The NATSAP Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (JTSP) Volume V is now available.
Click here to open or download JTSP Volume V.

The NATSAP Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Program (JTSP) Volume IV.
Click here to open or download JTSP Volume IV.

You may also request a previous volume by sending a Request for JTSP to the NATSAP office as indicated on the request.

For more information on the Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (JTSP), select the topic of interest.

• Click here to view the new and previous Journal Editions and Table of Contents
• Purpose of the Journal (see below)
• Submitting Articles for Publication in the Journal (see below)

Purpose of the Journal
The Journal has the goal of prodding the NATSAP membership to think more deeply about our profession. We support all employees of NATSAP programs in their continuing development toward becoming more thoughtful, reflective practitioners who contribute to improving our work with children and families. We encourage and welcome empirical research in the JTSP, and we also encourage thoughtful reviews, clinical case studies, and considerations of education, recreation, program, risk management, and program management as well. We encourage each of us to think and write about what we are doing to stimulate involvement and progress, as well as provide a forum to explore important ideas that are so intrinsic to our work.

Michael Gass, Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire and Keith Russell, Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota hold the editorial and managerial responsibilities for the Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (JTSP). Both Dr. Gass and Dr. Russell have extensive professional publication and research experience that will continue to help us create professionally credible journals.

Submitting Articles for Publication in the Journal
We are accepting articles for future issues of the Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (JTSP) and encourage submissions that help us better understand aspects of our field surrounding program design, development, implementation and evaluation. Topics pertaining to specific treatment approaches, particularly innovative ones and those directed toward special populations and other clients with special needs are solicited. Submissions related to management and leadership approaches are welcomed as are those related to staff recruitment, selection, training and retention as well as general policies related to personnel management. Articles that share thoughts regarding inter-disciplinary integration as well as those that focus on critical incident planning and governmental/regulatory relationships and funding issues would be highly valued. Submissions relating extant theory to clinical practice would be welcomed as would papers that produce findings resulting from clinical research of relevance, though it must be emphasized that JTSP is intended to share information of a nature useful to member programs, and is not intended to be a publication with purely academic relevance.

Those interested in submitting for the Journal are requested to follow the Instructions for Authors available on this website. Dr. Gass and Dr. Russell are willing to assist authors, particularly those without previous publication experience, in crafting their articles for publication. Volumes of the Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (JTSP) will be published at the beginning and middle of each year.

As a parent, we realize that this is likely a stressful and difficult time for you. We hope the information you find on the NATSAP website lead you to find help for your son or daughter. Matching the needs of your child to the particular services of a program is one of the most important decisions you will ever make on behalf of your child.
NATSAP’s Role
NATSAP is not a referral or placement agency. We are a volunteer membership organization supporting professionals and programs in their efforts to help troubled young people.

About NATSAP’s Members
Many different types of programs have evolved over the past decade to serve the growing needs and numbers of struggling young people. NATSAP and its members have been working with their state legislatures to ensure the appropriate licensure and regulation of programs and schools that serve children and adolescents. And, effective January 1, 2009 all NATSAP members must:

• be licensed by the appropriate state agency authorized to set and oversee standards of therapeutic and/or behavioral healthcare for youth and adolescents or accredited by a nationally recognized behavioral health accreditation agency
• have therapeutic services with oversight by a qualified clinician
• aspire NATSAP Ethical Principles and NATSAP Principles of Good Practice

NATSAP’s membership is comprised of programs, both established and new, that support setting and following national standards. We at NATSAP encourage you to look over these standards: Ethical Principles and Principles of Good Practice. They can help you develop what your expectations should be regarding service delivery from any program.