Description of a collaborative community approach to impacting juvenile arrests

Although the burden of mental health disorders among youth involved with the juvenile justice system is high, few communities have effectively integrated mental health resources with law enforcement (Myers & Farrell, 2008). The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts has developed the Safety Net Collaborative, which is a multiagency integrated model of preventive services for at-risk youth involving mental health providers, police officers, schools, and the department of youth and families. There are 6,000 youth in the city's public schools under the local police jurisdiction. Youth are referred to this program by schools, courts, and parents. There are approximately 30 active cases each year. Initial outcome measures were tracked, including number of arrests, diversions, and mental health referrals. Rate of decline in arrests was compared pre and post implementation. Community arrests have decreased by more than 50% since implementing this model. Contracting with mental health services has led to an average 94 outpatient mental health provider referral per year. The results show positive trends in arrest rates after implementation of this collaborative model of preventive services. These findings support greater research and utilization of integrated, preventive service models for at-risk youth. (PsycINFO Database Record