This agenda builds on efforts already under way by some juvenile justice professionals who are experimenting with "competency development" alternatives to traditional juvenile justice treatment. The first part of the article examines the dominant intervention paradigms that support replication of ineffective programs and allocation of resources toward remedial and ameliorative rather than developmental policies. These paradigms perpetuate views of young offenders that increase the distance between youth and conventional socialization agencies and add to the insularity of juvenile justice agencies in the communities they serve. The authors then compare the underlying theoretical and philosophical assumptions of a competency-based rehabilitative model grounded in a youth development paradigm with the currently dominant deficit-based, individual treatment approach. The remainder of the article contrasts the distinctive social ecology of a competency development intervention approach with the treatment model, highlighting critical differences in intervention strategies, intermediate objectives, timing and priority of interventions, and programs and practices. Finally, the article outlines suggestions for implementing this approach in juvenile justice settings. 5 tables, 10 notes, 91 references