Mental Health Treatment

I. Program Description
Male and female youth accepted at MVJRC will be provided with mental health treatment as determined by the results of a counselor driven assessment.

II. Assessment
Part of the assessment process includes an initial review of the Personal Program Plan initiated when the youth is being considered for placement. This includes a listing of identified issues and strengths, determination of risk level per the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS), and both education and medication needs. A treatment plan is developed along with identification of any particular mental health needs, such as, counseling for depression, grief and loss, sexual abuse, etc. as well as a possible referral to the program psychiatrist, Dr. Cynthia Richards for a medication evaluation The assessment process is performed by the counselor assigned to the youth, either Albert Cowen M.Ed/LSW, Ed Haskins MA/LSW, or James Crafton BA/LSW.

III. Treatment Planning
Individual treatment plans are developed by the therapist with the assistance of each youth. Goals and objectives are established based upon issues and concerns identified during the assessment process.

IV. Program Milieu
In the daily program provided to all youth placed at MVJRC, it is recognized that acceptance of personal responsibility and other aspects of character development are central to the treatment of each youth. This perspective particularly reinforces principles that underlie mental health treatment. Because concerns for safety and security are emphasized above all others, youth are visually supervised when not secured in their individual rooms. This includes all interactions with other youth as well as when they are with parents or community resource providers.

V. Treatment
Every youth in the program is provided individual counseling once a week and family counseling once a month.

Many of the materials used in treatment, such as manuals and workbooks, are those available through the Hazelden Foundation. These materials are specifically designed to treat emotional issues such as anger, depression, anxiety and worry, and self-esteem. Those youth who are dealing with grief issues are provided The Mourning Handbook (A Complete Guide for the Bereaved) by Helen Fitzgerald. Those youth who have experienced sexual abuse are provided treatment materials as well. The Courage to Heal Workbook (for Women and Men Survivors of Sexual Abuse) are made available to male youth. Female youth may also or otherwise be provided with In Their Own Words (A Sexual Abuse Workbook for Teenage Girls). These workbooks and treatment materials are provided to assist youth through the individual counseling process. Another treatment tool that is utilized involves use of personal journaling. The journal is considered part of the confidential relationship of the youth with their counselor and is reviewed privately with the counselor. This process emphasizes helping the youth to recognize patterns of destructive behavior and to understand how their thinking affects their behavior.

Once youth reach the third stage of the four stage program, they have the opportunity to start the Transition Release process. This involves youth visiting their home every other weekend starting with an 8-hour release, then successively for 2 days, 3 days, and 5 days. Before a youth may begin visiting home, a decision has to be made by his/her counselor concerning the readiness of the youth to be in the community without direct staff supervision. The Transition Release process then provides an opportunity for the youth to meet the challenge of spending time with family in the community and to demonstrate the personal skills to be successful once permanently released from the program. The length of stay to complete the program is a minimum of five months, although most youth require more time in terms of more days or weeks.

VI. Aftercare
Several weeks before being discharged from the program, a wrap around meeting is held to review aftercare planning for each youth. For this meeting to occur, the counselor, a parent or guardian, and a probation officer must be in attendance, otherwise the meeting will be rescheduled. Also invited but not required, would be other program staff, school officials, social service workers, and community resource providers. During the meeting, the youth’s progress on his/her treatment goals are reviewed as well as progress in the overall program. Also at this meeting, a clearly written and documented aftercare plan is developed and should contain the following:

• Identified positive family and /or adult support
• Arrangement for a risk-free community living situations
• A required, specific level of community supervision

In the end, aftercare planning requires the agreement of all parties and should support the goal of the youth expressing his/her emotions in healthy ways. Often times, outpatient mental health counseling is recommended to follow permanent release. The overall expectation of aftercare is that the resources being put into place will help to demonstrate that the youth has been provided the tools needed to become a successful member of the community.