Problem: Interventions for Jayden
Name: Jayden Montgomery
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Mixed-race
Age: 19
Situation: Currently living in a remand hostel.
Jayden is the middle child of a white single parent (Diana) who has ongoing alcohol issues. He had no contact with his black birth father (Jim) when he was growing up. Contact organised in his teens by social services ended badly when his father disowned him and Jayden went on an offending spree. Jayden's mother's problems with alcohol meant that she was unable to care for her children at times and they all spent periods in care facilities. Of the three children, Jayden found this arrangement the most difficult and regularly absconded to return home to his mother. When he did so, his mother - who was doing her best to cooperate with social services - would notify the authorities and Jayden would respond by destroying items around the home. His rages would be extreme and frightening, as he appeared to have no regard for the consequences of his actions. At the age of 12 years he threw a glass ashtray in anger - accidentally hitting his aunt in the face. The ashtray was thrown with such force that she lost several front teeth. As a result, Jayden was prosecuted and because he was struggling to comply with other court sanctions, he received his first custodial sentence - 10 months at secure children's home.
Jayden responded fairly well to staff at the secure home, but domestic visits remained fraught. On his return home he quickly reverted to past behaviour, truanting from school with others and engaging in criminal behaviour and substance misuse. Following reports from his mother of disturbing behaviour towards his younger brother, Jayden was referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) by the Youth Offending Service. During assessment Jayden admitted to heavy use of cannabis and - occasionally - other substances. He also displayed signs of serious depression and distorted thinking.
Although Jayden maintained contact with both CAMHS and the Youth Offending Service, it was clear he was on a downward spiral. His lifestyle became increasingly chaotic, he refused to go to school and continued to collect further criminal convictions - mainly for relatively minor matters of theft and criminal damage. He left the family home when he was 17 years old, sleeping rough or on the floor at the homes of others in or around his network of friends. He avoided all contact with the Youth Offending Service until he was picked up by the police for breach of his court conditions. Due to his frequent offending, Jayden was re-sentenced to a 12-month Detention and Training Order (available in England and Wales). He responded positively in custody and on his release was offered a bed at a probation-run hostel. Jayden is keen to make what he refers to as 'a new start' and is attending the work programme. Sometimes, however, he feels so low that he knows he won't succeed. He's keeping away from his old friends and the drugs for the moment, but constantly feels tempted to seek them both out. Need Assignment Help?