Parenting Daily

I’m now beginning my tenth year of working with teens. Typically, these teens are referred to as “at-risk”. It’s a term I’ve never really agreed with because it seems, to me, that if you’re at-risk, you merely have the potential to find yourself in some sort of trouble. But every “at-risk” teen I’ve worked with is already involved in one or several systems. By systems, I mean the juvenile justice system, a mental health system, a department of child and family services, and/or a special education system. In case you and your child are dealing with one of these systems, it may be helpful to understand the basics of what each one is. Especially if your teen is involved in multiple systems, it can all become very confusing and very overwhelming.  

The juvenile justice system is the equivalent of adult criminal court. In dealing with the juvenile justice system, your teen may have to go to teen court, court, day reporting, and/or a juvenile detention center. If your teen is charged with a crime or infraction, there may also be a “first time offender” type program for the teen to complete. For example, I once worked with a teen who had received a ticket for cigarette possession. The fine was approximately $100. or he could attend six weeks of non-smoking education classes and the ticket and fine would be cleared.

If your teen is involved in a mental health system, there is a broad continuum of care that your teen could be involved with. This ranges from outpatient classes to inpatient acute hospitalization or longer-term residential hospitalization. Outpatient classes for teens could include substance abuse education, social skills, ADLs (Activities of Daily Living). Outpatient therapy is also available, in which your teen would meet with a counselor or therapist for a set amount of time on a regular basis. Day treatment is another part of this continuum, which typically involves a child or teen reporting to the facility for part or all of the school day. Day treatment programs usually incorporate a school component, along with more structure, a therapeutic component for students to work on social and behavioral skills, and additional staff support beyond just a teacher. Short-term and longer-term hospitalizations may also be appropriate for teens who are in crisis or who have severe emotional and/or behavioral issues that they are struggling with.

Another system that goes by different names in different states, is the department of child and family services. Some also refer to this agency as “welfare” or “CPS”—child protective services. This agency typically is involved in issues involving kids or teens that have been in danger (usually due to some sort of abuse or neglect) or who are a danger to themselves and others. This agency can heavily overlap the juvenile justice and mental health systems. They typically are “in charge” of a case and coordinate with the court and mental health facilities to obtain the necessary services for their clients. Some cases are handled by keeping children with their families; others require out-of-home placement in sheltercare, foster care, acute hospitalization, or residential placement.

Finally, there is the special education system. This system varies from school corporation to school corporation. It exists to protect children in the public education system who require additional assistance to learn and succeed. It is also referred to as special needs. The students involved in this system can have learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, or a combination of both. They typically have special teachers and/or special classes that support them to the degree that it is a) needed and b) wanted. Accommodations can be made for special needs students, to help them succeed. Such accommodations can include using calculators on math tests, having tests read to them, getting additional time for tests, etc. Special education designations can not be forced on students. Parents/guardians have to be involved the process and approve of any education plans for their child(ren).

I hope I have not further confused you. In future posts, I can go more in depth on the services and people involved in each of these systems. For now, I just wanted to lay out some of the basics. Being the parent of a teen that is involved in any of these systems can be confusing, frustrating, and intimidating. The more information you have, the more you can advocate for your teen and support their needs and rights.

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