North Dakota

2016 RED Burleigh County Team

Contacts:

Rhonda Block, Deputy Director, Child Protection Supervisor Burleigh County Social Services

Tami De Coteau, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Self-Employed

Luke McKay, Youthworker Supervisor, City of Bismarck Police Department

Cory Pedersen, Director of Juvenile Court, Unit 3 ND Supreme Court

Blaise Reagle, Professional Youth Worker, Youthworks

Tamara Uselman, Superintendent of Schools, Bismarck Public Schools

Capstone Description:

To reduce disproportionate minority contact in Burleigh County at the arrest decision point by developing a community care model focused on family/community engagement and creating a school-based diversion program using restorative justice practices.

2016 RED Fargo Team

Contacts:

Joel Friesz, Restorative Justice Program Director Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota

Melaine Heitkamp, Executive Director Youthworks

Karen Kringlie, Director of Juvenile Court North Dakota Supreme Court

Kara Schmitz Olson, Cass County Assistant State's Attorney Cass County

Jeffrey Schatz, Superintendent of Schools Fargo Public Schools, District 1

David Todd, Chief of Police Fargo Police Department

Capstone Description:

To reduce disproportionate minority contact at the arrest and detention decision by creating a pre-citation or citation level diversion program, engaging minority and New American families, and revising the current detention screening tool.

2016 DIV Williston Team (North West Youth Assessment Center)

Contacts:

Marsha Hughes, Director, North West Youth Assessment Center

Shawn Teske, Assistant Director, North West Youth Assessment Center

Capstone Description:

To create a diversion program with procedures manual and adopt empirical screening and assessment tools to help reduce the number of youth entering the juvenile justice system for status offenses and reduce the number of youth placed in residential facilities. 

Capstone Update (2018):

Given the influx of residents moving into the area and the increased need for services, the team created the Youth Diversion Program, which is offered to youth with behavioral issues but without charges. In addition to MAYSI-2, the team added GAIN to help identify youth's behavioral health issues, and is focused on bolstering their mental health training for staff at the Assessment Center. Furthermore, the team is collaborating with the Juvenile Court and community organizations to streamline the referral process, thereby increasing the number of youth eligible for diversion and services. Preliminary data indicated that 80% of the youth that the Assessment Center served were female, but no other demographic pattern was observed. The recidivism rate for youth participated in the diversion program was 52% in 2016, and 47% in 2018.