"Straight up": enhancing rapport and therapeutic alliance with previously-detained youth in the delivery of mental health services.

A strong therapeutic alliance has been shown to improve mental health treatment outcomes in adults, but this topic has not been fully explored with youth. Adolescents, particularly justice-involved youth, stand to benefit greatly from an improved treatment experience. One quality which can improve treatment is mental health providers' interpersonal skills when attempting to build a therapeutic rapport with adolescent clients. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 youth who screened positive for mental health concerns while in juvenile detention. Four themes were identified as important to improving the therapeutic alliance: Empathy, client-directed care, sequencing, and positive rapport. Suggestions for strengthening a therapeutic alliance are provided.