The therapeutic work of the psychologist involves three stages. The first stage consists of the development of a collaborative relationship between the psychologist and the juvenile. The components of this first stage are the development of a working relationship, the identification of problems, and the prioritizing of intervention goals. Stage two consists of the therapist's application of specific interventions to achieve therapeutic goals. Since much of the detention psychologist's work involves crisis intervention and short-term counseling/therapy, the focus of most therapeutic interventions involves immediate or short-term actions with limited goals. Follow-up is an important part of this process. The traditional once-a-week session is not sufficient with this approach. Stage three consists of generalizing and maintaining therapeutic gains. If short-term resolution to problems is needed that involve other juvenile court or detention personnel, the detention psychologist should make the appropriate referrals through the proper channels. 2 references