Staff who work in juvenile justice settings frequently face high levels of occupational stress, secondary trauma, and burnout as a result of numerous stressors. Without recourse, these stressors can negatively impact staff well-being, and decrease staff self-efficacy and ability to implement treatment programming to the youth they serve with…

This study investigated the effect of the self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) instructional approach on the reading comprehension of systems-involved youth served in a secure juvenile justice setting. Using a cluster randomized controlled trial (CRT) pretest/posttest design, youth in the treatment group were taught the TRAP mnemonic (Think…

Emotional regulation (ER) is essential for youth in juvenile justice facilities (JJFs) so that they can be equipped to identify, process, and resolve complex emotions and stress. Emotions such as anxiety, anger, depression, jealousy, resentment, and disappointment are difficult emotions for any youth to identify and acknowledge, but these emotions…

Youth within juvenile justice facilities (JJFs) are often some of the most vulnerable and marginalized population in our communities. These youth often have experienced trauma, social-emotional learning (SEL) issues as well as difficulties in school. Many of these youth have had little opportunity to express their voice in positive and healthy…

Mentoring programs for incarcerated youth have shown promising outcomes with researchers suggesting that this population can benefit from mentoring relationships. A mentor provides guidance and support to youthful offenders. Having a caring adult involved in the life of a youth at risk may help them overcome adversity and develop the skills…

To address the behavioral needs of youth in juvenile settings, many juvenile agencies and facilities have adopted a multitiered system of supports framework that is predicated on teaching, modeling, and reinforcing expected prosocial behaviors while making data-based decisions with the underlying logic of all (universal, tier one), some(targeted,…

One possible behavioral strategy that could be used in juvenile facilities as a low-intensity tier two option for youth consistently presenting problem behaviors during their daily programming is a positive behavioral agreement (PBA). A PBA can be used by juvenile staff to "reset" a youth's behavioral path through a targeted,…

Self-determination refers to a person's ability to have control of their life choices, decisions, and interactions with others. Self-determination skills include: 1) decision-making, 2) goal setting, 3) self-awareness, 4) problem-solving, 5) self-advocacy, 6) self-monitoring, and 7) self-efficacy. Researchers suggest that youth with or at-risk for…

A shift from reactive and punitive practices in secure juvenile facilities has prompted facilities in the United States to adopt multitiered systems of support such as facility-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (FW-PBIS) to address climate and culture concerns. To date, most implementation efforts have focused on defining adult…