Policy Academy-Action Network Initiative: Overview of State Proposal and Goals April 17, 2015 Tom Andriola: Chief of Policy and Implementation, DCJS

Framing the Project April 17,

3 Background and Decision Point New York State has undertaken significant juvenile justice reform efforts in the past few years Engaging schools has been challenging, but we have been moving in the right direction We have also taken on some projects designed to help justice involved youth who have behavioral health needs Bridging these efforts and a desire to build upon them led our team to choose school-based diversion for our decision point

April 17, Core Team Members State Tom Andriola*Division of Criminal Justice Services Jack CarterJuvenile Justice Advisory Group Meredith Ray-LaBattOffice of Mental Health Steve HansonOffice of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Local Joe ManciniSchenectady County Probation Larry SpringSchenectady City School District Darin SamahaSchenectady County Office of Community Services Dekida HamlerSchenectady City Mission *Core Team Leader

April 17, Home Team Additional Representative Organizations DCJS, Office of Justice Research and Performance DCJS, Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives DCJS, Office of Public Safety State Education Department Office of Children and Family Services Office of Court Administration Families Together in New York State Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children Schenectady City Police Department Schenectady County Department of Family Assistance Schenectady County Family Court

New York State Juvenile Justice System Overview April 17,

7 New York State Juvenile Justice System

New York State Behavioral Health System and Juvenile Justice April 17,

9 Behavioral Health in the Juvenile Justice Context Research across the country has shown that juvenile justice involved youth experience high rates of mental health disorders In New York, between 50 and 60 percent of delinquent youth admitted to state custody present a mental health need at intake Additionally, between 54 and 63 percent present a substance abuse need at intake

Collaboration with the Schenectady City School District April 17,

April 17, Schenectady City School District Referral Process Several steps are taken before filing a PINS petition: 1.Collaborative Action Team (CAT) meets monthly to review individual students’ behavioral issues and possible solutions 2.The youth and the youth’s family is contacted for pre-PINS diversion so they can be referred to community based agencies 3.PINS application is sent to the Center for Juvenile Justice, which schedules a Preliminary Intake Review Committee (PIRC) meeting 4.If there are suspected substance abuse or mental health issues, a MAYSI screening will be done and a specific referral may be made 5.If all diversion efforts are exhausted and the behavior does not improve, further PINS processing may be used as a last resort

April 17, Schenectady City School-Based Incidents School Year (VADIR data) Violent IncidentsNon-Violent Incidents 1043,974 Schenectady City School District Totals Violent IncidentsNon-Violent Incidents Schenectady High School Violent IncidentsNon-Violent Incidents 331,847 Mont Pleasant Middle School

April 17, Schenectady City School District – School Based Incidents School Year (VADIR data) Sex Offenses RobberyAssault Reckless Endangerment Minor Altercations Harassment, Bullying, etc. Criminal Mischief Larceny/Theft Bomb Threat False Alarm Riot Weapon Possession Drug/Alcohol Possession Other Disruptive Incidents ,766 Schenectady City School District

Current Efforts April 17,

April 17, Current Efforts: School Based Partnered with the Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children Statewide summit Six regional summits Intensive school arrest diversion and school climate workshops Upcoming restorative justice workshop Involvement in NYS Safe Schools Task Force JJAG focus on school justice issues

April 17, Current Efforts: Behavioral Health Needs Monroe County diversion project to match evidence-based treatment services to the probation intake population Award received from the BJA Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Grant Program to support expansion to Schenectady, Onondaga and Westchester counties Three counties (Madison, Ontario and Ulster) were also awarded funds for innovative diversion strategies that include implementation of behavioral health assessments at probation intake and provide an array of restorative interventions

Diversion Goals April 17,

April 17, Broad Objectives Divert non-violent youth with behavioral health needs and co-occurring disorders from juvenile justice system court involvement Identify, assess, and service youth with behavioral health needs prior to justice-system involvement Create a robust diversion program for non-violent youth with behavioral health needs Expand the capacity for evidence-based mental health services Reduce disproportionate minority contact Scale this model across the state to other counties

April 17, Goal 1: Identify youth with behavioral health needs at the front-end within the school system Implement a school-based identification strategy guided by best practices to identify youth with potential behavioral health needs Flag youth before a PINS or JD referral becomes necessary

April 17, Goal 2: Assess youth by expanding the use of MAYSI assessments for all probation intakes and other identified youth as appropriate through diversion protocols developed with the school system The expanded use of the MAYSI will enable an effective evaluation and treatment of youth with behavioral health needs This initiative will be helpful in helping us to foster enhanced cross- system coordination protocols

April 17, Goal 3: Divert school-based incidents to a newly developed system of care Use MAYSI assessments to guide diversion efforts Provide appropriate services for youth with behavioral health needs, which may include the use of evidence-based treatment services Develop MOU’s with service provider to ensure that youth are engaged in appropriate services in a timely manner

April 17, Goal 4: Expand capacity for services for youth Outline currently available/utilized services for youth with behavioral health needs Identify where gaps in services exist and incorporate evidence-based services focused on treating behavioral health needs to fill gaps Expand System of Care to include wraparound services In-home therapy Respite care Parent-to-parent support Mentoring In-home crisis intervention Ensure System of Care is appropriately structured, applied with fidelity and rooted in best practices

April 17, Goal 5: Reduce racial and ethnic disparities that may be found in school-based referrals and arrests Analyze available data to identify disproportionate minority contact within the school disciplinary system, probation, and other points in the system Target specific areas/youth for MAYSI administration and early diversion Employ robust racial and ethnic disparity trainings for school personnel focused on needs areas Apply assessment tools with fidelity

April 17, Goal 6: Measure outcomes Perform systematic evaluations of individual sites Ensure efforts are effective Monitor program fidelity Evaluate project performance Coordinate with technical assistance services provided by the initiative to determine outcome metrics

April 17, Goal 7: Expand efforts statewide Use Schenectady as the example Develop a strategy for scaling up the effort with the cooperation of state agencies, counties and school districts across New York State