A local program aimed at preventing youths from becoming repeat offenders is now addressing mental health issues with the help of a state grant.
Lynchburg’s Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney has been awarded $60,250 from the state’s Justice Assistance Grant Program.
Donna Nash, the office’s grants administrator and program developer, said the funds have allowed the office to contract with Steve Baker, a Wyndhurst-based counselor.
The idea, Nash said, is to identify juveniles whose criminal acts are tied to mental illness or other mental health problems, then to work with Baker to treat those issues.
The hope is that once those issues are addressed, those in the program will be less likely to commit crimes.
“It gives them a chance to get some more individual reflective work, to look at self-esteem issues, decision-making, anger management and substance abuse issues,” Baker said.
Baker, a licensed professional counselor and certified addiction counselor, has worked with the community court program for a year. He said he has been shocked at the number of kids who have significant mental health problems and who never have had access to treatment.
“I see kids with manic depressive disorders, substance abuse issues,” he said. “It’s impacting their decision-making.”
The community court program was created last year to reduce juvenile recidivism. The program uses sentencing alternatives, usually community service, and tries to head off repeat offenses by addressing the underlying causes of the criminal behavior.
A report from the commonwealth attorney’s office showed 109 people participated in the community court program in 2007. Of those, 86 completed the program and fewer than 8 percent were charged with additional crimes.
Baker said mental health treatment is available to all participants who are deemed eligible by program
evaluators.
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