Behavioral Health Services Guide Description

The Behavioral Health (BH) Subcommittee of the PA Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers (PCCJPO) is pleased to offer this online Behavioral Health Services Resource Guide for juvenile probation officers and other juvenile justice professionals.  While the Subcommittee attempted to identify behavioral health information it thought would be useful, the Guide is far from a comprehensive source of behavioral health information.  It is designed to provide basic information and then offer links to the websites of official and recognized agencies and organizations related to behavioral health that provide more comprehensive and detailed information.   As behavioral health continues to benefit from ongoing research and development of evidence-base practices, as does juvenile justice, users of this guide are encouraged to frequently visit these websites for the most updated information.  These websites include:

National Institute of Mental Health
Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania
National Youth Screening and Assessment Project
National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice
Pennsylvania State University EPISCenter
Other Behavioral Health and Juvenile Justice-related agencies and organizations
 
It is essential for juvenile probation officers to engage with their respective county Mental Health/Developmental Services (MH/DS) offices as processes, practices and resources can vary from county-to-county.   Again, this Guide is designed to provide basic information.  County MH/DS offices can provide more detailed information and explanation on requirements and processes to access behavioral health services for youth involved with the juvenile justice system.

Finally, but very importantly, the PCCJPO BH Subcommittee is comprised of representatives from the behavioral health and juvenile justice systems and recognizes that cross-system collaboration and cooperation is crucial to effectively access and deliver the services and interventions that may be required for youth through both the behavioral health and juvenile justice systems.  Professionals of all youth serving systems are encouraged to identify and participate local structures that promote and permit cross-systems collaboration and planning.  Two planning structures/processes for behavioral health and related systems are the Systems of Care model and High Fidelity Wraparound, which are briefly described in this Guide. Links to their websites are provided.  Wherever possible, juvenile probation and other juvenile justice professionals are encouraged to participate in these structures and processes for individual cases, but also to promote better cross system understanding and collaborative development.