Mental Health Training for Juvenile Justice

The Mental Health Training for Juvenile Justice (MHT-JJ) – developed by and for juvenile probation, detention, and corrections staff – increases staff capacity to better work with adolescents experiencing behavioral health conditions.

From probation intake to secure corrections, juvenile justice staff persons are responsible for the day-to-day care of a large population of youth, many of whom are experiencing behavioral health conditions or traumatic stress reactions. Juvenile justice involvement can exacerbate a youth’s condition, creating a dangerous situation for both the youth and juvenile justice staff. The MHT-JJ increases knowledge of adolescent development, child trauma and adolescent behavioral health conditions, helps staff develop an understanding of how these issues may affect youth-staff interactions, and enhances skills that support effective and safe interactions between youth and staff.

NCYOJ is excited to offer a number of yearly Train-the-Trainer events. As the MHT-JJ curriculum requires specialized knowledge regarding juvenile justice systems and clinical training, NCYOJ encourages prospective attendees to apply in pairings that include a juvenile justice professional and a clinician. Please see registration details for specific date and location offerings.

What are the benefits of becoming a certified trainer?

Certified trainers…

• Have access to the most current training curricula, which is updated biannually.
• Participate in continuing learning activities to support in-depth understanding of best practice for educating adult learners and emerging research on topics covered by the curriculum.
• Collect and report evaluation data to NCYOJ, which is used to inform updates to the training curricula, and highlight practice improvements nationally.

Virtual Train-the-Trainer Opportunities

NCYOJ will be hosting a number of virtual MHT-JJ Train-the-Trainer events in 2022. We are working on finalizing dates and will post updates here. If you have any questions, please contact us at ncyoj@prainc.com. 

Partner Host Site Applications

If you are interested in partnering with us to host an in-person MHT-JJ Train-the-Trainer event, please see our host site application. We are currently accepting applications for late 2022 and beyond.

Learn More about the Benefits of the MHT-JJ

Download the Caring for Youth brief

Learn how the MHT-JJ supports youth and staff

Find a certified trainer in your area

For more detailed information, please contact NCYOJ at ncyoj@prainc.com.