Thinking for A Change: After Care program for junevile delinquent youths. The age ranges from 7-17 years old. Thinking for a Change (T4C) is an integrated cognitive-behavioral change program that focuses on three components.:1.Cognitive Self-Change: This component focuses on helping individuals develop pro-social thinking patterns and cognitive restructuring.2. Social Skills: The program aims to enhance participants’ social skills, enabling them to build healthier relationships and interact more effectively with others.3.Problem Solving Skills: T4C emphasizes the learning and application of problem-solving techniques, empowering individuals to address challenges and make better decisions.
Thinking for a Change ( T4C) is a cognitive-behavioral therapy ( CBT) program that includes:
Cognitive restructing (sessions 6-10)
Social skills development ( Sessions 2-5 and 11-15)
The development of problem solvong skills ( sessions 16-24)
T4C combines cognitive restructuring heory and cognitive skills theory to help individulas take control control of thier lives by taking control of their thinking. The foundation of T4C is the ulitlization of CBT prinicples throughout the group sessions.
There is an extensive body of research that shows cognitive-behvioral programming significantly reducws recidivism of offenders.
The program is divided to 25 lessons ( each lasting aproximately 1 to 2 hours).
Each lesson teaches important social skills ( such as active listening and asking appropriate questions as well as more complex restructuring techniques ( such as recongnizing the types of thinking that get them into trouble and understanding the feelings of others).
As a result of this lesson, group members will:
1. Describe the three key parts of Thinking for a Change
2. Describe their expectations for Thinking for a Chage
3. Agree to group rules and norms to follow during Thinking for a Change.
Referrals:
This T4C program targets youth ages 11 to 17 years years old who are at risk of being committed to DJJ custody due to consideration of felony commitment STP admission, all youth who at risk of receiving secure confinement or secure detention, or other Court involved youth. All youth meeting the aformentioned critera must also score moderate to high ( 2 or higher) on the Pre-Disposition Risk Assessment 9 PDRA) assessment tool. This population is commonly at risk of out of hone due to aantisocial or delinquent behaiors and/or youth involved with the juvenile justice system. All youth and families who enter the T4C program will be asked to sign an agareement or contract verifying their willingness to partiapte in the prgram and comply with all program requirements. Expert of Lived Experience T4C program staff will be expected to enaggae all referred families, even if families demonstrate reluctance to particpate.
PDRA Score of 2 or higher
At-Risk of Commitment to DJJ
Consideration or Risk of Secure Confinement or Detention.
Exclusionary criteria:
Youth who are actively suicidual, homicidal, or psychotic
Youths whose psychistric problems are the rimary reason leading to referral, or who have severe and serious psychiatric problems.
Junevile sex offenders( sex offendering in the absence of other deliquent or antisocial behavior)
Youth with moderate to severe difficultties with social communication,social interaction, and repetitive behaviors, which may be captured by a diagnosis of autism.
Program Capactity:
Number of T4C Staff per Team : 2
Caseload slots average lenght of treatment: Target 120 days( 4 months)
Treatment slos availbale per group : 12
Estimated annual program capacity9 avg.total treatment slots availablex3) 36:
Referral Process:
Referrals are accepted by Juvenile Courts and Department of Juvenile Justice( DJJ) staff on youth who meet qualifying inclusion criteria note above. Referral forms should be faxed to Expert of Lived Experience along with supporting documentation. All referrals are vetted very clearly. All referrals are forwarded to the director of the program for eligibity review. Once eligibibility is determined, if the referral is accepted, the director will assign the case to a T4C staff and notify the referral source of the name of the assigned staff. If the referral is not accepted, the director will notify the referral source of the reason of denial and docuemnt the rational for denial.