World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first observed by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) in 1992 in order to “raise global awareness of mental health issues, promote understanding, advocate for support, and encourage conversations to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health conditions.”

One might ask, “What does the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association (MJJA) have to do with mental health?” MJJA has executed several projects that included training and awareness opportunities centering on the impact of mental health issues on juveniles, their families, and communities. From the Restorative Justice Project (School-to-Prison Pipeline, funded by the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council); the Racial and Ethnic Disparities project (aka RED, funded by the US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention); the Connecting Childhood Trauma to Delinquency project (funded by Title II Program administered by the Missouri Department of Public Safety, Office of the Director); to the Handle with Care project (funded by the State of Missouri Task Force on Children’s Justice); along with connecting these projects with ongoing activities and statewide conferences provided by MJJA.

In an interview about MJJA’s efforts to promote education on childhood mental illness and delinquency, the new MJJA Executive Director - Jeffrey Barlow, states:

“Studies by the National Institute of Justice and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention confirm trauma is significantly linked to juvenile delinquency. There is no doubt that exposure to events like community violence, child abuse and neglect alter brain development. If we are going to be effective at serving youth, we must understand the source of their impulsive, aggressive and antisocial behaviors were often formed at an early age. We must find ways to break the cycle of trauma and negative self-perception that led to inappropriate behaviors.”

MJJA staff are aware that many researchers have pointed at the need to expand upon “Adverse child­hood expe­ri­ences (ACEs)” as a reference to depict poten­tial­ly trau­mat­ic events and cir­cum­stances that impair an individual’s sense of safe­ty and sta­bil­i­ty dur­ing child­hood (0 – 17 years).” But MJJA’s projects continue to aim at illuminating the impact that negative effects have on children (i.e. abuse - phys­i­cal, emo­tion­al, or sex­u­al; wit­ness­ing vio­lence with­in the fam­i­ly or com­mu­ni­ty; and house­hold insta­bil­i­ty - incar­cer­a­tion of fam­i­ly mem­bers, parental sep­a­ra­tion, sub­stance use or men­tal health prob­lems). And how these experiences often lead to children’s encounters with law enforcers.

As mentioned in the RED September and October blog, we encourage our professionals who work and/or advocate for youth and their families to read: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Their Effects on Mental Health, and the Connection to Legal System Involvement | Death Penalty Information Center.