​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Goals

The Juvenile Justice Institutions-Behavioral Health Team (JJI-BHT) is in charge of providing required, culturally sensitive, and effective behavioral health services to young people in the Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility. The program offers voluntary, trauma-informed therapy and treatment to help the youth heal and stabilize.   The team works with kids who want help and focuses on making them feel safe and understood. Their goal is to help kids feel better and get ready to return to their communities in a positive way. ​

Objectives

  • ​Complete mental health and substance use assessments when the youth first arrive to identify behavioral health issues, safety concerns, and immediate needs they may have.
  • Provide daily on-site behavioral health services, including short-term counseling during a crisis to help manage symptoms, check for suicide risks, offer help in emergencies, teach about mental health, and give strategies for dealing with stress.
  • Offer on-site psychiatric services including medication evaluations and support, when needed based on the individual's situation.
  • Work closely with Probation staff to ensure trauma-informed care and safety-focused interventions tailored to each youth's needs.​
  • Ensure youth and family have access to behavioral health resources and supports as youth return to their communities. 
  • Assist youth found unfit to stand trial because of a mental health condition by providing services to help them improve their ability to participate in a trial.

Our Team

​The JJI-BHT team includes licensed behavioral health professionals and doctors who specialize in helping youth with behavioral health needs. Our staff provides compassionate care through screenings, therapy, case management, and 24/7 psychiatric services.​

Hours of Operation

Monday to Friday: 8:00am to 7:00pm
Weekends: 8:00am to 4:30pm
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: (Psychiatrist on-site and available for call after hours.)
Program Coordinator available after-hours consult
On-Call and After Hours​

Individualized Services

Youth who are waiting for court decisions receive crisis and counseling support based on their needs. A youth, or someone acting on their behalf, can ask for mental health counseling at any time during their stay. These services help manage stress and other mental health challenges. Our approach includes trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral health techniques, and motivational strategies to help youth reduce stress and build healthy coping skills. 

Valley Oak Youth Academy (VOYA) Program

The VOYA is a state-approved, structured behavioral health program based on cognitive behavioral and motivational techniques. It includes individual, group, and family sessions led by a licensed therapist. The program helps youth make better decisions, especially in how they behave and interact with others. Youth will also learn healthy ways to build and maintain positive relationships, focusing on developing skills and attitudes that support good connections with people. 

The program starts with an orientation and a thorough assessment to understand each youth's:

  • Mental health history, including past trauma and current symptoms
  • Past substance use and any treatment history 
  • Family, school, and social background
  • Strengths, challenges, and daily functioning
  • Criminogenic risk factors and ability to make positive choices

Based on this assessment, our team creates individual treatment plans that adjust as youth go through different treatment stages.​

     Stages of Treatment
         Stage 1: Explore history: Personal Narrative.
         Stage 2: Explore the interaction of thoughts, feelings, behavior.
         Stage 3: Review early experiences and relationships.
         Stage 4: Focus on healthy and unhealthy behaviors.
        ​Stage 5: Focus on thoughts and decision-making, connecting thoughts back to behaviors and                           feelings.
        Stage 6: Focus on the implementation of the re-entry/life plan with emphasis on participation                             in the community.
        Stage 7: Focus on reflection on accomplishments and preparation to move successfully into                               the future, highlighting the important events and growth.

Coordination of Care 

  • ​Child and Family Teams Meetings
  • Multidisciplinary Team Meetings
  • Complex Care Meetings
  • Case Management


​Resources

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