Juvenile Justice / Child Welfare
Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare System Involvement
The Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry houses the competitively funded following research initiatives:
Evaluating Promising School Staff and Resource Officer Approaches for Reducing Harsh Discipline, Suspensions and Arrests
Cecil County Public Schools is partnering with the NCSMH to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention package in reducing exclusionary discipline practices. Interventions include trauma support for students, training in de-escalation techniques for school staff and school resource officers, implementing a graduated discipline and restorative practice model at secondary schools, and training for school resource officers on child development and mental health.
Evaluation of Telepsychiatry Services in Maryland Department of Juvenile Service Youth Centers
Incarcerated youth experience high rates of untreated mental health problems. There are many barriers to providing high-quality child psychiatry services to this population, including a nationwide shortage of qualified child psychiatrists and a tendency for juvenile detention centers to be located in rural, geographically dispersed locations.
iKinnect Mobile Phone App for Youth with Conduct Problems
Researchers are just beginning to explore how technology can supplement and expand the reach of treatment to enhance clinical outcomes for clients. iKinnect is a shared mobile app for teens with conduct problems and their parents.
Multisystemic Therapy for Intimate Partner Violence (MST-IPV):
A Pilot Study of Families Involved with the Child Protective Service System Due to Child Maltreatment
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a common problem among families served by Child Protection globally, for which few comprehensive or evidence-based interventions exist. In understanding the treatment needs of families experiencing IPV, it is important to consider studies on the etiology and phenomenology of IPV.