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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2195-6001

Date Available

6-15-2028

Year of Publication

2026

Document Type

Capstone

Degree Name

Doctor of Social Work (DSW)

College

Social Work

Department/School/Program

Social Work

Abstract

Juvenile delinquency continues to pose significant challenges for youth, families, and communities across the United States, with more than 700,000 adolescents processed annually and persistent disparities in system involvement. This capstone project, Advancing Juvenile Rehabilitation: Integrating the ECOSMART Framework and an Administrative Mentor Development Model to Improve Youth Outcomes and Reduce Juvenile Delinquency, synthesizes findings from a systematic literature review, a conceptual paper, and a practice application paper to propose a comprehensive, theory-driven, and administratively grounded approach to juvenile rehabilitation. The systematic literature review examined the impact of mentoring programs on the rehabilitation needs of justice-involved adolescents. Findings demonstrated that mentoring improves relational connection, emotional regulation, academic engagement, prosocial behavior, and overall well-being, while contributing to reductions in recidivism. However, the review also identified critical gaps, including limited cultural responsiveness, insufficient trauma-informed practice, inconsistent mentor training, and a lack of long-term follow-up. These gaps underscored the need for structured, culturally grounded, evidence-based mentoring models that address both criminogenic and developmental needs. The conceptual paper addressed these gaps by introducing the Ecological Social Mentoring and Resilience for Transformation (ECOSMART) Framework. Integrating ecological systems theory and social learning theory, ECOSMART positions mentorship as a multilayered rehabilitative mechanism that supports identity transformation, resilience, and prosocial development. The framework conceptualizes youth as embedded within interconnected systems and emphasizes mentorship as a stabilizing force that bridges microsystem relationships, mesosystem coordination, and broader systemic influences. ECOSMART reframes rehabilitation as a relational, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed developmental process rather than a compliance-based outcome. The practice application paper operationalized these insights through an Administrative Mentor Development Model designed to strengthen organizational capacity to recruit, train, support, and retain mentors equipped to meet youths’ complex needs. The model incorporates trauma-informed care, culturally responsive mentoring, communication skill-building, supportive supervision, and system-level leadership practices. It positions administrators as essential drivers of program fidelity, workforce sustainability, and cross-system collaboration. Collectively, the three products demonstrate that advancing juvenile rehabilitation requires an integrated approach that blends empirical evidence, theoretical grounding, and administrative leadership. The implications of this work highlight the need for culturally responsive, trauma-informed mentoring practices; organizational leadership structures that sustain mentor workforce development; policy shifts that prioritize relational and community-based rehabilitation; and research that evaluates mentoring as a systemic, ecological intervention. Together, the ECOSMART Framework and Mentor Development Model offer a transformative pathway to reduce delinquency, strengthen protective factors, and improve long-term outcomes for justice-involved youth.

Keywords: Administrative Mentor Development Model, juvenile delinquency, mentoring programs, rehabilitation, ECOSMART framework

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Available for download on Thursday, June 15, 2028

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