New DJJ bill aims to help treat mental health

(WTVQ) — A bill proposed on Tuesday in Frankfort would build a $22-million dollar, 16-bed facility in kentucky to treat ‘youths’ held by the state Department of Juvenile Justice.

The primary focus of of our mission going forward is the safety of the youth,” said Keith Jackson, the Secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

Senate Bill 242 introduced by Senator Danny Carroll proposes different types of treatment options.

Including an inpatient psychiatric hospital, a pediatric teaching hospital or the proposed inpatient acute mental health DJJ facility.

“This bill focuses primarily on acute mentally ill youth,” added Sen. Carroll.

In an effort to help other lawmakers understand the bill, Sen. Carroll explained.

“I want to start with just giving a definition of a high acuity youth, and it’s a youth it’s been determined by a clinical clinical professional following behavioral assessment, to need an environment in specialized treatment capable of addressing manifest aggression, violence towards persons, or property destruction,” added Carroll.

Senate Bill 242 follows last year’s Senate Bill 162′ requirement for DJJ to reinstate regional model of juvenile detention facilities.

“Part of this bill and part of a budget proposal that we have submitted is to build a DJJ high acuity mental health detention center. This would be a 16 bed facility, it would be staffed security wise by DJJ, it would belong to DJJ. But this would be a partnership with the Cabinet of Health and Family Services, who would provide the mental health treatment,” said Carroll.

Carroll says it will take approximately 18 months to build the facility, he hopes it will located at the Central State Hospital grounds in Louisville.

“In the bill, in section one, it establishes the process by which a juvenile taken into custody by DJJ, or a youth committed to CHFS receives a behavioral assessment to determine whether or not the youth qualifies as a high acuity youth. If the child does, it requires the clinical profession professional for the inpatient psychiatric hospital or pediatric teaching hospital to contact the designated representatives from DCBS and DJJ, to discuss an immediate treatment plan,” he added.

The bill coming in light of an audit to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

“This bill will allow DJJ to determine the appropriate levels of security for basically each of their facilities list the types of facilities to be operated by DJJ to include an inpatient acute mental health facility that I spoke of. This will be a residential treatment facility requires the by February 1, 2026, DJJ shall be operating at least two female detention facilities for female offenders and shall segregate the violent from the nonviolent offenders,” said Carroll.

Although some teens with mental health problems can be legally eligible for release, hospitals and psychiatric programs are hesitant to take any because if the past behavior and the safety risks.

“We’re not going to have these kids once we get this facility built in a locked up in a sale, naked, sleeping and feces, no treatment, minimal treatment, that’s just not going to happen anymore,” he also says.

The DJJ mental health facility has a potential price tag of $22 million.