CROSSOVER YOUTH: THE EDUCATION IN BETWEEN

Amy Bishop, MSW, Senate Bill 94 Education Advocate

Darcy Brown, LCSW, CAC II, Coordinator of Intensive Supervision, District 27J

Desiree Quintanilla, Assistant Director Intervention Services, District 12

EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS

A recent study out of California* on crossover youth found that 55% had been relocated between group homes and foster care placements three or more times during their lifetimes.

Approximately half of crossover youth do not regularly attend school or, when attending school, engage in behaviors that result in suspensions.

Crossover youth require unique collaboration and communication to ensure re-engagement in schools and the community.*D. Herz & J. Ryan, Characteristics of 241.1 Youth in Los

Angeles County (2005).

CROSSOVER YOUTH

Crossover Youth: Any youth who has experienced maltreatment and engaged in delinquency.

Dually-Involved Youth: A subgroup of crossover youth who are simultaneously receiving services, at any level, from both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Dually-Adjudicated Youth: Subgroup of dually-involved youth, encompassing only those youth who are concurrently adjudicated by both the welfare and justice systems.

IMPORTANT CROSSOVER YOUTH FACTORS

From “Things People Never Told Me” on critical life skills building while in foster care/juvenile system: Health care is important including mental health and

medication management Maintaining relationships with positive role models after

leaving care Not having fully developed skills to transition (no rental

history, no credit history, continuing education, finding roommates, budgets, grocery shopping, filing taxes)

“How to deal with bad relationships” “Not being told what [programs] youth qualify for…or

being told about benefits after the fact or too late” Juvenile criminal record still accessible in database.

GOALS FOR CROSSOVER YOUTH

Blueprints for Change: Educational Success for Youth in Foster Care (2014): GOALS important to our clientele: GOAL 5: Youth have supports to prevent school dropout,

truancy, and disciplinary action. GOAL 6: Youth are involved and engaged in all aspects of

their education and educational planning and are empowered to be advocates in their education needs and pursuits.

GOAL 7: Youth have an adult who is invested in his/her education during and after his/her time in out of home care.

GOAL 8: Youth have supports to enter into, and complete, secondary education.

ROADBLOCKS TO SUCCESS

Very few credits towards graduation Time spent out of school due to detention/plct. Expulsions Out of school suspensions Transient students Unidentified emotional and learning disabilities Low IQ Lack of motivation and/or family support Student was struggling in school before juvenile

justice system Lack of alternative and credit recovery programs

COLLABORATION GOALS

Successful re-engagement of our youth in community schools

Seamless transition back into community schools

School safety Outreach and training for school staff on the

unique needs of court involved youth Continual communication of all community

agencies involved with family Matching the right student with the right

school!

SB94 EDUCATION ADVOCATE

The Education Advocate serves as a liaison between at risk youth and families involved in the 17th Judicial District Senate Bill 94 programs and school districts to ensure communication, smooth school transitions and assist in facilitating long term educational success.

Referrals are made by Probation, PATHS and the Courts.

Assist in Educational Planning for all students. Empower parents in navigating the educational

system. Foster continual communication of all parties in

creating the educational plans for youth.

INTERVENTION SERVICES

Provided in Adams 12 and 27J Manage student discipline and

attendance Expulsions

Alternative to Expulsion Connection with needed resources and

supports Truancy

Supportive services and attendance monitoring Truancy court petitions

Point of contact for Crossover Youth/SB94

TRANSITIONAL PROGRAMS

FLEX Program: School District 27J, Brighton, CO

ROC: Recognizing Opportunities for Change: Adams County Probation, Westminster, CO

Vista View Program: Adams 12 Five Star Schools

COMMUNICATION AND FOLLOW UP

Schedule regular school progress meetings. Frequent “check-ins” with school staff. Weekly or monthly attendance monitoring. If a student is in violation of any school

policy, intervene immediately before problem escalates.

Continual communication and involvement of all parties providing services to ensure consistency.

School to Prison Pipeline

“Education may not be the only thing that helps ensure that people succeed in this

world, but it is almost certainly the start of becoming something better than we are.”

Excerpt from “The Birth of Hope” by Michael Satterfield (2012)

Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline