Juvenile Probation Officers’ Lived Experiences of Collaboration with Clinical Mental Health Counselors: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis.

Juvenile offenders (JO) are at high-risk due to significant mental health challenges. We review the importance of collaboration between the mental health providers and juvenile justice system (JSS) and identify that more research regarding collaboration experiences between clinical mental health counselors (CMHC) and juvenile probation officers (JPO) would be beneficial. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) we explored JPO’s lived experiences of collaborating with mental health professionals (MHP). The aim of the study was to unveil more nuance and description of collaboration efforts to better support JO. Our findings offer a systemic understanding of collaboration as well as the catalysts and antagonists of its success. Findings include three higher constructs, three super-ordinate themes and six subordinate themes. The higher constructs identified are a system of multiple parties and arenas, a screening and referral process, and antagonists to collaboration. Super-ordinate themes include intentional initiation (subordinate themes: networking and setting relational expectations), Consistent and responsible communication (subordinate themes: reporting information and problem solving), and culturally and systemically aware counseling (subordinate themes: Connection with JO and family and reducing barriers). We provide direct implications for CMHC, JPO, and future researchers.