Juvenile Justice Family Engagement Study
Principal Investigator: Dr. Kaitlin Piper, PhD
About the Project
When a young person in the juvenile justice system struggles with substance use or mental illness, their family often wants to help, but too often they are left on the sidelines. Less than 20% of justice-involved youth with a behavioral health need ever begin treatment, and one major reason is the lack of family involvement. This project aims to change that. The study explores how juvenile justice systems can better partner with families to support youth recovery. Partnering with families means more than simply inviting families to participate. It centers their voices in decision-making, gives them formal roles in shaping policies and services, and ensures that programs are culturally responsive and supportive for the whole family. Through interviews with caregivers and a statewide assessment of juvenile justice agencies across Georgia, the project identified what helps and what gets in the way of making family partnership the norm. These insights are designed to help juvenile justice agencies design practical, family-centered approaches that make youth recovery more accessible, effective, and equitable.
Study Findings
Piper, K.N., Jahn, A., Escoffery, C., Woods-Jaeger, B., Nunn, A., Schwartz, D.P., Smith-Curry, C. and Sales, J., 2024. A mixed methods evaluation of family-driven care implementation in juvenile justice agencies in Georgia. Health & justice, 12(1), p.8.
Piper, K.N., Jahn, A., Escoffery, C., Woods-Jaeger, B., Schwartz, D.P., Smith-Curry, C. and Sales, J., 2024. Contextual determinants of family-driven care implementation in juvenile justice settings. Health & Justice, 12(1), p.35.
Acknowledgements
This study is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants F31DA053005 (PI: Piper) and R25DA037190 (PI: Piper). We thank the Department of Juvenile Justice for their collaboration on this study as well as study participants for sharing their time, knowledge, and experiences.
