SOME ASPECTS OF THE C.Y.A. "SPECIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM"

This article assesses the aspects of the Special Treatment Program of the California Youth Authority. In many instances, because of the staff shortage and the meeting of deadlines for board hearings as well as the pressure to process children out of the centers and make room for new commitments, the child can be seen by a clinical team member but once. This is clearly inadequate. It will often bring about misjudgements, and it leads to a marked increase in recidivism. Another important aspect of the ideal diagnostic study is a direct contact with the home of the committed ward, by each team member. While it is true that the investigating parole officer makes a home visit prior to the ward's commitment, it is also a fact that often the parole officer is not well equipped to assess either the personalities of the parents or the atmosphere of the home properly because of lack of training. However, even if he were fully trained, such information reaches the clinic team of a diagnostic center and clinic as secondary information and, therefore, in most instances, is not coordinated with the over-all picture of the child's personality. Since the clinic team member can see a child but once, he has usually no time to contact the home, even though doing this may fall within the province of his work.