Chestnut Health Systems - Services - Adolescent Chemical Dependency Treatment Services - Southern Illinois






	CENTRAL ILLINOIS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SCREENING & ASSESSMENT OUTPATIENT SERVICES RESIDENTIAL SERVICES PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAMS CONTACT INFORMATION PAYMENT POLICY FAQ LINKS			CHS Home > Services > Adolescent Chemical Dependency Treatment Services > Southern Illinois > JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAMS Chestnut Health Systems operates two specialized programs for juvenile offenders in the southern region - Juvenile Intensive Substance Abuse Treatment and the Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Initiative. By linking these interventions with our traditional outpatient and residential treatment programs, we are able to provide a continuum of services for youth who experience significant risk and difficulty adjusting to community life. JUVENILE INTENSIVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT Youth in the justice system who fail at traditional treatment typically experience one or more barriers to successful engagement in treatment: Parents do not get involved in the teen's treatment program, or lack the skills to provide effective supervision or adequate discipline; Treatment staff, schools staff, families and probation officers may have difficulty communicating with each other about the youth, and may not work collaboratively to support recovery and appropriate behavior; Youth are engaged in a peer culture which may promote drug use, antisocial behavior, and criminal offending; Once in the justice system, youth are under significantly more scrutiny than the general teen population, and may have difficulty conforming to increased pressure to conform. Research indicates that treatment interventions that do not address multiple risk factors, or that fail to support appropriate behavior in major life domains, have lower success rates. Chestnut's Juvenile Intensive Program is designed to counter these risks and barriers. Three treatment counselors, one assigned to each of the three Madison County Probation satellite offices, carry small caseloads of youth. Eligible participants include juvenile offenders who fail to comply with probation orders to seek treatment, and offenders who have relapsed after residential or outpatient treatment. The counselors provide flexible outreach, and individual sessions may be held in the home, at the probation site, or at a community location. The counselors help youths find personal goals which hold meaning for them, and to assist youth to improve the likelihood that they will achieve their goals. Treatment staff collaborate with probation officers, parents and family members, law enforcement, and educators to develop consistent behavioral expectations and a stable support system The primary objectives of the program are to assist youth to achieve sobriety and make progress in recovery, and to support their efforts to employ pro-social behavior and attitudes necessary for successful compliance with the conditions of probation. Youth may spend from four to six months in the program, based on their needs and progress in treatment. The project is funded in part by the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, of the Illinois Department of Human Services. MENTAL HEALTH/JUVENILE JUSTICE INTIATIVE For juvenile offenders entering the Madison County Detention Home, Chestnut Health Systems currently provides screening and assessment aimed at identifying mental illness and substance abuse. Those youth identified as in need of intervention receive brief counseling and linkage to mental health services in their home communities. The program has resulted in a significant improvement in the quality and appropriateness of services for a high risk population. Notable achievements include: Consistent aftercare service and planning for youth exiting detention. The coordination of effort made available through the project has reduced the 'bouncing' of cases between the juvenile justice, education, mental health, and child welfare systems. Enhanced clinical consultation regarding the treatment needs of juveniles in the justice system to justice system professionals on an on-going basis. Parents of youth served in the project have benefited from outreach and consultation with the MH/JJ liaison staff, often improving their ability to provide appropriate care and supervision of youth experiencing an array of symptoms and functional impairment. Youth in crisis situations have had access to services by a psychiatrist Board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry. This intervention and psychiatric consultation have made it possible to stabilize acute conditions, and to prevent more restrictive treatment when possible and appropriate to do so. The program is funded in part through the Office of Mental Health, of the Illinois Department of Human Services.