Nebraska

2014 Diversion Nebraska Team

Contacts:

Robert Denton, Chief Probation Officer, State of Nebraska

Cynthia Gans, Director, University of Nebraska Omaha

Anne Hobbs, Director of Juvenile Diversion Programs, Nebraska Crime Commission

Amy Hoffman, Director, Community Aid Program, Nebraska Crime Commission

Denise Kracl, County Attorney, Colfax County

Shakil Malik, Deputy County Attorney, Douglas County Attorney

Elaine Menzel, Legal Counsel, Nebraska Association of County Officials

Monica Miles-Steffens, Director of Placement, Court Services - Nebraska Probation Administration

Victoria Thompson, Program Manager, CEDARS Youth Services

Capstone Description:

1. Create a state-wide manual of diversion guidelines and implement pilot diversion programs in three pilot sites throughout the state, including York County, the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, and the Panhandle region.

2. Create a toolkit and guidebook of best practices that will allow diversion programs throughout the state to align their policies and procedures.

3. Implement new diversion programs or implement improvements to existing diversion programs in three pilot regions in the state of Nebraska.

Capstone Update (2016):

The team has published and released a statewide juvenile diversion guidebook in May 2015 to ensure that diversion program implementation in the jurisdiction is consistent with best practices recommended, and is working on creating toolkits with examples of documents for easy implementation. The team is concurrently working with 2 pilot sites, Panhandle and Winnebago Tribe, to implement their diversion programs. In Panhandle, the team is working with 6 counties to develop 5 new diversion programs; the programs have been implemented and the sites are collecting outcome data. Winnebago has incorporated assessment tools into their diversion program and is working with the Tribe to potentially implement a data collection system; outcome data for this site is not yet available.

2014 YIC Nebraska Probation Team

Contacts:

Jim Bennett, Director of Placement, Juvenile Supervision Services - Nebraska State Probation

Amoreena Brady, Case Management and Services Specialist - Nebraska State Probation

Capstone Description:

Provide training in trauma-informed care and family engagement for probation officers across the state. Create a state-level workgroup involving Probation and DHS to analyze and address communication gaps, program deficiencies, and needed process changes with regard to facilities and reentry, hopefully to create standards that are evidence-based/best-practice. Analyze lessons learned in Lancaster County regarding best practices in reentry, as learned during the past two years under the Second Chance Reentry Act, and develop a strategy to bring those lessons to other communities in Nebraska.

Capstone Update (2017):

The team has worked to collaborate with more staff from Nebraska Probation as well as the Administrative Office of Probation. To improve their trauma-informed care, the team has created trauma workgroup, conducted trauma training for all staff and developed a peer support team & handbook. On the front of family engagement, the team improved their family team meetings, began collecting quantitative data on family visitation, and created and administered family surveys upon youth's discharge and use the feedback to guide their system improvement efforts. The team is in the process of creating a Youth Advisory Board to guide the reform of probation policy, protocol, and training. In terms of re-entry, the team successfully helped pass L500 in 2015 to require Medicaid to include MultiSystemic Therapy for youth. The probation department is also planning to expand its use of Ecological In-Home Family Treatment (EIHFT), with full implementation expected by the end of 2017. The team's initiatives to collaborate with the Sherwood Foundation, improve data collection and analysis, and continuous push for policy and practices changes based on data collected has seen some promising results. In 2016, the team reported that probation as a whole has seen a 5% decrease in out-of home placement, and a 30% decrease in the utilization of out-of-state placement. The probation department has expanded its in-home services, and is planning to expand the use of Family Group Conferencing. 

2011 MSI (Private) Boys Town Team

Contacts:

Lisa Batenhorst, Director Nebraska/Iowa Family Services - Boys Town

Brian Fox, Program Director - Boys Town

Nick Juliano, Director of Business Development - Father Flanagan's Boys Home, dba Boys Town

Margaret Vacek, Director of Strategic Contracts - Father Flanagan's Boys Home, dba Boys Town

Capstone Description:

Analyze needs of crossover youth to improve and expand services (and reentry); inter-agency collaboration.

2018 RED Douglas County, NE Team 

Contacts: 

A'Jamal Byndon, Disproportionate Minority Coordinator, Douglas County Government

Scott Gray, City of Omaha Police Deputy Chief

Judith Gutierrez, Cultural and Community Liaison, PromiseShip

Shelly Hug, JDAI Coordinator State of Nebraska, Juvenile Probation

Mark Le Flore, Manager of Administrative Services, Douglas County

Paulette Merrell, Attorney, Douglas County Attorney's Office

Chris Rodgers, County Commissioner, Douglas County

Ryan Spohn, Director, Nebraska Center for Juvenile Research University of Nebraska-Omaha

Capstone Description 

The team seeks to develop an understanding of the status offenders placed on probation, with a particular focus on racial and ethnic disparities among this population. In addition, the team will help reduce minority youth's system entry by increasing public conversations, public awareness, and public action on DMC issues. The main component of the Capstone Project include conducting data analysis, engaging in information-sharing between key stakeholders, and creating policy and practice recommendations.

2018 LGBTQ Douglas County, NE Team 

Contacts: 

LaCher Carter, Supervisor Douglas County Youth Center

Elizabeth Crnkovich, Judge Separate Juvenile Court of Douglas County, Nebraska

Shawne Johnson Coonfare, Director-Juvenile Assessment Center Douglas County

Kira Kaltenbach, A/P and Billing Specialist PromiseShip

Dominique Morgan, National Director Black and Pink, Inc.

Janee Pannkuk, Executive Director Douglas County

Tina Wigington, Probation Supervisor State of Nebraska- Judicial Branch

Capstone Description:

The team aims to establish a professional development program and training with an emphasis on supporting system-involved LGBTQ youth. In addition, the team will conduct a local juvenile justice system policy analysis to identify policies which impact the well-being of system-involved LGBTQ youth and help develop a policy template for use across agencies to improve the support of LGBTQ youth.

Capstone Update (2020):

The team has completed a local policy analysis and found that the juvenile justice system lacked LGBTQ-focused policies. One of the team members has created and implemented a training program to the Juvenile Assessment Center, Youth Center, and Douglas County Juvenile Probation staff. Additionally, the team is working with Dr. Angela Irvine to incorporate SOGIE questions in the assessment process. The Juvenile Attention Center has started utilizing SOGIE-specific questions and is collaborating with the county probation department.

2015 SJP Douglas County Team

Contacts:

Jennifer Brockman, Supervisor of Special Services - Westside Community Schools

Judge Elizabeth Crnkovich, Judge - Separate Juvenile Court

Greg Gonzalez, Deputy Police Chief - City of Omaha Nebraska

Sarah Hayek, Project Coordinator - Nebraska Families Collaborative

Michael McGee, Police Captain - City of Omaha, Nebraska

Beth Morrissete, Board of Education - Westside Community Schools

Amber Parker, Program Manager - Douglas County - Operation Youth Success *Note: Amber has changed position/agency and is no longer involved in the Capstone Project. She is currently with City of Omaha, Mayor's Office 

Darci Poland, Chief Deputy Probation Officer - Nebraska State Probation

Cara Stirts, Deputy Douglas County Attorney - Douglas County Attorney's Office

Amy Williams, Supervisor of Alternative Education - Omaha Public Schools

Capstone Description:

To decrease the overutilization of out-of-school suspensions and expulsions for youth on probation. The main components of the project include: 

1. Cross-system planning through the development of a formalized collaborative response to problem behavior. 

2. Service mapping, enhancement, and expansion. 

3. Linking targeted youth to appropriate services. 

4. Training on trauma-informed and restorative justice practices, and Critical Incident Training for school-based frontline staff. 

Capstone Update (2018):

The team has developed robust partnerships with many key stakeholders and adjusted system protocols to improve communication and collaboration between agencies. For example, the team created a proactive, formalized process to share information and build protective factors around youth on probation to reduce the likelihood of youth being rearrested. and The team has implemented the Capstone Project at two pilot sites within the Omaha Public School system. At the pilot schools, the SJP Core team, including SROs, school administrators, school counselors, and probation officers, meet weekly to discuss high-risk, system-involved students, focusing on the current status of the youth and how to keep them on a positive trajectory through wraparound services. Each identified student has a designated adult in the school building assigned to check-in regularly to provide support. In addition, there are restorative justice circles held in one of the pilot schools (the alternative school). There was a 41 percent decrease in Misdemeanor Arrests b SROs in 2016 - 2017 school year, compared to 2015-2016. There was also a 50 percent decrease in the total number of SRO arrest in the 2016-2017, compared to the previous 2015-2016 school year. The team has also observed an increase in supportive relationships between school staff and students.

2014 YIC Omaha KVC Team

Contacts:

Jodie Austin, President - KVC Behavioral Health Services

Theresa Goley, Director - KVC Behavioral Health Services

Capstone Description:

Trauma-informed care (training foster parents, using a trauma screening tool with clients, providing crisis response beds, and providing intensive in-home services for youth in placements).

Capstone Update (2015):

The team has implemented a trauma screen to guide intervention strategies, a full array of trauma-informed interventions, and the Safe & Connected model. The results of the Capstone Project is promising, with improvement in placement stability, re-entry care, and absence of recurrent maltreatment, as well as decreased number of youth placed in detention. The team also solicited feedback from probation staff, and the results were overall very positive.

2009 MSI Douglas County (Omaha) Participant 

Contact:

Corey Steel, Juvenile Justice Specialist - Nebraska Office of Probation Administration

Capstone Description:

Reduce duplication of services and promote cooperation between the Nebraska Administrative Office of Probation (AOP) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Identify youth that are dually-involved and determine which of the two agencies will serve them best, on a case-by-case basis.

Capstone Update (2011):

Corey identified the dually supervised juveniles and created a more seamless service delivery system, including service mapping, define services and costs, as well as service expectations. The project is implemented, and there has been a 53% reduction in dual-supervision cases in 2011, compared to 2009. As a result of the project, a juvenile fee-for-service voucher system is also created to provide complete spectrum of rehabilitative services, both in-home and out-of-home.

Sept. 2023 ARJE Lancaster County, Nebraska Team 

Contacts:

Karen Bell-Dancy, Executive Director, YWCA Lincoln

Casey Karges, Executive Director, The Mediation Center

Remonte Green; Regional Director, Protection and Safety; Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services

Amy Hoffman, Juvenile Programs and Interventions Director, Nebraska Crime Commission

Elaine Menzel, Legal Counsel, Nebraska Association of County Officials

Vann Price; Associate Superintendent of Human Resources / Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Lincoln Public Schools

Christopher Reid; Chief Deputy County Attorney, Juvenile Division; Lancaster County

Shellie Sabata; Juvenile Court Judge, Separate Juvenile Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska

Jason Stille, Assistant Chief of Police, Lincoln Police Department

Laura Suhr, Assessment Specialist, Lancaster County Human Services

Capstone Description: 

The Lancaster County Team seeks to reduce disparities faced by youth of color at the system referral stage by expanding the reach and scope of Project Restore, a pre-arrest diversion program in the county. To do so, in partnership with community organizations like YWCA and The Mediation Center, the team will examine data from Project Restore and incorporate feedback from youth and families with the goal of expanding program eligibility criteria and programming and service options for participating youth.

2014 RED Lancaster County Team

Contacts:

Jeff Chambers, Project Director - Center on Children, Families, and the Law at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Roger Garcia, Executive Director - El Centro de las Americas

Lori Griggs, Deputy County Attorney - Lancaster County Attorney’s Office

Alicia Henderson, Chief Deputy County Attorney, Juvenile Division - Lancaster County Attorney’s Office

Sara Hoyle, Juvenile Justice Coordinator - Lancaster County

Linda Porter, Juvenile Court Judge - Lancaster County

Michelle Schindler, Youth Services Center Director - Lancaster County Juvenile Detention Center

Jason Stille, City of Lincoln, Police Department - Captain

Capstone Description:

Implement a school-based diversion program; Diversion services include a case manager, drug and alcohol counseling, individual and/or family therapy, cognitive classes, pro-social activities, organized group activities, school supported services, and restorative practices.

Capstone Update:

Although the diversion program is at the beginning of its implementation stage, it has served 27 youth so far, and the Capstone team has made changes to the program policy to ensure minority youth weren't inadvertently being excluded due to prior history of system involvement. The diversion fees have been lowered by 75%, and duration of waiting to get families to sign a diversion case plan is shortened from an average of 6 weeks to 1 week.