13th Judicial Circuit of MissouriJuvenile Collaboratives & Initiatives

Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI)

The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) was launched in 1992 by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The purpose of JDAI is to demonstrate that jurisdictions can establish more effective and efficient systems to accomplish the purposes of juvenile detention without jeopardizing community safety. JDAI is a process, not a conventional program, with a goal to make sure that secure detention is used only when necessary. In pursuing that goal, JDAI restructures the surrounding systems to create improvements that reach far beyond detention alone.

Objectives:

• Reduce the number of children unnecessarily or inappropriately detained
• Minimize the number of youth who fail to appear in Court or re-offend pending adjudication.
• To redirect public funds toward successful reform strategies
• Improve the conditions of detention

Eight Core Strategies:

1) Interagency collaboration to improve planning and coordination.
2) Using data, including results tracking, to drive policy and program decisions.
3) Reliance on objective criteria to guide admission and sanctioning decisions.
4) New or enhanced community-based alternatives to secure detention.
5) Expedited case processing to reduce lengths of stay and speed resolution.
6) Innovations to reduce secure custody in “special” cases (e.g. violations of probation).
7) Practices and policies to eliminate structured and personal biases that produce racial disparities.
8) Routine facility inspections to improve conditions of detention.

Successful implementation of these strategies should:

a) Reduce admissions.
b) Reduce lengths of stay in confinement.
c) Shorten case processing times.
d) Increase utilization of nonsecure community based programs.

In determining the appropriate level of detention for a juvenile alleged to have committed an offense, it is the policy of the Family Court - Juvenile Division to select the least restrictive alternatives available that will maintain community safety.
Alternatives to Detention were developed to divert juveniles from the detention center while monitoring their activities in the community. The program and its components borrow from model programs and the basic principles of Detention Reform. Juveniles are held accountable for violations by the swift application of a graduated sanction system.

Alternatives Available: 

Shelter Care

When a youth who is not a Ward of the court, is between 10-16 years old, and is in need of a placement outside of their parent/custodian’s home to allow for a cool off period and to set up services for the family. The Juvenile Court partners with Coyote Hills and Rainbow House to provide care for youth who qualify for this program.

Conditional Release

When a juvenile, between 8-16 years old, is released to a parent and a conditional release form is signed by the juvenile and a parent/guardian agreeing the juvenile will comply with specific conditions until the juvenile’s appearance at an Intake Conference or first Court appearance.

Evening Reporting Center (ERC)

A center established for juveniles to report to during evening hours when delinquent behavior generally occurs. Structured activities are scheduled for the juveniles while at these centers and a meal is served.

In-Home Detention

An alternative to secure detention for juveniles who do not pose a risk of harm to the community and who can be monitored in their homes on one of a wide range of systems and system components used to electronically track a juvenile’s whereabouts. This includes wearing an ankle bracelet. An ankle bracelet is a transmitter device attached around the participant’s ankle. The radio frequency (RF) version of the device electronically transmits signals that indicate when the participant enters and leaves his/her approved “home” location, while the Global Positioning System (GPS) version of the device provides the exact location of offenders at all times.

Entering An Alternative Program

When youth are taken into custody and a deputy juvenile officer responds to make face-to-face contact, juveniles are referred to the program because of their Detention Assessment Instrument score. Juveniles are also referred by order of the court and referred by their assigned deputy juvenile officer as a sanction for a probation violation.

Time in the Program

A juvenile’s time in the program depends upon several factors. The primary factor is compliance and order of the court.

Program Violations

Violations of the program may result in additional sanctions, to include more time being added to the time the juvenile has to spend in a particular program component. Although an important goal of the Detention Alternatives Program is to reduce the use of secure detention, persistent violations of the program may result in the juvenile being detained in the court’s detention center.

Intensive Crisis Intervention Services (ICIS)

This is a service for youth aged 8-16 who have been referred for domestic-related issues in which the youth and parent agree to meet with a therapist in their home for up to two weeks intensively to identify issues in the home and make recommendations for interventions and services to help the family.

Fostering Court Improvement Project (FCIP)

Fostering Court Improvement Project (FCIP) is a collaborative partnership involving stakeholders from all the professions working with families involved with the foster care system. Various data is utilized to assess performance and outcomes and initiate plans or change to make improvements in these areas through active sub-group planning committees.

In October 2006, the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Family Court - Juvenile Division received training to participate in a pilot project for Fostering Court Improvement. FCIP allowed for our collaborative partners to reexamine our local child welfare practices. The goal was ultimately to allow our collaborative team to more efficiently analyze how agencies involved with child welfare function and work, both together and independently, achieving better outcomes for children and families. FCIP has allowed differences between agencies to be resolved through the Fostering Court Improvement process due to increased discussion of issues and regular meeting with all team members in attendance. Since October 2006, our team has consistently met monthly with excellent attendance from all agencies involved. Currently our team consists of the Family Court Judge; Court Administrator; staff from the Juvenile Offices in both Boone and Callaway counties; staff from Children's Division in Boone and Callaway counties; staff from contracted agencies providing case management with Children's Division; the Circuit Clerk's Office in both Boone and Callaway counties; Guardians ad Litem; Contracted Attorneys who represent Indigent Parents; and CASA staff.

The overall goal that our FCIP team has focused on has been to reduce the amount of time needed to achieve permanency for children. Within this goal we have completed several tasks over the years. We continue to strive to improve in this area and are always setting new tasks in an effort to decrease the amount of time children are in care before reaching their permanency goal.

In July 2005, time standards were put into place making it a requirement to hold specific types of hearings within certain time frames, pursuant to Section 211.032 RSMo. and Supreme Court Rule 124.01. Protective Custody hearings are required to be held within three days, excluding weekends and legal holidays. An adjudication hearing shall be held within 60 days after the child has been taken into custody and the dispositional hearing shall be held no later than 90 days after the child has been taken into custody. Review hearings regarding the reunification efforts made by the division shall be held every 90 to 120 days for the first year the child is in the custody of the division. After the first year, review hearings shall be held as necessary, but in no event less than once every six months for as long as the child is in the custody of the division.

In October 2008 and November 2009, the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit received awards for extraordinary success in holding timely hearings during the fiscal years 2008 and 2009 in child abuse and neglect cases in which children removed from their homes are to be reunited with their families or are to be placed in another permanency home as soon as possible. Both fiscal years resulted in 100% of the cases meeting required time frames. In fiscal year 2009, there were 1,306 cases that met the required time frames. Supreme Court Judge Mary Russell said at a ceremony in November, 2009 that “These hearings that are held truly help ensure that our juveniles and adults can find safe homes and environments in a timely manner

Boone County Family Resources (BCFR)

Since 1995, the Juvenile Officer, Boone County Family Resources, and the Central Missouri Regional Center have collaborated to coordinate efforts in meeting the needs of children with developmental disabilities who come to the attention of the Juvenile Court.  An employee of Boone County Family Resources is available in the Boone County Juvenile Office weekly to process referrals and assist families with the application process.

Boone County Family Resources provides services for youths with learning and/or developmental disabilities.  The project provides counseling services, tutoring, case management, respite care and other services to address the needs of developmentally disabled persons.

Collaborative Project with Burrell Behavioral Health

Since January 2003, the Juvenile Division has collaborated with Burrell Behavioral Health in an effort to provide mental health services to the youth our agency serves. Burrell Behavioral Health provides a licensed psychologist half a day, once a week at the Juvenile Office. The psychologist completes assessments on youth referred by the Juvenile Officer. As part of the evaluation, the psychologist meets with the youth's deputy juvenile officer and with the youth and the youth's parents, reviews the juvenile officer's file and records, and obtains school records when necessary. The psychologist provides a written report to the Juvenile Officer with recommendations for services. The deputy juvenile officer working with the youth then follows up to ensure that the recommendations are met.

As a result of this collaborative effort, mental health evaluations are performed in a timely manner. In addition, the psychologist has the opportunity to review all pertinent records held by the Juvenile Division to tailor recommendations to best serve the youths.

The Juvenile Office also works with Burrell Behavioral Health in crisis situations. Burrell Behavioral Health has staff available on an emergency basis for children who are in need of an immediate assessment. This service allows Burrell Behavioral Health staff to assess the level of risk the juvenile is to him/herself and to the community. Should in-patient services be recommended, Burrell Behavioral Health staff also assist in locating placement options for the child.

This project has advanced understanding of the roles that the Juvenile Office and the staff at Burrell Behavioral Health play in serving local juveniles and has promoted increased cooperation between these entities.

Interagency Team

The Juvenile Office works in collaboration with several agencies to respond to children with severe needs in an effort to ensure the appropriate referrals are made to community resources.

The collaborative team always consists of individuals from Children's Division, Boone County Family Resources, Columbia Public Schools, University of Missouri Psychiatric Center, Burrell Behavior Health, and the Juvenile Office. Additional community agencies are invited as needed. The interagency team meets every Wednesday afternoon as needed, to staff cases.

Referrals of children to the interagency team can be made by an individual from any of the above mentioned agencies; however, the vast majority of the referrals are received from the child's school.

The child's parent and officials from the child's home school are invited to the meeting. The unique needs of the child are discussed and the different agencies advise the parents what services, if any, that their agency can assist the child and/or family with. The family leaves the meeting with the recommendations as developed by those present at the meeting. Frequently follow-up meetings with the same family will be held in an effort to see what recommendations have been accomplished and to determine if the child and/or family are achieving success.

Meetings normally occur only during the regular school year, but can be held throughout the entire year as needed.