Applying the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment Framework to Trauma-Focused Screening in the Juvenile Legal System: Considerations and Recommendations for Future Research

Adolescents involved in the juvenile legal system (JLS) report high rates of traumatic event exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Due to such elevated rates of exposure to potentially traumatic events and posttraumatic stress, it has been recommended that adolescents involved in the JLS receive access to trauma-focused screening upon each contact with the system. Implementing trauma-focused screening within the JLS raises several considerations for systems who have yet to implement this evidence-based practice. This article applies the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) framework to discuss important decisions and potential ethical issues that arise when trauma-focused screening is implemented within the JLS, from the initial planning stages, to implementation, to long-term sustainment. This article discusses decision points that JLS leadership and administrators must consider when determining whether to implement trauma-focused screening or in the initial stages of implementation, as well as several practical suggestions for individual practitioners who work within the JLS, including clinical and non-clinical staff.