CHILDREN AND YOUTH JUSTICE CENTER

CCYJ MANAGES FOUR PROJECTS TARGETING YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM REFORM:THE WASHINGTON STATE BECCA TASK FORCE WAS FOUNDED IN 2002 TO HELP SUPPORT SCHOOLS, COURTS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN CARRYING OUT THE INTENT AND GOALS OF THE MANDATORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, CHILDREN IN NEED OF SERVICES (CHINS), AND AT-RISK YOUTH (ARY) LAWS, COLLECTIVELY.KNOWN AS THE "BECCA LAWS." STAFFED BY CCYJ SINCE 2008, THE TASK FORCE PROVIDES A FORUM TO FOSTER STATEWIDE COLLABORATION BETWEEN COURTS, SCHOOLS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS FACILITATE THE INITIATION OF RESEARCH AND TRAINING ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF PROVEN PRACTICE MODELS TO MEET THE NEEDS AND ENSURE SUCCESS OF YOUTH AND FAMILIES BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER A CRISIS AND LEAD EFFORTS IN WASHINGTON STATE TO ENSURE THAT ADEQUATE FUNDING, ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS, AND EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE PROCESSES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INTENT AND GOALS OF THE BECCA LAWS ARE IN PLACE. THE BECCA TASK FORCE MEETS MONTHLY TO REVIEW CURRENT RESEARCH AND BEST PRACTICES EXAMINE SYSTEM OUTCOMES AND IDENTIFY GAPS IN CARRYING OUT THE BECCA LAWS IDENTIFY ISSUES REQUIRING REFORM OF THE STATE'S BECCA LAWS, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES AND STRATEGIZE AND COORDINATE EFFORTS AMONG ITS MEMBERS TO PROMOTE THE INTENT, GOALS, AND OUTCOMES OF THE WASHINGTON STATE BECCA LAWS. SINCE 2004, THE BECCA TASK FORCE ALSO HAS CO-HOSTED AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN COLLABORATION WITH A JUVENILE COURT AND/OR EDUCATION PARTNER. CONFERENCE ATTENDEES LEARN ABOUT CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN BECCA-RELATED RESEARCH, LAW, AND POLICY RECEIVE INFORMATION AND TRAINING ON MODEL PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES USED IN WASHINGTON AND NATIONALLY AND NETWORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVING AGENCIES. THE LINC (LEADERSHIP, INTERVENTION & CHANGE) STEERING COMMITTEE (FORMERLY THE SUBURBAN KING COUNTY COORDINATING COUNCIL ON GANGS (SKCCCG)) WAS CONVENED BY CCYJ IN 2011. THE STEERING COMMITTEE IS A GROUP OF HIGHLEVEL DECISION MAKERS FROM ACROSS KING COUNTY INCLUDING COUNTY OFFICIALS, MAYORS, POLICE CHIEFS, SCHOOL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. THE STEERING COMMITTEE WAS DESIGNED TO BREAK DOWN THE SYSTEMIC AND PROCEDURAL BARRIERS THAT DISSUADE CROSS-SYSTEM COLLABORATION, COORDINATION, AND INTEGRATION. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE NATION, MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS COME TOGETHER TO PROMOTE A REGIONAL SOLUTION TO THE GROWING PROBLEM OF YOUTH VIOLENCE IN KING COUNTY'S COMMUNITIES. IN 2013, THE STEERING COMMITTEE FINALIZED AND ADOPTED A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO REDUCE GANG AND GROUP VIOLENCE, AND FUNDING WAS OBTAINED TO ADVANCE ITS IMPLEMENTATION. WITH A MIX OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDING, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONTINUES, AND BEGINNING IN 2015, INCLUDES YOUTH LINC A MULTIDISCIPLINARY INTERVENTION TEAM FACILITATED BY CCYJ. THE YOUTH LINC INTERVENTION TEAM WAS LAUNCHED AS A MODEL THAT COULD BE REPLICATED THROUGHOUT THE KING COUNTY REGION. IN 2016, THIS WORK WAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE CITY OF SEATTLE. TODAY, THREE GEOGRAPHICALLY BASED LINC INTERVENTION TEAMS PROVIDE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO COORDINATE EXISTING COMMUNITY PROGRAMS THAT SERVE SHARED CLIENTS. THESE TEAMS INCLUDE REPRESENTATION FROM MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COURT STAFF, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM STAFF, STREET OUTREACH WORKERS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. THE LINC INTERVENTION TEAMS ACCEPT REFERRALS FROM PROBATION, SCHOOL COUNSELORS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND CREATE COORDINATED SERVICE PLANS FOR GANG/GROUP INVOLVED AND AT-RISK YOUNG PEOPLE. THE LINC STEERING COMMITTEE AND LINC INTERVENTION TEAMS ALSO WORK TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF GANG/GROUP VIOLENCE AND MOBILIZE COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES.IN 2023, CCYJ WAS AWARDED A CONTRACT WITH KING COUNTY OFFICE OF REGIONAL GUN VIOLENCE TO SERVE AS AN INTERMEDIARY FOR THE REGIONAL PEACEKEEPERS INITIATIVE PILOT TO PROVIDE CAPACITY BUILDING TO FIVE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN KING COUNTY WORKING DIRECTLY WITH YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS IMPACTED BY GUN VIOLENCE. WASHINGTON STATE CONTINUES TO FEATURE A SYSTEM OF LEGAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS, LAWS, AND PRACTICES THAT NEGATIVELY AND DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT YOUTH AND THE FAMILIES OF YOUTH INVOLVED IN THE JUVENILE AND CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEMS. CCYJ IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MULTIPLE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS CONVENED MEETINGS, CONDUCTED RESEARCH, HOSTED LISTENING SESSIONS, AND PREPARED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE RELATED FINES AND FEES ON SYSTEM-INVOLVED YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE FOCUS ON CCYJ'S ACTIVITIES IN 2023 WAS ON ELIMINATING FINES AND FEES IN WASHINGTON'S JUVENILE COURTS. CCYJ ALSO WORKED WITH OUR PARTNERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF RESTITUTION AND VICTIM COMPENSATION SENTENCES AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT FINANCIAL BURDENS AND TO RESEARCH REHABILITATIVE ALTERNATIVES TO MONETARY RESTITUTION. IN 2023, CCYJ WAS AWARDED A GRANT FROM THE U.S. BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE TO PROVIDE TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND CAPACITY BUILDING TO UP TO FIVE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION SERVICES TO YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 12 TO 24 YEARS AT HIGHEST RISK OF VICTIMIZATION OR PERPETRATION OF GUN VIOLENCE ACROSS KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON.

CCYJ MANAGES ONE PROJECT SPECIFIC TO CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM REFORM: EARLY CHILDHOOD COURTS IS A PORTFOLIO THAT MANAGES THE STATEWIDE EXPANSION OF THE SAFE BABIES COURT TEAM (SBCT) APPROACH IN WASHINGTON. THIS APPROACH WAS IMPLEMENTED IN FIVE COUNTIES, AND PLANNING IS UNDERWAY TO EXPAND TO A SIXTH COUNTY IN THE NEXT YEAR. THE SBCT APPROACH IS A THERAPEUTIC COURT MODEL THAT UTILIZES A COMMUNITY WIDE, SYSTEMS-CHANGE APPROACH THAT LEVERAGES COLLABORATION AMONG COURTS, CHILD WELFARE, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. THIS APPROACH HAS A STRONG FOCUS ON REDUCING TRAUMA AND PROVIDING MORE EQUITABLE AND HOLISTIC SUPPORTS TO CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF THREE AND THEIR FAMILIES IN, OR AT RISK OF ENTERING, THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM. MORE FREQUENT ENGAGEMENT OCCURS WITH FAMILIES TO ELEVATE THEIR VOICES, IDENTIFY NEEDS, TRACK GOALS AND PROGRESS, AND PROBLEM-SOLVE THROUGHOUT THE CASE. THE SBCT APPROACH ALSO FOCUSES ON SUPPORTING PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTING THEM TO APPROPRIATE, TIMELY SERVICES. CCYJ SUPPORTS THIS WORK THROUGH SUBCONTRACTS WITH MULTIPLE COURT SITES WHO UTILIZE THIS APPROACH IN THEIR COURT SYSTEM, AND PROVIDES ONGOING TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO EACH COURT SITE, AS WELL AS PEER LEARNING AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. CCYJ MAINTAINS CONTACT WITH THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT DEVELOPED THE MODEL, ENSURING FIDELITY TO THE APPROACH. CCYJ ALSO FACILITATES A STATEWIDE ADVISORY BOARD THAT ADDRESSES ONGOING, SYSTEMIC NEEDS IDENTIFIED AT THE COURT SITES, AND WORKS TO DEVELOP POLICIES AND PRACTICES TO IMPROVE EXPERIENCES OF THOSE IN DEPENDENCY SYSTEMS, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF REUNIFICATION FOR FAMILIES.