A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Institutionalized Juveniles

• In Event: Practitioner-Researcher Partnership: Results from an Evaluation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice

Abstract

Despite the growing body of research that suggests cognitive behavioral therapy is a useful intervention for delinquent and aggressive youth, there has been very little research on the degree to which these interventions are cost-effective. This presentation reports interim findings from a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) conducted under the researcher-practitioner partnership between the Urban Institute and the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). By comparing the relative costs of Aggression Replacement Training (ART) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), we discuss the cost effectiveness and policy implications of the two interventions for medium- and high-risk juvenile offenders.

Authors

• Emily Tiry, Urban Institute

• KiDeuk Kim, Urban Institute