FULL COMMUNITY
COLLABORATION IN
SUPPORT OF SYSTEMINVOLVED YOUTH
The Family Partnerships Program
Larimer County Colorado
HISTORY OF LCDHS IN
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Prior to 2002-Same as Most of State
2002-Youth Services Home Based
2006-Began implementing model from Olmstead, MN
2008-Learned about Hampton VA model
2009-In January Family Assessment and Planning Team
was created
• 2009-In March a CFSR was completed in Larimer
• 2009-In October there was a shift to Family Partnerships
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FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS
• Designed by Probation,
Department of Human
Services, SB94 (preadjudication tracking
unit) and the District
Attorneys Office
• Two functions
• Department of Human
Services Court Intake
• Family Partnership
Program (FPP)
COURT INTAKE
• Representation and Liaison in Court
• Perform assessment for DHS Intakes
• Typically new in system
• Suggest and refer families to appropriate services (including
FP) when necessary
• Access to services via DHS and community funding
• Member of Juvenile Assessment Team (JAT)
• Probation, DHS (including juvenile screening entity),
SummitStone (local mental health provider), SB94
• Streamline sharing of information and assessment duties
FP PROGRAM
• Provides Intensive Case management
• High intensity at start
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Minimum of weekly face to face
Extensive collateral work
Service matching and referral
Intensity decreases over time
Responsive to family crisis
Tenacious advocacy within systems
Developing informal support network
Planning for alternatives to congregate care placements
Facilitating access to Family Engagement meetings
Screening for trauma related issues
ELIGIBLITY CRITERIA
Youth/Family Must:
• High Risk by the Pre-CJRA. Moderate youth need
supervisor override
• Have a parent/guardian that is willing to meet with FP
Staff
• Not be involved with other intensive in home services
• Upon assessment, the FP program may deem the family
not appropriate if the current supports and services
appear to be meeting the family’s needs or if the family
does not feel they would benefit from services
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
In addition, during the screening process it must be
determined that youth/family meet 4 of the following
6 Criteria.
The youth/child at risk, or the Parent(s)/Guardian(s) have a diagnosed
Mental Health Disorder that has caused disruption in the last year.
The youth/child is already placed out of the home (Priority given to
congregate care placements).
The youth/child at risk or Parent(s)/Guardian(s) have used illicit substances in
the past 6 month, that has resulted in negative behavioral consequences
There has been documented violence/aggression/threats in the home,
school or community.
A history of trauma to the youth and/or parent and/or a history of Child
Protection involvement
Age of youth listed is 13 or younger.
THE REAL SECRET
TO THE SUCCESS
RELATIONSHIPS are the FOUNDATION
• Specific DHS worker teamed with specific Probation
Officer(s)
• Direct referrals not only accepted, but encouraged
• Probation gains access to service for families without court
order
• Easier to work through differing opinions within context of
relationships
• DHS and Probation work together to build resiliency in
families and one another
Old
PARADIGM SHIFT
New
Child Focused, Professional
Driven
Child Focused, Family Driven
Problem Focused
The Problem is the Exception
Families with Limited Power
Families given power to direct
services
Court Directed
Driven by the family
engagement process
Treat in Groups with similar
approaches
Individualized with services
that fit each family
High use of Congregate Care
Limited use of any out of
home placement
Multiple agencies
implementing court ordered
services
Centralized Services
Decrease in probation
resources
Increase in capacity to serve
clients with complex needs in
the community
System Blame
True integration
WHO SAYS SYSTEMS
CANT WORK TOGETHER
Naysayers Believed:
• Agencies cant work together, it will just become a turf
war
• The use of Residential and DYC is only going to skyrocket
• More recidivism, less success on probation
• The community will be unsafe
HIGHEST LEVELS OF CARE
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
FY 04FY 05FY 06FY 07FY 08FY 09FY 10FY 11FY 12FY 13FY 14 FY15 FY16
DYC Commit
RCCF ADP
POSITIVE OUTCOMES
• Off all the youth committed to the Department of
Youth Corrections for FY 14/15 and FY 15/16 only 26% of
those were youth who received Family Partnerships
Support
• This is particularly significant given that the youth
involved in Family Partnerships can be defined as very
high risk based on various forms of objective screening
measures
ONGOING AND FUTURE
PROGRAMMING
Current Practices and Programming
• Juvenile Recovery Court
• Girls Group
• Crossover Court
• Trauma Informed Community Practice
• Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT)
• Drug and Alcohol Group
• WhyTry
• Restorative Justice Practice
• Family Assessment and Planning Team
• Offense Specific Programming (for sexually offending youth)
• Strategies for Behavior Change
• Safety Organized Practice
• Tremendous variety of community programming provided by collaborative partners
ONGOING AND FUTURE
PROGRAMMING
Pending programs (to be implemented by end of 2017)
• Girls Program
• Program model to address Racial and Ethnic Disparity
at the point of commitment
WHERE TO FROM HERE
• Continued focus on zero youth in congregate care
• The goal is continuous improvement
• Continue to address the overrepresentation of Latino youth
in the delinquency system
• Continue work to improve trauma informed services
• Continue to maintain and develop programming that
decreases the length of stay in detention and number of
DYC commitments
• Use data to guide areas that need improvement, address
identified service gaps and utilize services with proven
successful outcomes
• Adapt programming and support to meet current budget
needs
QUESTIONS
Contact Info:
• Hava Simmons, 970-498-6996, [email protected]
• Dixie Vogel, 970-622-2154, [email protected]