Mental Health Screening And Assessment In Juvenile Justice

A complete, authoritative guide for professionals charged with identifying the mental health needs of juveniles in the justice system, this volume offers a practical primer on screening and assessment together with in-depth reviews of over 20 widely used instruments. The book describes how to put screening and assessment programs into place in juvenile justice settings in order to determine whether youth require specialized mental health treatment services, evaluate violence risks, develop more effective rehabilitation plans, and address specific forensic questions. Chapters on specific instruments--many of which are written by the test developers themselves--follow a consistent format for ease of reference and comparison. Coverage encompasses the psychometric properties of each measure, its recommended applications, and administration and scoring procedures, including an illustrative case example.

Thomas Grisso, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry, Director of Psychology, and Coordinator of the Law and Psychiatry Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. His research, teaching, and clinical practice focus on forensic mental health evaluations and services. Dr. Grisso has received numerous awards, including the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy, and has authored several books on psychology and juvenile justice. He is also a member of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice.

Gina Vincent, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Law and Psychiatry Program in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She is Co-Investigator of the National Norms for the MAYSI-2 project, funded by the William T. Grant Foundation, and Project Director of the Juvenile Adjudicative Competence project, funded by the MacArthur Foundation. Dr. Vincent has published and presented widely in the areas of juvenile psychopathy, juvenile sex offending, violence risk assessment, and mental disorder in juvenile justice.

Daniel Seagrave, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist who holds a Diplomate in Forensic Psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is the former Director of the Forensic Division of the New Mexico State Hospital. Dr. Seagrave's private practice focused on forensic evaluations for both criminal and juvenile court. He is currently employed as a clinical psychologist with the Los Alamos National Laboratory. His research interests include juvenile violence risk assessment and the application of psychopathy concepts to juvenile offenders.