Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Family Engagement Project

The Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Network Family Engagement Project, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, seeks to educate and empower family members to be effective advocates for youth in the juvenile justice system throughout Illinois.  

The Family Engagement Project will first learn from youth and their families what they need to know or wish they had known in order to better navigate the juvenile justice and mental health systems. Stakeholders and providers also will be key resources in identifying gaps and providing information that will benefit families and youth.

This project takes into account the unique needs and development of adolescents and teenagers in juvenile justice, a system that is rooted in rehabilitation. Studies have shown that 70% of youth in juvenile justice systems have diagnosable mental health disorders, and 25% have severe psychiatric illnesses that impair their ability to function. In addition, 60 percent have histories of substance abuse, and a substantial number have suffered trauma.

The outcome of this project will be the creation of a variety of easy to use materials about legal rights, court processes, family resources, mental health services and community and peer networks. This information will be designed in a way that is accessible and appealing, and will be distributed through trusted networks. Input from youth, families and stakeholders throughout the state will be absolutely essential to guide and shape the content, tone and format of these materials.

The goal of this MacArthur Foundation project is to create and distribute effective educational materials in Illinois, and to document a process that can be replicated and adapted to other states, in order to benefit the largest possible number of youth and families.

Jean Meister
Communications Specialist
(708) 837-3055
jmeister@voices4kids.org