Working with Crossover Youth in the San Luis Valley

1. Working with Crossover Youth in the San Luis Valley September2013

2. Introductions and Overview

3. Who are crossover youth?

4. What are the Pathways to Crossing Over?

5. Reverse Crossover Youth has an Open Juvenile Justice Case Identified as needing services or placement through their Delinquency involvement Youth enters the Child Welfare System and is now “dually involved”

6. The Crossover Youth Practice Model Phase I Practice Area 1: Arrest, Identification, & Detention Practice Area 2: Decision Making Regarding Charges Phase II Practice Area 3: Case Assignment, Assessment & Planning Phase III Practice Area 4: Coordinated Case Management & Ongoing Assessment Practice Area 5: Planning for Youth Permanency, Transition & Case Closure

7. For detained youth: Pre-Trial Services (SB94) is identifying if youth has open case for maltreatment with DHS/DSS. Mechanisms in place to contact the Child Welfare Supervisor & GAL if one is currently representing the child. Once arrested, youth are assessed by JJ using: JDSAG, CJRA pre-screen Youth and family are interviewed by SB94 for input around what the current environment, behaviors, and issues are.

8. The District Attorney’s office is willing to offer informal adjustments and diversion in some cases, which is new to our district. All youth will be referred to a family conference meeting within 7 days but not more than 14 days of the detention hearing. On some cases, youth are referred to Wrap multidisciplinary staffing team for discussion with Caseworker and Juvenile Justice worker on what services will best meet their needs. Family and youth should be included. This is generally in place for youth that are not offered Informal Adjustments.

9. When SB94 screens a juvenile into detention, DHS/DSS provides DHS history to SB94, and SB94 Caseworker is required to make contact or invite the caseworker to attend the interview , or get caseworker updates and recommendations. Task Lists have been drafted for both SB94 and DHS/DSS to establish worker expectations and timeframes. There is currently not an assessment instrument that is common between SB94/Probation and DHS/DSS, however the results of assessments are to be shared. There are several ways in which families participate in the case planning, including: interviews by assigned worker, family conference meeting or various staffing teams.

15. 12th Judicial District Judges will each have a bench card available to ensure that all Crossover Youth cases are handled the same in each county. The 12th District widely uses evidence-based services for Crossover Youth, through SB94, Probation, DHS/DSS, and mental health services. Family Conferences and ISST’sare used to help coordinate case plans, engage the family in decision-making, inform parties of Crossover issues, and strive to place in least restrictive environment. The use of Relative Affidavits and Diligent searches for kin placements is also increasing for Crossover Youth.

16. Task Lists have been written for both agencies. A common Case Plan has been created to be used with all CYPM youth.

18. SB94 Roles and Responsibilities: • Screen juveniles for detention at the request of law enforcement – on call 24/7. • Determine whether or not juveniles are detained. • Provide courts with recommendation regarding release or continued detention of juvenile. • Complete CJRA pre-screen assessments. • Prepare all transport orders when juveniles need to be transported to/from detention. • Monitor and supervise juveniles released on pretrial tracking. • Monitor and supervise juveniles granted an informal adjustment. • Assist in determining needed community resources. • Assist with funding for services for juveniles and families. • Appear for all court hearings regarding juveniles being supervised or held in detention. • Make treatment referrals for juvenile and family. • Evaluate and monitor services to ensure they are appropriate and effective. • Maintain current and accurate records/narratives. • Enter data into Trails system. • Incorporate restorative justice principles to address public safety, victim and community reparation, and offender accountability. • Maintain open communication and collaborate with other agencies involved in the rehabilitation of the juvenile.

19. Probation Officer Roles and Responsibilities: • Investigatory work of offender’s eligibility to be on probation. • Monitoring and supervision of probationers (containment if necessary). Including but not limited to curfew checks, employment verification, home and school visits. • Provide referral for community resources/services. • Similar to the MDT model, probation officers are responsible for leading the team. • Formulate case plan with the offender and family with the goal of establishing pro-social behavior and repairing the harm caused to the community and the victim(s). • Motivate and manage the offender with a continuum of intermediate sanctions and incentives. • Prepare court reports and legal motions including warrants and revocation. • Maintain current and accurate records/narratives. • Maintain open communication and collaborate with other agencies involved in the rehabilitation of the offender. • Complete assessments such as CJRA, A-SUS, etc. • Incorporate restorative justice principles to address public safety, victim and community reparation, and offender accountability. • Make treatment referrals for the juvenile and family. • If needed, seek out funding options to pay for services and collaborate with our partner agencies when appropriate for blended funding. • Mediate issues between client and family. • Evaluate and monitor services to ensure they are appropriate and effective.

20. DHS/DSS Caseworker Roles and Responsibilities: • Housing (Assessment of housing suitability, home study requests for relative and kin placements and referrals for emergency housing and shelter.) • Finances (Review of employment and benefit status of the adults in the household.) • Family therapy coordination and compliance (as it relates to trauma, neglect and abuse). • Monitoring of siblings and their functioning if there are protective concerns. • Transitions home (including assessment of the home situation, arrangement of appropriate educational and therapeutic services for the youth and family as a part of reintegration into the family). • Services in the home to address family dysfunction • Provide referrals for services to address domestic violence (including referrals for appropriate evaluations and treatment for the caretakers) • Provide referrals for services to address substance abuse by anyone in the family other than youth in question (if such usage impacts the functioning of the minor youth). Services can include assessments, treatment and monitoring. • Provide referrals for services to address treatment for victimization (therapeutic intervention for youth or other household family members who have experienced a trauma that is impacting their ability to function.) • Investigation of abuse or neglect issues (including determination as to the filing of a Dependency and Neglect Petition and/or opening services for a sibling.) • Parent’s compliance with orders of the court (and determination if neglect is a factor). • Assess for appropriate service and make community-based referrals • Attend staffings. • Conduct diligent search for absent parents and family members. • Prepare all court reports for Dependency and Neglect Actions. • Develop and monitor the coordinated case plan. • Maintain current and accurate records by DHS/DSS policy. • Assessment for needs relating to independent living services (including completion of appropriate referrals for Chaffee). • Determination of an appropriate Permanent Plan and implementation of services to facilitate.

21. DHS/DSS & SB94/PROBATION • The frequency of formal gatherings to review progress is dependent upon case dynamics but should occur monthly initially, then every other month after disposition or: • When there is a significant change in family dynamics • When there is a major change in the youth’s status • When a family member requests a meeting • Prior to court hearings to discuss updates, issues and share information for court reports.

22. COLLABORATIVE COURT REPORTS: • SB94 case managers are responsible for the initial recommendation to the court at detention hearing regarding detaining the juvenile which incorporates the results of the CJRA. The SB94 caseworker will contact DHS/DSS by phone prior to the detention hearing to discuss the juvenile’s child welfare history and possible placement recommendations. • SB94 and DHS/DSS caseworkers will meet with the family and family conference facilitator to develop a temporary plan for placement and services as well as charging recommendations to the court prior to first appearance on charges. • If the juvenile is not provided an informal adjustment or diversion but admits to charges/found guilty at trial, then Probation may be ordered to write the PSI.The probation officer is expected to solicit information from the caseworker for input in the PSI. • If there is a combination Dependency and Neglect and Delinquency case being reviewed in court then it is always the caseworker’s responsibility to write and file the report. They are to seek input from the probation officer, include the probation officer's information/recommendations and provide a copy to the PO prior to the hearing. • If a youth is in out of home placement, the caseworker is responsible for submitting a review hearing report at each hearing, as well as the permanency planning report. • The Probation Officer is responsible for all revocations of probation and any paperwork relating to that.

23. 12th Judicial District Crossover Youth Practice Model Implementation Manual VISION: Ensure the most vulnerable youth of the San Luis Valley receive appropriate services to keep them safe, healthy, and successful. MISSION: Improve outcomes for the youth of the San Luis Valley through early identification, coordination of multi-agency services focusing on strengths, and actively engaging youth and families when they cross over between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. CROSSOVER YOUTH POPULATION: Youth who have open cases (voluntary, Dependency/Neglect or Delinquency) with DHS/DSS, a finding of maltreatment in their history, as well as having been arrested at the district level (not municipal) and screened by SB94. This is the group of youth which the counties of Alamosa, Conejos and Rio Grande have focused initial implementation of the Crossover Youth Practice Model. The broader definition of “Crossover Youth” is youth who have previous founded maltreatment and have come to the attention of the juvenile justice system. Research shows that regardless of whether or not they have current DDHS/Child Welfare involvement, they are at greater risk for juvenile justice involvement by the mere fact that they were previously abused or neglected. “Reverse Crossover Youth” are youth that have juvenile justice involvement, and are subsequently referred to Child Welfare for intervention and or services. Collaboration/Information Sharing: Please remember that it can be stressful and confusing for youth and families who are involved in multiple systems; our hope is to make the process less stressful, confusing and intrusive and the outcomes more positive. We should therefore be mindful ofwhat information we share, with whom, when and whyso that information sharing is used to achieve positive outcomes for the youth and their families, and ultimately results in a benefit to the youth, family and community. Subjecting youth to a more punitive response as a result of gathering information necessary to improve strength and need identification and service provision is not the goal to be achieved.

24. Questions?