On May 16th, 2024, I presented as a keynote speaker panel for the National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) on Exploring Intersections on Mental Health in the Juvenile Justice System to influence profound change within this system. There were over 500 participants present. This panel was comprised of youth and families impacted by the system, Kristen Powell and Meri Viano, and a researcher, Dr.Kam Williams. I spoke about my lived experience in the Juvenile Justice (JJ) system and my professional experience working with system-impacted youth and families through a lens of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).

According to The Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention, as many as 70 percent of youth have a diagnosable mental health condition. This is consistent with other studies that point to the overrepresentation of youth with mental/behavioral health disorders within the juvenile justice system (Shufelt and Cocozza 2006; Meservey and Skowyra 2015; Teplin et al. 2015). From my professional experience, I would argue that nearly all youth who touch the JJ system have some sort of mental health challenge. The moment a crime is committed, and one is arrested, the trauma begins.

When I worked in youth prisons, I would often see Black and Brown youth who were detained with a longer sentence than their white counterparts. Even the mental health units comprised of white youth, whereas the Black and Brown youth would be in the gang units or, even worse, the isolation units. This is due to the racism that currently exists in the system across the nation. I once worked with a youth who identifies as Black, and he stated due to the stigma on Mental Health within his community, he would rather be known as the biggest, worst drug dealer than someone who has a mental health diagnosis. We need more therapists to provide anti-racist and culturally responsive treatment.

One takeaway I left the audience with was that we must look past the youth’s behaviors and see the pain underneath the armor. We must do better to support youth who struggle with mental health and ensure we provide the care they deserve, no matter what they have done.

For more information on providing anti-racist and culturally responsive treatment, download the American Counseling Association Anti-Racism Toolkit.