment to include a more comprehensive array of services, including mental health, education, employment/ vocational, and physical health. Each year, the Network provides customized treatment for over 500 juvenile offenders, ages 10-21, through access to all of the necessary services on an on-going basis.

Over 40 government and community agencies are involved in the Network, which helps to coordinate agency services and develop common policies. The Network also trains participating agencies in best practices and promotes implementation of those practices. In conjunction with the Metropolitan State College, the network created a Center for High Risk Youth Studies that offers both baccalaureate and certificate programs. A Management Information System (MIS) was developed to allow multiple service providers and agencies to access information from each other's systems, subject to limits due to confidentiality issues.

Services
Each point of entry in the juvenile justice system (Probation, District Attorney's Office, city diversion programs, Division of Youth Corrections detention and pre-trial detention diversion) performs a preliminary substance abuse screen (Substance Use Survey-1A) as part of their intake process. If the adolescent scores in the 50th percentile or higher, or if there is a clinical override, the youth is referred to one central point: the Denver Juvenile Justice Integrated Treatment Accountability for Safer Communities (TASC) program. Case managers, who are certified alcohol and other drug abuse counselors, and staff from some participating agencies conduct assessments, develop treatment plans, link juveniles with Network services, and conduct ongoing monitoring and follow-up. Core Network principles are that services are delivered based on needs and strengths identified through a comprehensive differential assessment process, and that service funds follow the presenting needs and strengths.

TASC requires participation of the family in the assessment, case management, and the treatment process, but a formal family assessment is not conducted. Families can be referred for a family strengths-based assessment through the Network's Denver Juvenile Community Assessment Center. The Assessment Center provides assessment, service coordination, family advocacy, and brokerage services to families of at-risk youth as well as juvenile offenders. A range of community providers are prepared to provide a wide array of services coordinated through overarching case management and service coordination by Juvenile TASC and the Assessment Center.
The Network's Family Task Force educates families about the juvenile justice system and its related services. Two Task Force publications, Family Guide to the Juvenile Justice System and Family Guide to Denver Public Schools have been used to train agency personnel and to teach families how their involvement at key points can help their children. The Task Force also provides a venue for families to educate Network members about what services they feel are needed and how to better involve families in the treatment system.

Program Results
In 1999 the Network contracted with the Human Resources Consortium, a private consulting firm, to evaluate the effectiveness of the program by measuring juvenile offenders' progress between intake and discharge. Outcome data indicate that among juveniles that received Network services:

 • Abstinence increased from 20 percent to 52 percent;
 • Ability to remain alcohol-and drug-free went from 19 percent to 49 percent;
 • Positive family relationships improved from 24 percent to 40 percent; and
 • Ability to respect and follow the law grew from 20 percent to 47 percent.

A 1998 survey of key decision makers in participating member agencies involved in the Network found an overwhelming majority surveyed (95 percent) reported the Network had a positive impact on information sharing; 84 percent reported the Network improved services to juveniles.

The Denver Juvenile Justice Integrated Treatment Network has been recognized by Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government as "an outstanding innovation in government." The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is funding replication projects based on the Denver model in communities nationwide.