Translating trauma‐informed care into practice for juvenile justice settings

Abstract

Youth in the juvenile justice (JJ) system often have a history of trauma, increasing their risk of recidivism. Many JJ facilities lack resources to address these youth's mental health needs. This article aims to provide a practical framework for implementing trauma‐informed care (TIC) within JJ settings to address the mental health needs of justice‐involved youth and reduce recidivism. The proposed framework outlines actionable steps to integrate TIC in JJ facilities, emphasizing prevention of retraumatization, management of trauma‐related behavioral crises, and development of staff training to foster a supportive environment. Leveraging relationships with caregivers, educators, and peers was identified as critical for promoting resilience and successful reintegration into the community. Integrating TIC within JJ settings can shift responses to youth trauma from punitive to therapeutic, supporting diversion to community‐based treatment and reducing recidivism. Future directions include evaluating implementation outcomes, staff training models, and system‐level policy changes to support TIC in JJ systems. This framework provides clinicians, administrators, and policymakers with practical strategies to operationalize TIC in JJ settings, improving biopsychosocial outcomes for youth while promoting system‐level change toward trauma‐responsive care.