What is Juvenile Competency Remediation?

Within the last 20 years, the need for juvenile competency remediation services has increased rapidly.  Thus, juvenile competency remediation is a relatively new field of practice.  Research is ongoing to determine techniques, methods and settings in which to effectively relay information and reasoning/decision making skills to juveniles deemed not competent though likely to become so with remediation.  A hallmark of BCI’s juvenile competency remediation program is to tailor it to the needs of each juvenile referred for services. This flexibility optimizes the likelihood that sessions will be engaging and effective.

 

General Topics 
Issues frequently addressed in juvenile remediation sessions include:

• factual and rational understanding of the allegations

• roles of court principals (e.g., judge, district attorney, defense attorney)

• plea options and potential consequences of them

• problem-solving skills

• the delinquency process

• skills for aiding in one’s defense

• sentencing options (i.e., penalties)

Strategies: 
Strategies that may be used to facilitate competency remediation include:

• Role playing

• Video/Audio

• Educational games

• Didactic training

• Stress management

• Continued communication with the juvenile’s community support network (e.g. social worker, case manager)

 

Referral Process
If the Court orders a juvenile to obtain competency remediation services, the program administrator, Sara Dittl, M.A., LPC, should be contacted directly, see below.  At the time of the referral, documentation needed includes:  the delinquency petition(s), recent competency evaluation(s), pertinent records, the appropriate court order, and contact information.

 

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