FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, January 2, 2020

Contact: The Mississippi Department of Human Services, Office of Communications

Danny Blanton, (601) 359-4612, ​danny.blanton@mdhs.ms.gov​ OR
Vanessa C. Lowe, (601) 359-4183, ​vanessa.lowe@mdhs.ms.gov

Guest Editorial from MDHS Executive Director Christopher Freeze

(Jackson, Miss.) – ​As parents, ​we want our children to mature to the point where they
enjoy a happy, healthy, and productive life. Psychologists refer to a typical adolescent’s
progression from childhood to adulthood as “​psychosocial maturity​.​” This type of
maturity requires a child to grow and develop in three areas: mastery and competence
of work skills; development of social skills and interpersonal relationships; and, the
ability to be self-governing.

However, for many children who suffer from adverse childhood experiences, it is likely
they will have negative encounters with the juvenile justice system. For these children,
their formative years are often spent being accountable to a probation counselor or
housed in a detention center.
Our government, whether federal, state, local, or tribal, has a responsibility to nurture and care
for all children. The dedicated staff of the ​Mississippi Department of Human Services’ (MDHS)
Division of Youth Services (DYS) helps these children make a successful transition from
adolescence to adulthood by providing counseling, accountability, and connection with
community partners who provide education, rehabilitation, and treatment services.

In fiscal year 2018, MDHS served ​8,239 children in their communities and 150 children at the
Oakley Youth Development Center. While nearly 90% were between the ages of 13-18, a few
were as young as 7 years of age.
We should be asking ourselves:
● “In a society where so many children are victims of traumatic violence, why then are
thousands of children committing crimes such as assault, disorderly conduct, burglary,
or domestic violence?”
● “Why are children running away, joining violent gangs, or medicating their emotional
pain by abusing drugs?”

Perhaps the real question is, “What can we do to help these children transition
successfully from troubled adolescence to triumphant adulthood?”

I believe every answer begins with each person, company, non-profit, faith-based
organization, educational institution, medical facility, and law enforcement agency
joining together to become a ​trauma-informed​ ​community​ (TIC).

While the term ​trauma-informed may sound unfamiliar, its implementation is not difficult
and can begin with just one person: YOU.
The U.S. Department of ​Health and Human Services (HHS) defines ​trauma-informed community
as: “​appreciating the widespread impact of trauma, understanding possible paths of recovery,
recognizing the signs and symptoms of exposure to trauma, actively avoiding re-traumatization,
and integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices.” Implementing
these ideas is called taking a ​trauma-informed​ approach.
We need to account for the “why” of the problematic behaviors and tailor our responses and
programs to address those root issues. Our adult prisons are filled with people who have
committed crimes due to childhood trauma. Every incarcerated person at some point sat in our
schools, were treated by our doctors, or were served by our churches or community outreach
programs.
We must change the lens through which we see people by not focusing on the behaviors, but by
altering our approach to the underlying issues. Our agency is committed to looking at each of
our children through that ​trauma-informed​ lens.

In Mississippi, we have an opportunity in the juvenile justice system to respond to child

offenders with a ​trauma-informed approach which not only will prevent children from
committing crimes, but will also provide a real opportunity for rehabilitation.

Creating a ​trauma-informed juvenile justice system can start with considering a few of the 56
recommendations found in the ​Report of the Attorney General’s National Task Force on
Children Exposed to Violence:

● Provide all children exposed to violence access to trauma-informed services and

evidence-based trauma-specific treatment.
 ● Increase the collaboration between police, mental health providers, domestic violence
advocates, child protective service workers, and court personnel for women and children
who are victims of family violence.
● Implement trauma-informed screening, assessment, and care as part of a standard practice
in juvenile justice services.
● Provide gender-responsive services that meet the special needs and circumstances of
females.
● Partner with school systems to develop policies which reduce suspensions and expulsions
– a leading cause of children encountering the juvenile justice system.
At MDHS, our mission is to help children and families move from a state of crisis to a state of
self-sufficiency. We can make a positive change not only for children committed to our care, but
also for the entire state of Mississippi if we join together as a ​trauma-informed community and
begin to implement this approach in our daily lives.

Christopher Freeze is the Executive Director of MDHS and a retired Special Agent in Charge of
the FBI.