|
 As
part of Mental Illness Awareness Week, the Office of
Juvenile Justice Services (OJJS) hosted an open
house on October 8th at their Training and Education
Center for
NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill).
The program included information about the services
OJJS offers for juveniles with mental health
problems, including assessment, counseling, case
management, referrals for services, evaluations, and
many others. During 2003, OJJS will provide over
2300 counseling sessions, over 250 psychosocial and
substance abuse assessments, approximately 150
psychological evaluations, and over 1000 hours of
Family Preservation/home-based counseling for
juveniles and families.
The Office of Juvenile Justice Services, Juvenile
Detention Center, is currently participating in a
national study to determine the prevalence of youth
with mental health disorders in the juvenile justice
system. The study is the largest ever funded by the
Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention, to address the mental
health and substance abuse needs of justice involved
youth.
NAMI members and others attending the program
expressed appreciation for all the Office of
Juvenile Justice Services does to assist youth with
special needs.
Martha Parnell, Director of OJJS, would like to
thank Rhonda Fontenot of her staff for coordinating
this event. For more information on the services
offered through this department, contact Martha
Parnell or Vi Martin, Director of Programs, at
721-3900. |
