Family-Driven Family-Driven Strategies to Improve Strategies to Improve

Juvenile Justice Juvenile Justice

Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County

20082008

Average Daily Population

22.5

46.7

0

10

20

30

40

50

1996 2007

52% decrease

JDAI results, including a JDAI results, including a significant drop in significant drop in

detention…detention…

Latino Representation in Juvenile Hall vs. General Population

64%

55%

34%

50%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1997 2007

Latinos in Juv. Hall Latinos in Gen. Pop.

30% gap

5% gap

……a significant reduction in a significant reduction in DMC…DMC…

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1996 2007

1996 104 35 11 50.67

2007 61 11 1 22.5

PlacementsRanch Camp

CYAJuvenile Hall

ADP*

...along with a drop in ...along with a drop in placements and placements and

institutional commitments institutional commitments ……

……could not be sustained could not be sustained without home-based and without home-based and

community solutions community solutions supported by family focused supported by family focused Juvenile Justice Practices.Juvenile Justice Practices.

Premises of Juvenile JusticePremises of Juvenile JusticePractices that Support Youth and Practices that Support Youth and

Family Centered PracticeFamily Centered Practice• The Justice System does not hold the wisdom The Justice System does not hold the wisdom

of youth, families and communitiesof youth, families and communities• Youth problems do not develop in isolation, Youth problems do not develop in isolation,

therefore solutions should be context focused therefore solutions should be context focused not offender focused and retributive.not offender focused and retributive.

• Reliance on authoritarian and confrontational Reliance on authoritarian and confrontational approaches is unnecessary, unproductive and approaches is unnecessary, unproductive and will produce resistance and mutual disrespect.will produce resistance and mutual disrespect.

• Partnerships with youth, families and Partnerships with youth, families and communities produce better services, communities produce better services, outcomes, promote public safety and are more outcomes, promote public safety and are more cost effective.cost effective.

Why Include Families ?Why Include Families ?

• Better and more sustainable outcomes are Better and more sustainable outcomes are achieved when youth and families are involved achieved when youth and families are involved in the planningin the planning

• More informed decision makingMore informed decision making• Reinforces that caregivers should maintain the Reinforces that caregivers should maintain the

lead in raising their childrenlead in raising their children• Transparency encourages trust in the JJ systemTransparency encourages trust in the JJ system• Can break destructive intergenerational cyclesCan break destructive intergenerational cycles• Creates a cooperative partnership rather than Creates a cooperative partnership rather than

an adversarial relationship an adversarial relationship • Meets best practice standardsMeets best practice standards

Go Beyond…Go Beyond…Satisfaction SurveysSatisfaction Surveys

Family Engagement Family Engagement Services Create a Family Services Create a Family

Friendly CultureFriendly Culture• Family Conferencing Family Conferencing • Court VideoCourt Video• Wraparound servicesWraparound services• Family partnersFamily partners• Cara y Corazon curriculum Cara y Corazon curriculum • Placement Screening Placement Screening

CommitteeCommittee• Facilitated crisis Facilitated crisis

interventionintervention• Victim – Offender mediation Victim – Offender mediation

for domestic disputesfor domestic disputes• Family Resource Center Family Resource Center

ContractsContracts• Youth Re-entry TeamYouth Re-entry Team• Services to Children of Services to Children of

Incarcerated ParentsIncarcerated Parents

Require Contractors to Put Require Contractors to Put Families and Youth First Families and Youth First

• Work with CBO’s who are in the same Work with CBO’s who are in the same community as your clients and share your valuescommunity as your clients and share your values

• Provide training for CBO’s on EBP’s, strength Provide training for CBO’s on EBP’s, strength based work, the court system, etc.based work, the court system, etc.

• Be clear with CBO’s about expected outcomes. Be clear with CBO’s about expected outcomes. Examples from a Santa Cruz contractExamples from a Santa Cruz contract– ““CAA will provide primary attention to youth in secure CAA will provide primary attention to youth in secure

custody to expedite safe release to a less restrictive custody to expedite safe release to a less restrictive environment”environment”

– ““CAA will provide services in a youth and family CAA will provide services in a youth and family centered manner, in the primary language of the centered manner, in the primary language of the family” family”

Youth Re-entry TeamYouth Re-entry Team

• Parents and youth self-refer to Parents and youth self-refer to servicesservices– Four CBO’s Four CBO’s – Specializing in gang related issues, Specializing in gang related issues,

career development, family stresses, career development, family stresses, school barriers, LGBT struggles, and school barriers, LGBT struggles, and physical and mental health linkages to physical and mental health linkages to the communitythe community

– In conjunction with Children’s Mental In conjunction with Children’s Mental Health Health

Involve all Stakeholders in Involve all Stakeholders in Critical DecisionsCritical Decisions

Placement Screening Placement Screening CommitteeCommittee

• Interdisciplinary team meets 2x’s per weekInterdisciplinary team meets 2x’s per week• Team consists of:Team consists of:

– Children’s Mental Health:Children’s Mental Health:• Detention Mental Health Clinician,Detention Mental Health Clinician,• Supervising MH Clinicians for Wraparound and Family Supervising MH Clinicians for Wraparound and Family

Preservation ProgramsPreservation Programs– Probation:Probation:

• Probation supervisors for residential placement and Wraparound Probation supervisors for residential placement and Wraparound and Family Pres Programsand Family Pres Programs

• Probation manager Probation manager • Presenting Probation OfficerPresenting Probation Officer

– Community Based Organization – Youth ServicesCommunity Based Organization – Youth Services• Parent partnerParent partner

– Parent’s or caregivers and possibly other familyParent’s or caregivers and possibly other family– Youth Youth – Health Educator Health Educator – Other support people – ex: Clergy, school personnel, neighborOther support people – ex: Clergy, school personnel, neighbor

What Cases are Screened What Cases are Screened ??

• Any youth who might be escalated to Any youth who might be escalated to the following dispositions in the the following dispositions in the system:system:

– Wraparound or Family PreservationWraparound or Family Preservation– Residential PlacementResidential Placement– Ranch CampRanch Camp– Intensive Mental Health Caseload and Intensive Mental Health Caseload and

Evening Treatment CenterEvening Treatment Center

SB 163 Wraparound SB 163 Wraparound ServicesServices

– Target population are deeply entrenched Target population are deeply entrenched interagency involved families – high interagency involved families – high criminality, dual diagnosis, high needcriminality, dual diagnosis, high need

– Key principles:Key principles:• Family voice and choiceFamily voice and choice• Culturally responsive and community based servicesCulturally responsive and community based services• Team approach/collaborationTeam approach/collaboration• Involves natural supportsInvolves natural supports• Individualized family plansIndividualized family plans• Outcome based – goals remain at forefrontOutcome based – goals remain at forefront• Strength based and needs drivenStrength based and needs driven• Addresses all life domains Addresses all life domains

Wraparound In Action :Wraparound In Action :

• Staff – Child and Staff – Child and Family Team:Family Team:– Child and Family Team Child and Family Team

Facilitator – Facilitator – coordinator of services coordinator of services

– Parent Partner – focus Parent Partner – focus on parenton parent

– Family Specialist – Family Specialist – focus on youthfocus on youth

– Probation Officer as Probation Officer as team memberteam member

– Natural Helpers and Natural Helpers and family membersfamily members

•

• Families know more about themselves than we can ever hope Families know more about themselves than we can ever hope toto

• Parents need to be supported so they have sufficient Parents need to be supported so they have sufficient resources to care for their childrenresources to care for their children

• Don’t ever give up – recovery can be a long, grueling processDon’t ever give up – recovery can be a long, grueling process• There is not a one-size-fits-all solution – responsivity needs to There is not a one-size-fits-all solution – responsivity needs to

be tied to risk/needbe tied to risk/need• Family centered work is also culturally competent and helps Family centered work is also culturally competent and helps

address DMCaddress DMC• Collaboration with other family and child serving agencies is Collaboration with other family and child serving agencies is

key key • It’s not just about family system change It’s not just about family system change

– – formal system must undergo self examinationformal system must undergo self examination

and change and change

Lessons Learned