Burrnett-Bayland Residential Center

The relationships between child maltreatment and the development of anti-social and criminal behavior is well-established. Little is known, however, about why one child will develop anti-social traits and lash out at society while another abused child will not. Understanding juvenile crime will begin only with understanding of juvenile criminals.

In order to begin examining, and understanding, juvenile offenders, The  ChildTrauma Programs established a partnership with a residential treatment center in the Harris County Juvenile Justice System. Adolescents are placed at Burnett Bayland by the courts following sentencing. The length of stay ranges from 3 months to 9 months. An on-site school is run by Houston Independent School District (HISD). These youth participate in a variety of occupational and counseling opportunities.

The ChildTrauma Programs have worked in concert with the BBH staff to develop comprehensive screening of various aspects of functioning (e.g., emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social, physical) in all of the youth entering BBH. Re-administration of various elements of the evaluation are repeated prior to discharge to document changes over the time at BBH. In addition to the evaluation project, therapeutic initiatives are planned. The long term goals are to develop a variety of therapeutic options which can be matched to the specific needs of an individual child.