Exploring the Impact of Juvenile Probation Officer’s Individual and Organizational Characteristics on e-Connect Performance

Youths on probation have difficulties accessing care. e-Connect, a clinical decision support system service linkage intervention, reduces these treatment disparities, but it is unclear whether juvenile probation officers' (JPOs') individual and organizational characteristics affect the success of e-Connect. Among JPOs using e-Connect, we explore whether attitudes, behaviors, and organizational characteristics related to youths' behavioral health (BH) treatment are associated with JPO referral practices and treatment initiation among youths. We used weighted, between-group correlations using data from 19 JPOs implementing e-Connect to evaluate self-reported attitudes related to referral and linkage behaviors gathered via survey and administrative data on the service referral and initiation of 78 youths. Female officers were more likely to engage in placement activities (i.e., behaviors aimed at helping youths initiate care), and youths on their caseload were more likely to access BH care. Conversely, officers with more authoritarian attitudes toward supervision were significantly less likely to engage in placement activities. Even within a program found to increase referral 11-fold and linkage to treatment nearly 17-fold, some JPOs fail to make referrals and connect youths to care. To enhance e-Connect's performance, agencies should target specific attitudes and behaviors around BH services referral and BH initiation.