4 Troubled Teens Blog

As the global economic recession continues, states are being forced to slash an increasing number of community services to balance budgets. One the unintended consequences is that young people with mental illnesses are being treated in jail cells rather than counselors offices.

An Aug. 9 article by New York Times writer Solomon Moore provided the following details about the problem:

About two-thirds of the nations juvenile inmates -- who numbered 92,854 in 2006, down from 107,000 in 1999 -- have at least one mental illness, according to surveys of youth prisons, and are more in need of therapy than punishment.

"We're seeing more and more mentally ill kids who couldnt find community programs that were intensive enough to treat them," said Joseph Pen, a child psychiatrist at the Texas Youth Commission. "Jails and juvenile justice facilities are the new asylums."

Nearly 35 states have cut community mental health programs by an average of five percent, the Times reported, and many plan to double those reductions for the 2010 fiscal year.

Labels: mental_illness, jails, young_adults

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New Haven, Connecticut is seeing an increasing number of teenagers enroll in adult education centers to complete their high school educations. Many, Like Corey Cox, simply didn't adjust well to high school, got very poor grades, and eventually dropped out.

"Cox's future looked bleak, until a third option emerged. He enrolled at the Adult Education Center in New Haven, most likely his last chance at a diploma. 'I said "Ma, I'm loving it. It was the first time I stayed in school all day,"' said Cox."

About 6,100 students in Connecticut enrolled in adult education last year to earn high school credit or their GED. The state allows anyone ages 16 and older to enroll. Many of the students cite caring teachers and more personal attention as primary reasons they perform better in adult education than in tradition high school.

Read more at NHRegister.com.

Still not sure how to help your young adult who isn't ready for college? Read about more Options for Troubled Teens After High School to learn about programs for young adults who are in successful recovery and sober living environments at NorthStarCenter.com.

Labels: education, young_adults, college

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments