ABSTRACT
Young people in correctional care facilities often have physical or psychological disorders that contribute to their behavioural problems. In the US, the need for medical services in youth facilities far exceeds current resources, especially for paediatric mental health and specialty services. There is obvious potential for telemedicine to improve access to care and thus the level of health care for juvenile detainees. A few studies have indicated that in specific instances telemedicine has improved access to care, referrals, contact between providers, and has also reduced unnecessary referrals. The question remains, however, whether this improved access and timeliness to care has any effect on the major goals of the incarceration: treatment, education and rehabilitation. Further investigation of this linkage is needed.
Subject(s)
Juvenile Delinquency/rehabilitation , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Telemedicine/methods , Adolescent , Child , Female , Health Services Accessibility/standards , Humans , Juvenile Delinquency/psychology , Male , Prisons , Referral and ConsultationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To systematically evaluate Camp Noah, a faith-based intervention for children affected by natural disaster: to assess the extent to which the camps were carried out according to the program design, to describe how the Camp Noah program was implemented, and to explore Camp Noah program effects on children. DESIGN: Qualitative survey. SAMPLE: Twenty-eight local, state, and national stakeholders. MEASUREMENT: Open-ended interviews. RESULTS: Although camps adhered to the curriculum, many implementation weaknesses resulted from a lack of clear program structure and written procedures. Stakeholders observed that children generally were able to process their disaster experiences in the camp, and some children exhibited increased understanding of God's role in their disaster experience. Stakeholders also described parent reports of increased coping skills related to weather among some children. Lastly, stakeholders both observed positive effects of Camp Noah on children's behaviors and symptoms and described changes reported to them by parents. CONCLUSIONS: Every year, thousands of children suffer emotionally as a result of natural disaster in the United States. With public health nursing support and improvements in infrastructure, Camp Noah may be a promising intervention to address this important public health problem.
