Diversion programs aim to address the underlying causes of illegal behavior without drawing youth deeper into the juvenile justice system.
From 2013-2016 the NCMHJJ coordinated the Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Collaborative for Change: A Training, Technical Assistance, and Education Center, one of four Resource Centers featured in the Models for Change Resource Center Partnership. The Collaborative for Change shared information on the mental health reforms that were developed by states involved with Models for Change… Read More
From 2013-2016 the NCMHJJ coordinated the Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Collaborative for Change: A Training, Technical Assistance, and Education Center, one of four Resource Centers featured in the Models for Change Resource Center Partnership.
The Collaborative for Change shared information on the mental health reforms that were developed by states involved with Models for Change and provided guidance to support their effective implementation in new communities throughout the country.
Assistance offered by the Collaborative for Change included:
Increasing the number of youth with behavioral health disorders diverted out of the juvenile justice system to effective community-based programs and services… Read More
Students with behavioral health needs are disproportionately subject to exclusionary school discipline and school-based arrests. These experiences often place them on a pathway from school misbehavior to juvenile justice system involvement, resulting in a range of poor outcomes.
The Improving Diversion Policies and Programs for Justice-Involved Youth with Behavioral Health Disorders: An Integrated Policy Academy-Action Network Initiative, with the support of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is a collaboration between the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice and the Technical Assistance Collaborative. This project supports cross systems teams of state and local leaders in developing and implementing a School Responder Model to address behavioral health needs of students through community-based services that keep youth in school and out of the justice system. Technical assistance is provided to teams around the structure of successful School Responder Model initiatives, building the necessary collaborative team, identification of youth in need through screening and assessment, processes to develop enduring systems of referral to effective services, and data collection and analysis. Teams implement initiatives in order to redirect youth with behavioral health needs from school-justice pathways to community-based supports that foster school success.
2012-2013 – To learn more about specific projects, click on the respective state.
2014-2015
2015-2016
Working to improve outcomes for youth and communities through coordination and collaboration among schools, behavioral health providers, law enforcement, and juvenile justice officials.… Read More
The purpose of this project is to enhance collaboration and coordination among schools, mental and behavioral health specialists, law enforcement and juvenile justice officials to help students succeed in school and prevent negative outcomes for youth and communities. The NCMHJJ serves as a core partner in this work, which is spearheaded by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Project efforts directly support targeted sites in implementation of supportive school discipline approaches and provide information for the field through development of tools, training materials, and other resources.