Screening, Assessment and Detention Continuum for Juveniles

Presented by:

Jeff McDonald

April 12 – 13, 2011

Why an Assessment Center?

Why an Assessment Center for Jefferson County?

Lack of coordinated juvenile services

Juvenile information exchange

Increased lethality of juvenile violence

Need for a single point of entry

Too many separate juvenile court filings

Lengthy time between arrest and court

Low-level offenses-high level of intervention

1992-93

JSPC Mission

The mission of the Jefferson County Juvenile Assessment Center:

We are an assessment center that is responsive to the safety and well being of youth, families, victims, and the Jefferson County Community.

JCJAC Goals

Family and youth have a single access point Reduce time officers spend with juveniles Respond comprehensively to the whole juvenile Provide multi-agency screening and assessment Ensure community safety

The goals of the Jefferson County Juvenile Assessment Center:

Ten Essential Elements of a Juvenile Assessment Center

Target Population

First Essential Element

Target Population

Juveniles from the age of 10 - 17

Mildly Intoxicated (BAC below .05)

Mild drug impairmentDelinquent youthTruant, suspended,

expelled youth

Fire setters

Beyond control of parent

Parent/child conflict

Mental health issues

Municipal juvenile

violators/warrants

Second Essential Element

Referrals

Who Refers to JCJAC ?

District Attorney

SB-94

R-1 Schools

JCMH

Police officers:

Whether to detain

Alternative to detention

Criminal and academic information

Human Services

Runaways & homeless

Beyond control of parent

Abused and neglected

Arvada & Golden

Municipal probation and diversion services

Municipal warrants: all police agencies

District AttorneySheriff’s Dept.Low risk offenders and case management services

Community Education

Juvenile Justice education and training:

Semi-annual police training

Teacher in-services

Advice Center:

In person or by phone

Self referral

Parents who need help with children

School District

Truant

At risk youth

School based threat assessment

Suspended and expelled youth

JCJAC

Third Essential Element

Single Point of Entry

Single Point of Entry

Law enforcement Stakeholder referrals Family referrals Self referrals No wrong door

JCJAC Benefits for Law Enforcement

Law enforcement transports from municipalities and the sheriff's office make up 85% of the youth seen at the JCJAC

Average length of stay of the officer is 5 minutes Average length of stay of the youth is 4 hours

Financial benefit per transport avg. $90.00 per hour 1594 youth served in 2008 1594 X $360 = $573,840 1594 X 4 hours = 6376 officer hours saved 3 years transport: 2008-1594; 2009-1337; 2010-1267

Primary Services:

Law Enforcement Transport

After Transport to JCJAC

Screening and assessment

Referral and recommendations

Release to parents/adults

Detain/placement via Human Services

Psychiatric hold

Detention

Fourth Essential Element

Comprehensive Assessments

Immediate and Comprehensive Assessment

Strength based needs assessment

Validated/evidence based screening and assessment

tools

Best principles and practices interventions

All community focused

Immediate and Comprehensive Assessment

Colorado Juvenile Risk Assessment (CJRA)

Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument Second

Version (MAYSI-2)

Substance Use Survey Second Version (SUS-2)

FEMA Fire Risk Interview Forms

Kearney School Refusal Assessment Scale

Primary Services: Detention Screens

Youth assessed in the field with the Colorado Juvenile Detention Screening and Assessment Guide (JDSAG)

1. Mandatory hold factors2. Juvenile warrants3. Risk of serious/repeated delinquency4. Risk of self harm (weapons)5. Public safety risk6. Family or community resources

Primary Services: Community Based Treatment Referrals:

Linkage to services made based on screens and assessment:

Counseling services Anger management Drug/alcohol intervention Mentoring School based interventions Mediation services

Menu of Services

Primary Services Detention Screens Law Enforcement

Transports Phone Screens Court Information Juvenile Justice Training Community Intervention

Referrals Case Management

Secondary Services Arson Education Time Out Bonding Sex Offender Supervision School Risk Assessment School Notification Data Access Future….

Fifth Essential Element

Terms of Participation

Terms of Participation

Voluntary participation

Limited length of stay

Controlled entrance

Informed consent and confidentially

Sixth Essential Element

Confidentiality

Confidentiality

Follow federal and state guidelines

Memorandum of Understanding

Mandatory reporters

Protect to the best ability

Seventh Essential Element

Juvenile Information Systems

JUVENILE INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Access to view multiple databases

All systems web based

JAC based systems are individualized

All systems secure

Juvenile Information Systems

Information Systems Based or used by JAC’s

Colorado TrailsLexis Nexis / CourtlinkCase Management

SystemsRecord Management

Systems

Juvenile Information SharingC.O.P.S.COPLINKCCIC/NCICInfinite CampusMental Health databases

From the Office of the Colorado Attorney General

(10.5) "Assessment center for children", as used in sections 19-1-303 and 19-1-304, means a multi-disciplinary, community-based center that provides services to children and their families, including, but not limited to, detention screening, case management, and therapeutic intervention relating to delinquency, abuse or neglect, family conflict, and truancy.

http://www.michie.com/colorado/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=

From the Office of the Colorado Attorney General Sharing of Information

(4.3) School and school district personnel, employees of the state judicial department, employees of state agencies, employees of criminal justice agencies, and employees of assessment centers for children who share information concerning a child pursuant to this part 3 shall be immune from civil and criminal liability if such personnel or employee acted in good faith compliance with the provisions of this part 3.

http://www.michie.com/colorado/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=

National JIS Initiative

A national OJJDP initiative supported by the Center for Network Development

JCJAC is the local pilot site vetting the Juvenile Justice XML Data Model (JJXDM)

JJXDM is based on the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM)

JCJAC is participating with the State of Colorado’s Children and Youth Information Sharing Project using the JIS Guidelines and the NIEM.

JJAC will be the first site in the nation to conduct data exchanges in a juvenile environment using the JJXDM

Juvenile Information Sharing

Colorado Children and Youth Information Sharing

http://www.juvenileis.org/ccyis.html

Eighth Essential Element

Program Administration

Program Administration

Diverse board representation

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for multi-agencies

Multi-funding of program

Federal, state and local

Established mission/goals

Ninth Essential Element

Sustainability

Sustainability

Multi-agency co-location Ongoing assessment of community needs Diversity of board Multi-funding streams

JCJAC IGA Contributions

The breakdown for contributing partners in the

Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) is as follows:

Jefferson County (including the District Attorney, Social Services,

Mental Health) 46%

Jefferson County Public Schools 14%

12 Local Municipalities and Sheriff’s Office 40%

Why JCJAC Works

Cost-effectiveness: co-located budget + operating expense

Collaboration with multiple agencies

Family limitations: less travel=less time=better rapport

Multi-systemic approach to youth and families

Ability to be flexible meeting local needs

Maximizing community partnerships

Low-cost alternative to detaining youth

Co-location of data/information: more comprehensive view of juvenile & family history

Reduction in recidivism

Two Federal studies prove the effectiveness

Tenth Essential Element

Statewide Initiative

Colorado Juvenile Assessment Center Coalition

JAC written into Colorado statues in 2001 Memorandum of Understanding between JACs Collaboration in ongoing training of center staff Sharing of information Description is included in Title 19 of the Colorado Children’s Code

Colorado’s six sites

Jefferson County Larimer County

Arapahoe County Colorado Springs

Adams County Pueblo

Questions from Participants?

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

www.ojjdp.gov

or

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

National Training and Technical Assistance Center

www.nttac.org

For more information or assistance