Grant: Cat. Grant: SCY Mental Health Services - juvenile justice/correctional settings

Mental health concerns are highly prevalent among youth involved in the justice system. Too often, however, the mental health needs of such youth remain unmet. This is particularly concerning given that the justice system is often the first point of contact for mental health services for many youth. Addressing the mental health needs of justice-involved youth requires confronting limitations with regard to standards for mental health and substance use services within youth justice settings. Given that racialized or marginalized youth are more likely to be in contact with the justice system, there is especially a need to consider equity and cultural safety in standards in mental health services. The proposed project will engage with decision-makers and mental health service providers within youth justice settings, as well as justice-involved youth and family members throughout the research process such that their input is integrated. We will review the literature on existing standards for mental health and substance use services within youth justice settings, as well as investigate limitations of existing standards with regard to scope and uptake, identify other challenges as well as potential paths to uptake of standards into routine practice in justice settings. We will conduct focus groups with mental health service providers and others who work with justice-involved youth, as well as interviews with youth with lived experience in justice settings and their families. Such work will inform the development of new or improved standards or guiding principles for mental health and substance use services within youth justice settings that can improve equity and outcomes across groups.