ABSTRACT
Issues that clinicians may want to consider as impacting the outcome of the work include frequency of visits, amount and method of payment for services, and personal characteristics of the service provider. Some of the factors are not matters over which the individual provider may have control, but they certainly should be considered in planning an intervention. This chapter deals with some practical suggestions for developing clinical interventions for gang-affiliated adolescents and their families. Clinical intervention as a beginning phase of interventions with gang-affiliated youths and their families has the advantage of conveying the message that the behavior that is being emitted is the result of very complex internal processes. The focus on assessment and diagnosis that is inherent in clinical interventions is a good place to begin identifying and evaluating the contributing factors. Law enforcement personnel often are interested in preventive intervention as well as corrective actions.
