September 20, 2014

Slide 1

Engaging Stakeholders in Status Offense System

Reform

Moderator: Vidhya Ananthakrishnan, Project Director, Status Offense

Reform Center

April 21, 2023

February 24, 2014

Slide 2 • April 21, 2023

The Status Offense Reform Center

• Vera’s Status Offense Reform Center (SORC)

• Funded and supported by the MacArthur Foundation, as part of the Resource Center Partnership

• www.statusoffensereform.org

• Mission

• To help policymakers and practitioners create effective, community-based responses for keeping youth who commit status offenses out of the juvenile justice system and safely in their homes and communities.

• What does SORC provide?

• A range of tools, resources, and information to help guide system transformation


Featured Resource: A Toolkit for Status Offense System Reform

• Step-by-step guide outlining how to undertake a status offense reform effort

• Module 1: Structuring System Change• Module 2: Using Local Information to Guide System

Change• Module 3: Planning and Implementing System Change

(coming soon - March)• Module 4: Monitoring and Sustaining System Change

(coming soon – late Spring)


Featured Resource: A Toolkit for Status Offense System Reform

• Step-by-step guide outlining how to undertake a status offense reform effort

• Module 1: Structuring System Change• Module 2: Using Local Information to Guide System

Change• Module 3: Planning and Implementing System Change

(coming soon – early Spring)• Module 4: Monitoring and Sustaining System Change

(coming soon – late Spring)


Our Presenters

Annie SalsichDirector, Center on Youth Justice,Vera Institute of Justice

Jennie MarshallSystems Manager,Spokane County Juvenile Court,Spokane County, WA

Karen ThomasJudge, Campbell County District Court,Campbell County, KY

Dane BolinDirector, Office of Juvenile Justice Services, Calcasieu Parish, LA

Slide 6

Annie SalsichDirectorCenter on Youth Justice

April 21, 2023

National Context• Why Status Offense Reform

• What System Change Looks Like

• How to Structure Change in Your Community


Why Status Offense Reform

• In 2010, juvenile courts across the country processed 137,000 status offense cases.

• In 36% of these cases, the most serious allegation was truancy – that’s nearly 50,000 kids taken to court for skipping school.

• Despite the noncriminal nature of these behaviors, youth in approximately 10,400 cases spent time in detention.

• In 6,100 cases, the court disposition was a longer-term placement in a residential facility .


What System Change Looks Like

• A new paradigm has been emerging in many jurisdictions:

• Connect struggling families with social services in their communities, instead of turning to courts.

• The MacArthur Foundation supported and encouraged this shift in its Models for Change initiative.

• Vera has provided technical assistance and research support to more than 30 jurisdictions across the country in this area since 2001.



5 Features of Effective

Community-Based Responses to

Status Offenses





Status Offenses

Diversion from court





Status Offenses


An immediate response





Status Offenses


A process to triage

cases






Status Offenses


A process to triage

cases


Accessible and effective

services





Status Offenses


A process to triage

cases


Accessible and effective

services

Internal assessment


Structuring System Change

• Step 1: Identify and Recruit Stakeholders• Recruit a champion• Leverage an existing group• Strive for representative membership• Incorporate youth and family voices

• Step 2: Prepare Stakeholders for System Change Work

• Invite working group members• Define the local system• Identify a facilitator• Craft a meeting agenda



• What does a representative working group look like?

Law enforcement Substance use Prosecutor's office

Probation Public defender’s office

Courts

Mental health Schools Faith-based organizations

Social services Budget representatives

Young people

Caregivers & family members

Child & family advocates

Community-based service providers



Tips for Assembling a Stakeholder

Working Group:

• Recruit respected leaders• Recruit passionate managers• Recruit a mix of skill-sets• Conduct a stakeholder analysis


Audience Poll

Which stakeholder group have you struggled to successfully engage in reform?

A.Schools

B.Juvenile Court

C. Probation

D.Law Enforcement

E. Family/Youth

F. Advocate

G.Community Service Provider


Innovative Practices in the Juvenile Justice System:

The Campbell County Status Offense Project

Honorable District Judge Karen Thomas


• Little support to families: Families were asked to initiate and engage in services, maintain appointments with multiple agencies, and at times juggle conflicting requirements.

• Diversion attempts often unsuccessful: Status cases were often sent to court for “non compliance” which opened up contempt sanctions and left the Family Court feeling frustrated.

The Impetus for Reform

• Lack of cross agency coordination: The courts, behavioral health, schools, and community agencies were not always communicating with each other which often left families feeling isolated.


• Offer screening and “warm hand-off” referrals for families seeking information regarding beyond control complaints.

• Enhance efforts around case management at the pre-court stage using a multidisciplinary team as a consult.

• Exhaust efforts for intervention prior to formal court involvement.

Goals of the Project


• We started talking!

• State offered guidance on use of reclaiming futures model

• The court offered to coordinate the local effort.

• Our efforts started with no additional funds – just staff time from agencies.

How We Did It


• Family and District Court Judges invited local and state-level stakeholders to the table

• Local data was shared regarding status cases as well as the potential impact on other agencies (i.e. child welfare)

• Reclaiming Futures model was discussed

• Sign-up sheets were circulated and attendees were asked to sign up for one of two teams:

• A site review team would meet bi-monthly and review child specific data.

• A change agent team would meet quarterly, review aggregate data and discuss opportunities for service enhancement.

Initial Meeting


Step One: Provide a screening to youth to direct the family to services before a complaint is filed. (Court Designated Workers (CDWs) currently use the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs – Short Screener)

Summary of Key Steps

Step Two: If complaint is processed a preliminary inquiry takes place with the CDW and the case is presented to a Site Review Team for consultation where treatment is further engaged if necessary.

Step Three: aggregate data, trends, and concerns will be communicated to a Change Agent Team on a quarterly basis for consideration and potential policy changes.


All of this will take place before formal court involvement.


Beyond Control Complaints Filed


From July 2012 to Dec. 2013, Status offense referrals to Family Court have been reduced by approximately 40%.

Results


• Services are getting initiated more timely.

• Role confusion has been diminished – though we are still learning.

• Resources for parents have been indentified.

• More attention is focused on the needs of families that file beyond control of parent with the benefit of a team approach.

• Five families have been referred to DCBS as the team found a child welfare case was more appropriate.

Highlights!


SPOKANE COUNTY COMMUNITY TRUANCY BOARDS

A Promising Intervention for TruancyJennie Marshall, Spokane County Juvenile Court


Community Truancy Board Process

The WA State BECCA Law (or truancy law) mandates all schools in

Washington State must

file a Truancy Petition

with Juvenile Court

when a child has five

unexcused absences in

a month, or ten in a

school year.


Drop Out Data

Dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, live in poverty, receive public assistance, go to prison, end up on death row, be unhealthy, and get divorced (Bridgeland, 2006).

Dropouts “cost” our nation more than $260 billion dollars in lost wages, lost taxes, and lost productivity over their lifetimes. [i] Bridgeland, John M. et al (2006). Silent Epidemic.


“It is a community priority to address the needs of drop-out, truant, and at-risk

youth”The Spokane Community established our children’s education and graduation from high school as a top priority.

Spokane County Juvenile Court joined in the efforts by partnering with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s WA State Models for Change Initiative, local schools, community service providers, and Washington State University (WSU) to study the award-winning West Valley Community Truancy Board (WVSD CTB) as a promising program for helping Truant students and their families.

Impetus for Systems Improvement


West Valley School District Agreed to have WSU Evaluate their Community Truancy Board


Results of the WSU WVSD CTB Evaluation Concluded

• Students who attended WVSD had a higher rate overall of graduating or obtaining a GED and correspondingly lower dropout and transfer rates than truant students in comparison districts.

• The WVSD CTB is an effective and promising intervention for truancy.

• The WVSD CTB is an attractive program for replication and sustainable because start up and sustainability costs can be kept minimal through re-allocation of existing resources.


Community Truancy Board Goals

• Developing a system for finding solutions to prevent truancy

• Reduce formal court involvement by Truant youth.

• Improving school engagement

• Reducing drop out rates

• Increasing access to outside service providers

• Using an interdisciplinary approach to collaborate and coordinate with local community businesses, non profit groups, schools, and Juvenile court staff


The first step in the petition process is called a “Stay Petition”. A Stay Petition simply informs the Juvenile Court System the school is having attendance issues with a student, but asks the court to allow the school more time to work with the student and family to correct the attendance problem before the court becomes involved.

(CTB interventions happen here)

Spokane County Truancy Process


• Room set up• Process• Student explanation• Creative problem solving• Signed agreement• Follow up• Formal court involvement only if necessary

Community Truancy Board Process


Positive Outcomes

Drop Out Rates are Decreasing

(Community Indicators Initiative of Spokane Website)


Formal Court Involvement by Truant Youth has decreased by nearly 50%

Spokane County Models for Change efforts began during the 2007-2008 school year and ended with the 2011-2012 school year. Truancy Filings for these years were 1,781 and 1,706 respectively.

While the numbers of Truancy Petitions filed remained roughly the same, numbers of Truancy Contempt orders for the same years dropped nearly 50% from 202 Contempt orders in 2007-2008 to 108 Contempt Orders in 2011-2012.


Spokane County Juvenile Court developed a Toolkit for Community Truancy Board Replication and a Video about CTBs


Replication Efforts

Community Truancy Board (CTB) numbers in Spokane County have increased from one in 2008 to nine in 2013.

Jefferson County in WA State also developed two CTBs to support their Truant students.


Truancy and drop out rates are not just Spokane or

Washington State issues.“There is an established link between truancy and later problems, such as increased poverty, job

problems, poorer health and mental health, adult

criminality, and incarceration.”


Nation-Wide Replication Efforts

The CTB Replication Toolkit has also been shared with 18 other states and ongoing CTB replication efforts continue nationwide. Kansas:

“Challenges abound Jennie, but we are determined! … I will be strongly defending the Spokane model August 8th when we go to Topeka (state capitol) to explain exactly why and how we want to proceed with the Spokane model.”

West Virginia:

…“I view your state’s programming to be some of the best researched, and evidence based solutions to this problem which threatens the future of nation. “…


Lessons Learned

• “Start small, be successful, and build from there.”

• “Together we can accomplish so much more than we can alone.”

• Community Truancy Board development can be accomplished through re-allocation of existing resources and requires no additional funding.


Want to learn more???

To obtain a Toolkit for CTB Replication or to Watch our CTB VideoVisit our Website at : http://www.spokanecounty.org/Juvenile

Or contact: Bonnie BushJuvenile Court AdministratorSpokane County Juvenile Court1208 W. Mallon, Spokane, WA 99201(509) [email protected]


Calcasieu Parish Status Offender Reform

Dane BolinDirector, Office of Juvenile Justice Services


Population 2012: 192,702

Median Household Income $45,470

Race and Ethnic Categories (2000) Caucasian: (73.6%) African American: (24.0%)Native American: (0.3%)Asian: (0.6%)Other: (1.5%)

Juvenile Services:serves six municipalities and nine law enforcement agenciesworks under the supervision of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and serves our Juvenile and Family court through a memorandum of understanding.

Demographics/Structure


Annie E. Casey Foundation “Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative”

MacArthur Foundation “Models for Change”

Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) – Pilot Site

The Vera Institute, New York, NY observed and documented how the parish currently responds to status offenders. A paper was published on the four elements of Calcasieu’s system that stood out as consistent with national best practice.

Working with The Equity Project - LGBTQ

Calcasieu Parish Reform


“In Calcasieu Parish, we realized that although we did not have the answers, we knew we had a lot of room for improvement. We

decided to change the way we do business!”

• Number of juveniles referred to court and/or to detention was not decreasing

• Due to the above, we were not providing effective programming for our kids

• Overall we were not being efficient enough to provide quality services

• (It took a family and average of approximately 50 days to receive the services needed)

• We were not always focusing on the “right kids”

• Timing in our parish was “ripe” for change

“The Need for Change”


Multi-Agency Resource Center

The center is a collaborative project of the Calcasieu Parish Children and Youth Planning Board Member agencies.

The mission of the MARC is to provide a single entry point and coordinated approach to juvenile services for the youth and families of Calcasieu Parish.

MARC Video: http://youtu.be/59T1CMiBecQ


MARC Goals MARC Criteria• Provide youth and families with a single access point.

• Provide on-site screening and assessments of youth.

• Reduce Law Enforcement processing times.

• Reduce time between arrest and intake.

• Promote public safety and wellbeing.

• Walk-in cases (Families requesting information or assistance)

• Alleged Status cases

• Alleged Delinquent cases

MARC Goals/Criteria


Law Enforcement:•Eliminate time spent waiting on parents to arrive at the station/location.•Fast Custody Exchange – Goal is 12 minutes or less.•Assistance in dealing with Status Offenders.•Reduce recidivism.• 24 hour “Help Line”

Community:•Faster processing times from arrest to intake.•Non-traditional hours.•Single Entry Point to reduce service duplication.•Pooling of resources to save Taxpayer Dollars.•Evidence Based programming to address needs.•A data driven center that can be modified to address community needs.

The MARC Benefits

Slide 53

Need for a

Catalyst!

http://www.calcypb.org/

Slide 54

Law Enforcement and Juvenile Justice Reform


“I recall being asked to comment on the issues law enforcement experienced with

juveniles. I distinctly remember explaining that we knew what to do when kids commit a felony. However, the problem was what to do with guardians when they call and

kids won’t clean their rooms, do homework and other non-specific things that were

behavioral and not necessarily criminal”More “Tools in the Toolbox”

The Art of Listening!


“Now that we have the center which is open it has dramatically changed the process for

handling juveniles in our community, as well as provide law enforcement with a

valuable option that enables them to first be able to keep the juvenile safe and at the

same time allow them to return back to their respective duties.”More “Tools in the Toolbox”

Listening to Results


• Continuous, ongoing training through the Academy

• Active involvement on all reform measures

• Reviewing and analyzing the data

• Educating the public on the results

Accepting the “My Child” challenge

• It requires understanding, commitment, and tools.

Systemic Cultural Sustainability


MY CHILD TEST – DO WE PASS?


Law Enforcement Unit Card


Current Challenges

• Law enforcement officers at times are not fully utilizing the MARC and are relying on old procedures

• Working with law enforcement officials to provide training to officers and educate them on the purpose of the MARC

• Creating a program that does not widen the net

• Building a program not all about US, keeping Multi-Agency concept in mind

• Quality Assurance Process

• Reduction Community Services

• Assisting Jurisdictions in developing a MARC that fits their needs


Lessons Learned: Engaging Stakeholders in Reform


Lessons Learned from the Field

Engaging Court Officials:

• Understand their roles in the system and identify how they will benefit from reform.

• Look for low-hanging fruit

• Acknowledge barriers up front and propose practical solutions to removing them

Engaging School Officials:

• Face to face contact works better than emails or phone calls.

• Address how this effort aligns with their agency objectives

• Share data related to the CTBs, success stories, challenges, ideas


Lessons Learned from the Field (Cont’d)

Engaging Law Enforcement:

• Engage law enforcement not only from the onset, but at every stage of reform. A strong foundation only increases sustainability.

• Acknowledge that system change is reciprocal with Law Enforcement. This requires a understanding of their operating systems.

• When a true partnership is made with Law Enforcement, they “own” the vision, they invest time, energy, and personal passion that will carry the reform themselves.


Questions???


Audience Poll

How helpful did you find this webinar?

A.Very Helpful

B.Somewhat Helpful

C. Not Helpful


To access the Toolkit for Status Offense System Change and other resources, visit the Status

Offense Reform Center at:www.statusoffensereform.org

Thank you!

P.S. Save the date for our upcoming webinar on youth and family engagement in status offense system change work:

Monday April 7th, 2-3pm ET

Find us on twitter! @SOreformcenter

Documents

September 20, 2014