Portland State Magazine Spring 2007

says. "Sharing thoughts and emotions with each ocher was hard to do. Ir's been an amazing experience for the whole family. "One day we were in a counseling session, a pretty emotional session, and suddenly a calmness came over us. All of the anger just disappeared, and suddenly we cou ld hear one another's voice. We just started laughing. Today my family gets along without all the chao . The Reclaiming Futures program has been absolutely huge for us." RECLAIMING FUTURES got its start in 2002 as a five-year, $21 million initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the largest philanthropic organization focused on improving health and hea lth care in the U.S. Its goal: to create a new approach to help– ing teens caught up in the seemingly inescapable vortex of drugs, alcohol, and crime through effective screening and treatment, system reform, and community involvement. Reclaiming Futures is housed in Portland State's School of Social Work. Initially, 10 communities around the country, including Multnomah Coun– ty, were chosen to pilot its concept. So pleased were the foundation trustees with the results of the program chat in February, they announced a multiyear, $6 million expansion char will open up the program to new commniries. What makes Reclaiming Futures unique is its focus on the underlying reasons teens run afoul of the law. These factors include not only drug and alcohol abuse, but also extend to abusive and neglectful family back– grounds and clinical psychological disorders. According to the National Center for Meneal Health and Juvenile Justice, up to 80 percent of juvenile offenders have diagnosable mental health disorders. "Traditionally, when juveniles enter the justice system, it hasn't done a good job of addressing rhe funda– mental problems that got chem there in the first place," says Reclaiming Futures National Director Laura Nissen, a PSU associate professor of ocial work. "We work with the courts to gee the kids our of the system and into rehab so they can begin to turn their lives around." This is nor ro say rhar rhe founders and administrators of Reclaiming Futures believe that teens convicted of crimes should not experience the consequences of their actions. "Kids need ro be held accountable when they break the law," Nissen says Rarly. But clearly, if drug-related incar– ceration of juvenile offenders increases 291 percent in 10 years, punishment and incarceration alone aren't solving the problem. Reclaiming Futures proposes-and has successfully put into practice-a different paradigm. It combines system reforms, treatment improvement, and community engagement. Judges, probation officers, treatment provid– ers, families, and commun ity members work together to make the changes needed to help teens. Special emphasis is placed on assisting youth with sub– stance abuse and other mental health problems. Three of the most imporrant changes the communities adopt are: conduct– ing in-depth assessments called GAIN-short for Global Appraisal of Individual Needs; developing detailed collaborative treatment plans with input from Reclaiming Futures staff, probation officers, and families; and making an immediate referral to treatment professionals from a provider fully versed in the Reclaiming Futures philosophy and approach. TREATMENT AND SOBRIETY are important components of the program's success-but only part. Pro– found and lasting change also requires a positive example. To provide that, the program also matches its clients with a mentor: a community resident who builds a personal rel ationship with each troubled teen, then provides guid– ance, encouragement and, sometimes, just a listening ear. "One day we were in a counseling session, a pretty emotional session, and suddenly a calmness came over us. All of the anger just disappeared, and suddenly we could hear one another's voice. We just started laughing. Today my family gets along without all the chaos. The Reclaiming Futures program has been absolutely huge for us." Julian Nazario receives counseling from Canh Nguyen, a mental health consultant for the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice. SPRING 2007 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 17