Reentry Youth and Their Families: An Exploration of Their Perceptions of Family-based Interventions

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52935/26.121516.2

Keywords:

Re-entry Youth, Family-based Interventions, Juvenile Justice, Formerly Incarcerated Youth

Abstract

Youth reintegrating into society following incarceration, commonly referred to as reentry youth or youth who reenter, face major challenges to achieving successful, healthy developmental trajectories when transitioning back to their families and communities. Family-based interventions focusing on family strengths and psychoeducational skills help reduce risky behaviors and assist youth who reenter transition back into their families and healthy trajectories into adulthood. Research on family-based interventions for youth who reenter and barriers to treatment engagement however, is limited. The qualitative findings reported in this paper draw from a larger randomized control trial of a family-based intervention for youth who reenter and their families. Youth who reenter and their guardians were queried about their motivation to participate in family-based interventions and their desired content for these interventions. Analyses revealed themes reflecting these families’ needs and suggested strategies for researchers and practitioners to consider that may increase families’ participation when developing and implementing family-based interventions. These findings are essential for fostering engagement in these interventions, promoting treatment adherence, and ultimately improving outcomes of youth who reenter when transitioning back to their families and communities. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Author Biographies

  • Susana López, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

    Dr. Susana A. López, Ph.D.

    Dr. Susana A. López, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo. Dr. López’s research includes studying through community-based methodologies the psychological processes of acculturation, trauma, resilience, and the utilization of psychological services and their relationship to disparities among marginalized populations. Her prevention work uses family-focused interventions to both reduce vulnerability and promote resilience among marginalized youth including those with histories of trauma, juvenile delinquency, and family separations.

  • Lameze Abrahams, Western Cape Department of Health, Cape Town, South Africa

    Dr. Lameze Abrahams 

    Dr. Lameze Abrahams is a PhD candidate at the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town. She has served in the position of Principal Psychologist at Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital in the Department of Health in South Africa, was co-chair of the Division of Psychotherapy and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health and chair of the International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction.  Her academic and research interests include Mindfulness, Mentalization-based Therapy, Intellectual and Developmental Disability, and Public Mental Health.

  • Norweeta Milburn, University of California, Los Angeles

    Dr. Norweeta G. Milburn, PhD

    Dr. Norweeta G. Milburn, PhD is a Research Professor-in-Residence in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA, the Senior Director of Research and Evaluation at the Nathanson Family Resilience Center and co-Director of the DMH + UCLA Prevention Center of Excellence. She is a Fellow in the American Psychological Association (APA). Her areas of expertise and research interests include homelessness, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and family-centered behavioral interventions.  She has published a large number of journal articles and has given many presentations on these topics. Her research has been funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute of Mental Health, and state and local organizations.

  • Bita Amani, Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science

    Dr. Bita Amani, Ph.D.

    Dr. Bita Amani, Ph.D., MHS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urban Public Health at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. Dr. Amani is a social epidemiologist whose research utilizes both qualitative and quantitative tools and prioritizes community-based participatory methods. Her research focuses on structural racism, in particular criminalization, and its relationship to health.

  • Alan Semaan, University of California, Los Angeles

    Alan Semaan  

    Alan Semaan is a Data Analyst for the Division of Population Behavioral Health at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. Mr. Semaan has extensive experience with and holistic knowledge of the full data life cycle, from working with stakeholders to determine requirements for designing data collection tools, establishing continuous quality assurance protocols, and managing and preparing large datasets for cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses and qualitative analyses. Mr. Semaan is also proficient in live data visualization and clear communication of findings for reports and manuscripts.

  • Eraka Bath, University of California, Los Angeles

    Dr. Eraka Bath, MD  

    Dr. Eraka Bath, MD is an associate professor in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. Dr. Bath specializes in diagnostic assessment and forensic consultation with adolescents, with an emphasis on high-risk youth, including those with histories of trauma, juvenile delinquency, and foster care placement. Dr. Bath supports the training efforts of the DMH-UCLA Prevention Center of Excellence related to the Los Angeles County Juvenile Court system, Juvenile Delinquency Court System, and the Los Angeles County Department of Probation.

  • Caroline Stiver, California State University, Northridge

    Caroline Stiver, M.A.

    Caroline Stiver, M.A., is a recent graduate of the M.A. in Psychology, Clinical Research program at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She has extensive experience conducting research involving marginalized populations, having worked at institutions including California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, University of California, San Francisco/San Francisco Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, and CSUN. Her research focuses on the impact of cultural and family factors on mental health and well-being in traditionally underserved populations. She is interested in identifying important protective factors to inform culturally sensitive interventions that serve to improve outcomes for marginalized populations and reduce disparities in mental health care.

  • Nancy Lagunas, San Francisco State University

    Nancy Lagunas, AMFT, M.S.

    Nancy Lagunas, AMFT, M.S., is a child and adolescent therapist currently practicing at a non-profit residential treatment facility in San Francisco. In addition to her clinical work, she continues to do research through California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and San Francisco State University. Her research focuses on improving mental health outcomes for marginalized populations. She is particularly interested in what drives mental health service use among the Latine/x community, parent-child influence on treatment outcomes, and improving community-based interventions for monolingual Spanish-speaking families.

  • Dylan Aguirre, California State University, Northridge

    Dylan Aguirre, M.A.  

    Dylan Aguirre, M.A., is a recent graduate student in the Clinical Psychology MA program, Clinical Research track, at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). He has worked on multiple labs focused on culture, mental health, and underrepresented youth at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and CSUN. His research interests involve the implementation of evidence-based practices in community mental health settings, with an effort to address mental health disparities in youth from underrepresented communities. Specifically, he is interested in developing and evaluating culturally responsive psychotherapies for Latinx youth with anxiety disorders.

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02/03/2026

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Vol. 40 No. 1 (2026): JAJJS 2026 Issue

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Reentry Youth and Their Families: An Exploration of Their Perceptions of Family-based Interventions. (2026). Journal of Applied Juvenile Justice Services, 40(1), 41-65. https://doi.org/10.52935/26.121516.2

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