June 13, 2006 – Renowned speakers will be coming to the territory this week to speak at a symposium about juvenile delinquency and other issues important to today's youth.
The event begins Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the Divi Carina Bay Resort on St. Croix and will continue Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort on St. Thomas.
The symposium is hosted by the Law Enforcement Planning Commission and the State Advisory Group and will also feature panelists from the local Education and Justice departments, along with psychologists, youth organization representatives and students.
According to a press release sent by the Department of Human Services, topics to be discussed at the meeting also include child welfare, abuse and mental health disorders.
John A. Tuell, a featured speaker at the event and the director of the Child Welfare League of America's Juvenile Justice Systems Integrations Initiative, will also be talking about the connection between child maltreatment and juvenile delinquency and how his organization has improved the outcomes for youth that have experienced abuse or neglect.
Other sessions will provide participants with information on ways to meet the needs of female adolescents, how to implement and manage services for girls, and how to approach the processes needed to make effective changes in their behavior.
Another session focuses solely on treating mental health disorders in adolescents and will outline the link between depression and the home environment created among incarcerated juvenile delinquents in the West Indies. Thoughts on how to work with the juveniles with mental health disorders will also be presented.
Additionally, Shane Salter, director of the Court Appointed Special Association for the Children of DC, will share his experience with violence, abuse and entering the nation's foster care system.
For more information on the event, contact Nichole Swan at 774-6400 or Kimberly Gomez at 773-2323.
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