Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network (MacArthur Foundation)
Client
Colorado State Court Administrator's Office - Division of Probation Services
Funder
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation - Models for Change Initiative
Stakeholders
Colorado MacArthur Project Core Team Members represent the breadth of collaborative efforts and planning both in Denver Metro and statewide to improve support for justice-involved youth with mental health and substance use issues. Core Team representatives include: SCAO-Division of Probation Services, Denver Juvenile Court, The Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health~ Colorado Chapter, Colorado Department of Human Services (Divisions of Youth Corrections and Behavioral Health), Denver Crime Prevention and Control Commission, Mental Health Center of Denver, and the Colorado Department of Public Safety (Division of Criminal Justice).
Description
With support from a three year Models for Change grant from the MacArthur Foundation, Colorado is building on the groundwork set by the Colorado Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Council's Three Year Plan. This grant specifically funds Colorado’s efforts to improve the interface between juvenile justice and mental health for justice involved youth. A primary focus of Colorado’s MacArthur Project is the systematic incorporation of a research-based mental health screening protocol within all juvenile justice agencies statewide (MAYSI-2). This includes pilot-testing the MAYSI-2 at four sites (Denver Juvenile Probation Department, Denver Safe City, Jefferson County Juvenile Probation and Jefferson County Juvenile Assessment Center) to collect information and data that will be used to develop a juvenile justice system-wide mental health screening protocol. The protocol, which will be used to train intake staff from a variety of juvenile justice agencies in Denver and statewide, will include procedures for the application of the MAYSI-2, for communication, and for information sharing across agencies. In addition to ensuring that the mental health screening tool is implemented with fidelity by juvenile justice agencies statewide, the majority of Colorado’s efforts in Year 3 will be focused on implementing a Family and Youth Work Plan with the primary goal of enhancing the level of knowledge and understanding among juvenile justice administrators, staff, and stakeholders of the critically important role that families play in the lives of their children, and the role that families can play as professional partners with the juvenile justice system to achieve better outcomes for youth. Colorado will develop and pilot a number of trainings in the spring to increase the knowledge and awareness of both juvenile justice professionals and family members in this area.
External Links
