My internship experience at the Juvenile Justice Center provided me with a cumulative opportunity to integrate all I had learned at Sul Ross State University and apply it in a practical setting. The time I have spent learning about clinical counseling has been both enlightening and rewarding. The Juvenile Justice Center (JJC) is a complex system that interacts together to assist in empowering youth. One major component of this system is the Clinical Department. The clinicians have the vital task of supporting client’s growth by helping them recognize their strengths, change behavior, and overcome mental health issues. At first, I was overwhelmingly nervous about my placement and unsure of what to expect. I also had my own insecurities …show more content…
I have been able to observe three different assessments, the Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire (BISQ), the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT) and the Adolescent Psychopathology Survey (APS) and administered two of the tests, the BISQ and the APS. I learned that assessments entail both asking questions and making direct observations so that the clinician can obtain information about the nature, duration, and severity of the client’s problems and is a major component of the therapeutic …show more content…
Although I was able to meet with some clients individually, it was difficult to maintain the once per week in this type of a setting. The counselors did not have set times in which they met with clients and due to scheduling and not having a case load of my own, it was difficult to work on this goal within the time frame. Although I did not meet this goal, I was able to meet with some clients individually to explore issues, emotions, and or conflicts. It was difficult at first, because some of the clients did not want to talk right away and so it was important for me to build rapport to make them feel more at ease during the session. Once the clients felt comfortable they began to open up. I learned to pay close attention to what clients are saying and what they are feeling as well as being mindful of my own feelings about the issues discussed. My fourth and final goal was to develop knowledge and skills in constructing appropriate counseling plans. I sat in on staff meetings and met with counselors to discuss planning, assessments, diagnosis, and recommendations for individual clients. I learned that the process
...(2004). Applying the principles of effective intervention to juvenile correctional programs. Corrections Today, 66(7), 26-29. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4bd9d7f2-8ac5-42c6-a100-a2443eda9cbf@sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4213
Some counselors have no problem going to an A.A. meeting when a client is there and others would feel very uncom...
Greenwood, P., & Zimring, F. (1985). One more chance: The pursuit of promising intervention strategies for chronic juvenile offenders. (Research Report). Pittsburgh: Rand Corporation.
The problem of dealing with juvenile justice has plagued are country for years, since the establishment of the first juvenile court in 1899. Prior to that development, delinquent juveniles had to be processed through the adult justic3e system which gave much harsher penalties. By 1945, separate juvenile courts existed in every single state. Similar to the adult system, all through most of the 20th century, the juvenile justice system was based upon a medical/rehabilitative representation. The new challenges of the juvenile court were to examine, analyze, and recommend treatment for offenders, not to deliver judgment fault or fix responsibility. The court ran under the policy of “parens patriae” that intended that the state would step in and act as a parent on behalf of a disobedient juvenile. Actions were informal and a juvenile court judge had a vast sum of discretion in the nature of juvenile cases, much like the discretion afforded judges in adult unlawful settings until the 1970s. In line with the early juvenile court’s attitude of shielding youth, juvenile offenders’ position was often in reformatories or instruction schools that were intended, in speculation, to keep them away from the terrible influences of society and to encourage self-control through accurate structure and very unsympathetic discipline. Opposing to the fundamental theory, all through the first part of the century, the places that housed juveniles were frequently unsafe and unhealthy places where the state warehoused delinquent, deserted, and deserted children for unclear periods. Ordinary tribulations included lack of medical care, therapy programs, and even sometimes food. Some very poor circumstances continue even today.
Handling a young fragile mind can be difficult; but studies have shown therapeutic rehabilitation is key in not causing unrepairable damage. The majority of youth offenders has been exposed to harsh environments and rough upbringings. Years of exposure to violence and neglect can create a sort of brain-washing. It is imperative to focus on important aspects of life in order to transform the mind of the juveniles. An efficient method that involves keeping the juvenile in the community is referred to as multisystemic therapy. “Multisystemic therapy is an intensive therapy program which focuses on numerous aspects the delinquent’s life: family, school, social and other unique factors which may relate to the behavior” (May, Osmond, and Billick 298). When using the multisystemic approach juveniles decrease association with other delinquents, juvenile and adult. The therapeutic method gives an individual approach on focusing deeper on the root issues and helps the juvenile renew their minds and thought process. In the end, adopting multisystemic therapy decreases the likelihood of the youth continuing in a criminal
Underwood, L., Phillips, A., von Dresner, K. & Knight, P (2006) Critical Factors in Mental Health Programming for Juveniles in Corrections Facilities, International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 2 (1), 107 - 131
Your final report should be a complete report of your internship experiences under the title “How I Evaluate Myself as a Future Criminal Justice Worker,” and may not exceed five typed pages. Describe the extent to which the theoretical knowledge included your course work at the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University contributed to your field practice experience during your internship. Cite at least two SHSU courses. Show what you have learned, indicate how your ideas have changed or been supported, and why. List your strengths and weaknesses and grade yourself on job performance.
I know as I further my education in the counseling field my philosophy of counseling will change. For myself, I feel that I am still young and learning about myself and my surroundings. In my eyes to be suitable to help others I need to continue to grow as a person myself both professionally and mentally. I want to be able to move forward and develop new distinctions and aspects to my philosophy of counseling as time goes on. I hope to continue my growth in understanding of what it means to be a good therapist or counselor by using good theories and techniques to help future clients.
The juvenile justice system has many flaws that affect juvenile’s mental health, for example, a strong lack of physical and mental health service, inadequate staff training and lack of safety. Because of the lack of training that the staffs receive regarding mental health for juveniles, they fail to provide adequate needs that the juveniles would require (mental health). In the prompt we see that ‘AUGASTA YDC” had no o...
At first, neuropsychological tests were developed to detect the presence of a brain damage and not how well the patient may function in daily settings (Kibby at al. 1998). Consequences arise if the therapist wrongly interprets the patient’s functional abilities due to low test scores or the behavior of the patient during assessment. For example, someone could score well on a standardized test due to a high educational level, but forget important appointments with clients, to make phone calls, or he could forget the food in the oven and leave the house. Ultimately, this is problematic because the clinician could provide wrong recommendations regarding living independently or returning to work (Chaytor and Schmitter-Edgecombe, 2003). Wilson (1993) states that neurocognitive tests fail to investigate the problems that an individual will face in everyday life, yet he stats a full range of testing is necessary to predict the impairments and the ‘future progress’.
The counselor accomplishes the above by expressing empathy, developing discrepancies, going along with resistance and supporting self-efficacy. Moreover, the counselor guides the client toward a solution that will lead to permanent posi...
The dilemma of juvenile incarceration is a problem that thankfully has been declining, but still continues to be an ethical issue. The de-incarceration trend has coincided with a decrease in crime. It is hopeful that our nation is changing the approach to the treatment of juveniles in the criminal justice system. It means we know what to do and what is working, now just to follow through and continue the change to creating a juvenile justice system that is truly rehabilitative and gives youth tools to be able to be positive members of
The relationship between the counsellor and client is fundamental to the success of the counselling experience and the results that will follow. The counsellor and client need to build rapport and trust. The client needs to feel comfortable enough to open up and discuss their inner most thoughts and fears in the knowledge that the discussion is confidential and non-judgemental. The resulting relationship should be one of mutual respect.
The counseling session began with the introductions where I introduced myself as the counselor and later introduced my client. This stage is important in any counseling session since it is the time of exploration and focusing according to Gerard Egan as quoted by Wright (1998) in his essay on couselling skills. It is in this session that I was able to establish rapport and trust with my client in order to come up with a working and fruitful relationship with him. During this stage I made use of skills like questioning, where I would pose a question directly to my client, sometimes I would choose to just listen to what the client wanted to speak out while in some instances I would be forced to paraphrase the question if I felt the client did not understand the question I had asked previously. There were also other times when I would reflect through silence. During such a period, I got time to study the client and the information he had given. This being a difficult area, since some clients may not be able to volunteer information to you as the counselor, I decided to assure the client of confidentiality of any information he was willing to share with me with a few exceptions which I also told him about. Being open to him about the only times the information may not be confidential was part of my building rapport and establishing trust with him. I therefore, decided to ask the client what information he wanted to share with me and lucky enough he was ready to speak to me about different issues that he was going through.
Throughout my one hundred and twenty-hour experience with the Gloversville Police Department, I learned many skills, values and the ways of this Police Department. Many of the calls and situations I went to often could relate to a certain theory that I learned in any of my law classes. I would recommend any student majoring in Criminal Justice to try to take an internship with a local law enforcement agency. I am currently signed up for the civil service test for Gloversville Police Department, If I do qualify for the Police I believe that this internship will give me a huge head start.