Ohio

2022 LGBTQ Individual Participant: Lauren Spector

Contact: 

Lauren Spector, Regional SART Coordinator/Advocate, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center

Capstone Description:

Cleveland Rape Crisis Center will form an internal multidisciplinary team to evaluate and revise CRCC policies and procedures, develop MOUs with LGBTQ centers in Northeast Ohio, and develop and implement an internal and external training to ensure all service providers (law enforcement, therapists, advocates, prosecutors, etc.) are trauma-informed, survivor-focused, and treating LGBTQ youth with dignity and respect.

Capstone Update (March 2023):

CRCC has formed an internal MDT committee to address the needs of LGBTQ survivors and how our organization can best help. We've established the following action steps: (1) develop and implement internal and external trainings, (2) changing the wording on our engagement paperwork and assessments to be more inclusive and affirming, and (3) develop relationships with LGBTQ organizations to collaborate and eventually develop MOUs. The successes we've had is identifying specific topics for trainings and creating a subcommittee for those who can develop and present those trainings, changed the wording on our engagement paperwork from preferred pronouns to just pronouns, making the questions on the mental health assessment more relaxed and conversation -like so clients feel safe in answering questions, and have identified key community partners to outreach and develop collaborative relationships with. Barriers we have run into is people's openness and willingness to take the trainings (mostly externally), time to take trainings in already packed schedules, and community partner stubbornness. We are currently in ongoing conversations with our various youth programs in hearing their voices in these action steps and developments and in the progress of starting an LGBTQ support group for therapy. We do offer virtual options for those who cannot attend services in-person and we also offer Uber rides (with parent/guardian approval and guidance)and using the local bus system. Our local bus system also offers free rides to kids who are in unsafe situations and will take them to the appropriate service provider needed. In the next 6 months we are hoping to accomplish rolling out some trainings both internally and externally, and having developed community partner relationships that will lead to MOUs. We will achieve this by ensuring all committee members are taking part in these actions steps evenly, doing a training once a month (making it a series), and seeing our growth in community partnerships. To assess our progress, we will see how many MOUs we've created in the next six months and compare that number to what we've started with. To assess progress made in trainings, we will complete a pre- and post- survey to measure growth in learning, look at the demographics attending the trainings (law enforcement, therapists, prosecutors, advocates, etc.), and offer CEUs and certificates of attendance. CRCC also has client satisfaction surveys. We will compare answers from older surveys to answers in the future to see how we've improved and what we can still do better!

2018 LGBTQ Douglas County, NE 

Contacts: 

Kim Welter, Director of Policy and Finance (Contract with Equality Ohio), KLW Consulting LLC

Capstone Description:

The Capstone Project focuses on addressing the lack of SOGIE data collection in Ohio's state systems, including the 88 county juvenile courts and 37 detention centers, by working with partners, stakeholders, and a newly formed working group.

2018 SJPD Fairfield County Team 

Contacts: 

Jennifer Beckley-Watson, Behavioral Health Lead Clinician Fairfield Juvenile Court

Scott Burre, Principal Lancaster City Schools

Genylynn Cosgrove, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Fairfield County Prosecutor's Office

Jeff Dixon, School Resource Officer Fairfield County Sheriff's Office

Rebecca (Becky) Edwards, Assessment & Intervention Center Director Fairfield County Juvenile Court

Nathan Hale, Director of Human Resources Lancaster City Schools

Steve Poston, Principal Lancaster City Schools

Terre Vandervoort, Juvenile and Probate Court Judge Fairfield County, Ohio

Capstone Description:

To reduce the use of exclusionary discipline, decrease the number of referrals from schools to the juvenile justice system, and increase student success through developing a school-based Early Warning System, implementing a graduated discipline model, and collaborating with juvenile court, the prosecutor, school districts, and child welfare system.

2015 Diversion Fairfield Juvenile Court Team

Contacts:

Judge Terre Vandervoort, Probate/Juvenile Court Judge, Fairfield County Juvenile Court

Michelle Edgar, Magistrate, Fairfield County Juvenile Court

Tara Cockerham, Diversion Team Lead, Fairfield County Juvenile Court

Becky Edwards, Director of Assessment and Intervention Center, Fairfield County Juvenile Court

Lisa Long, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Fairfield County Juvenile Court

Capstone Description:

To formalize and improve the process and procedures of the Fairfield County Diversion Accountability Program through:

1. Developing and improving protocols and procedures and adopting a comprehensive operations manual. 

2. Expanding the use of an evidence-based behavioral health screening tool (MAYSI-2).

3. Reviewing and formalizing data tracking definitions and policies regarding the use of admission for prosecution. 

4. Planning and executing a Juvenile Justice Summit for Fairfield County schools, law enforcement, and child protective services communities.

Capstone Update (2017):

The team has accomplished all of their Capstone goals, with the exception of developing a diversion manual. The manual has gone through several revisions and is in the process of being finalized. In addition, effective April 1, 2016, for diversion cases that are unsuccessful and are subsequently filed with the court, the admission made during the diversion intake process cannot be used for prosecution. Overall, the Capstone Project has shown very promising results. It resulted in the expansion of diversion oriented program as well as reduction in the number of youth held in detention (from an average of 17 youth per day in 2013 to 6 youth in 2017). The program completion rate is almost 90%, and recidivism for the diversion program is 6.47% (compared to the projected recidivism rate of 25% prior to the development of the program).

Capstone Update (2024):

The team built upon their original action steps to create the Fairfield County Juvenile Court Diversion Program, including increased efforts to bolster community-based diversion opportunities. The team created a Diversion Standard Operating Manual that serves as the basis for staff and community partner training and outlines the objectives of the Diversion Services Array of Interventions. They also transitioned to the MAYSI-2 as their assessment tool after receiving technical assistance as part of the SBIRT in Juvenile Justice Setting initiative and have recently transitioned to a new court-wide data collection platform. The team implemented a common definition of recidivism and instituted a policy that admissions made during the diversion intake process cannot be used for prosecution if a youth is unsuccessful in diversion and subsequently filed with the court. Lastly, the team held Juvenile Justice Summits in 2017, 2018, and 2019 to bring together local youth justice stakeholders on specific topics.

In 2021, Fairfield County Juvenile Court became a JDAI site, and two workgroups were formed to undertake the work of the original Diversion Team.

Greene County, Ohio Team

Contacts:

Nathan Boone, Public Defender for Juvenile Court, Greene County

Nicole Burke, Juvenile Division Chief- Assistant Prosecutor, Greene County Prosecutor's Office

Tammy Detty, Family Navigator & Compliance Specialist, Greene County Juvenile Court

Joshua Hazelrigg, Chief Probation Officer, Greene County Juvenile Court

Amy Lewis, Judge, Juvenile Division, Greene County Court of Common Pleas

Greta Mayer; Chief Executive Officer; Mental Health Recovery Board of Clark, Greene & Madison Counties

Charlie McNamee, Probation Officer, Greene County Juvenile Court

Anya Senetra, Director of Mental Health and Prevention Programs, Greene County Educational Service Center

Tracy Van Heulen, Commercialization Manager, Kimball Midwest

Capstone Description:

The Greene County Team seeks to decrease the amount of youth placed on probation, create additional diversion opportunities, and reduce recidivism rates. The team also aims to further individualize probation and engage with families and community partners. To do so, the team will partner with law enforcement, mental health services, schools, mentorship programs, and the community at large to create a Network Team that will divert youth from formal system involvement.

2019 SJPD Hamilton County, OH (Local Certificate Program) 

Teams:

Cincinnati Public Schools

Northwest Local School District

Princeton City School District

Legal Aid Society of Cincinnati

Hamilton County Educational Service Center

Hamilton County Job and Family Services

Hamilton County Juvenile Court

Detailed team member contact information can be found here.

Capstone Description:

The team aims to create a supportive and equitable school environment for students exhibiting behavioral issues in school while maintaining student safety and well-being. Their strategies are twofold. First, to improve their current threat assessment techniques and protocols, the team will create a decision-making framework and relevant tools to divert low-risk youth. Second, the team will design an equitable decision-making model for school staff through rigorous data analysis and training, incorporating trauma-informed and culturally responsive approaches.     

2015 SJP Hamilton County Team

Contacts:

Pauletta Crowley, Director of Community & Student Services, Northwest Local School District

Dean Doerflein, Officer, Colerain Township Police Department

Elaine Fink, Managing Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Southwest

Lindsey Gibson, School Social Worker, Northwest Local Schools

Carla Guenthner, Chief Magistrate, Hamilton County Juvenile Court

Susan Smith, Principal, Northwest Local School District

Darrell Yater, Assistant Director of Curriculum and Special Education, Northwest Local School District

Capstone Description:

To decrease the use of suspension and expulsion, and increase the use of positive interventions for youth at-risk of entering and becoming involved in the juvenile justice system through a three-tiered system approach:

Tier 1: Comprehensive review and reform of current practices to improve school climate & create subcommittees to focus on different aspects of the project

Tier 2: Create interagency agreements to share information and facilitate the school district identifying and supporting at-risk students

Tier 3: Develop a diversionary court (SAFE Council) to decriminalize truancy and disruptive behaviors in school 

Capstone Update:

• • The team has successfully instituted a diversionary court in February 2016 for youth involved in disorderly conduct and truancy cases in the Northwest Local School District (NWLSD). As of January 2017, the team has expanded the diversionary court meetings from twice a month to four times a month. In the 2016-2017 school year, a total of 194 youth are involved in the diversionary court. 64 youth have been dismissed from the program. Of these 64 youth, 48 (75%) of them have successfully completed the program. 

  • To strengthen behavioral health services for students, the team has formed partnerships with three local mental health or social services providers to offer services such as individual therapy in schools and mentoring programs, as well as begun drug treatment partnerships to allow students to enter treatment in lieu of expulsion. In addition, there is now a NWLSD social worker who has access to the juvenile court system database. The social worker is able to monitor youth who are involved in both child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and work with both systems to develop service plans for these youth.

  • Recognizing the importance of agency culture change and staff buy-in, the team has also been working diligently to train their staff. So far, over 70% of the NWLSD staff has been trained in restorative justice practices, and the leadership is currently looking to develop trauma-informed training.

2015 SJP Mahoning County Team

*Note: This project is no longer active due to changes in the school district.

Contacts:

Judge Theresa Dellick, Juvenile Judge, Mahoning County Juvenile Court

Larry Ellis, Association President, Youngstown City Schools

Joe McGeorge, Executive Director, Warriors, Inc.

Jennifer Merritt, Director of Alternative Education, Mahoning County Educational Service Center

Williams Morvay, Chief of Security, Youngstown City School District

Duane Piccirilli, Executive Director, Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery

Nick Santucci, Education and Workforce Manager, Youngstown.Warren Regional Chamber

Milton Walters, Assistant Superintendent, Youngstown City Schools

Capstone Description:

To improve the school climate within the Youngstown City School District by engaging students, parents, community members, and school staff.

2019 TJP Stark County, OH   

Contacts: 

Michelle Cordova, Chief Juvenile Prosecutor, Stark County

Ali Frantz, Chief Magistrate, Stark County Family Court

Kimberly Genis, Director of Behavioral Health Services, Stark County Family Court

Jim James, Judge, Stark County Family Court

Jacob Morgan, Assistant Court Administrator, Stark County Family Court

Chad Smith, Sergeant, Stark County Sheriff's Office

Diane Wilson, Court Administrator, Stark County Family Court

Timothy Wires, Chief of Probation, Stark County Family Court

Capstone Descriptions:

The goals of the Capstone aims to reduce racial and ethnic disparities for youth involved in its juvenile justice system. Their key initial strategies include: 1) developing a school-based diversion program with strong restorative practice components; 2) developing a post-adjudication services continuum that addresses youth’s needs in a culturally responsive, racially/ethnically equitable way; and 3) partnering with youth-serving systems to strengthen the county’s family engagement efforts, with a specific focus on youth and families of color.

2022 BSC Summit County, OH Team

Jerome Moss, Mentor/Family First Counseling, Self-Employed & Family First Counseling

Brant Lee, Professor of Law, University of Akron

Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio, Juvenile Court Judge, Summit County Juvenile Court

Curtis Williams, Community Relations Manager/Therapist, Minority Behavioral Health Group

Curtis Howard, Assistant Court Administrator, Summit County Juvenile Court

Tijuan Day, Youth Representative

Natasha Ervin

Esther Thomas

Welby Broaddus, Misdemeanor Case Manager, Summit County Juvenile Court

2018 SJPD Summit County, OH Team 

Contacts: 

Lisa DiSabato-Moore, Special Programs Administrator Summit County Juvenile Court

David James, Superintendent Akron Public Schools

Lisa Karas, Program Coordinator, The Family Resource Center Summit County Juvenile Court

Daniel Rambler, Director of Student Support Services and Security Akron Public Schools

Doug Sandor, Police Sergeant-Commander, School Resource Officer Unit City of Akron, Police Division

Linda Teodosio, Judge Summit County Ohio Juvenile Court

Andrew Ziccardi, School Climate Coordinator Akron Public Schools

Capstone Description: 

The team aims to reduce official court referrals and arrests by School Resource Officers and limit the use of punitive disciplinary actions by school administrators. The key strategy include streamlining resources and the Family Resource Center referral process, instituting a new citation process, and collaborating with the Summit County Juvenile Court, Akron Police Department, and Akron Public schools to ensure interventions are provided to youth and families.

Capstone Update (2020):

The team from Akron Public Schools (APS), Akrron Police Department (APD), and the Summit County Juvenile Court collaborated to implement a three-tiered response to student behaviors in school at two pilot schools. Within the level of behavior guideline, SROs have the discretion to refer students to the Family Resource Center, which provides case management for youth and their families. Since implementation in September 2019, the tiered program served a total of 31 youth, and only one youth has received an additional citation from SRO. Given the preliminary success of the program, an additional high school was added to the pilot.

July 2011 MSI (Public) Summit County Participant 

Contact:

Linda Teodosio, Judge - Summit County Juvenile Court

Capstone Description:

Develop a collaborative reentry (including placement upon reentry) process/protocol that focuses on strengthening the family so a crossover youth’s return to the community can be more successful.

Capstone Update (2012):

The project was implemented by the court. Judge Teodosio collaborated with ODYS institution staff, youth and their family, school, parole, mental health, behavioral health, child welfare, and the community to set up  a new system and protocol to ensure that youth's placement needs are met. Through the use of the new protocol, the court is working on transition planning for older youth.

Capstone Update (2024):

After the Certificate Program, Summit County had a staff member dedicated to working with dual-system youth. That staff member would convene representatives from Probation and Child Welfare together with the Guardian ad Litem and attorneys representing the parties in both types of cases to talk about the status and prepare a summary for Judge Teodosio or for the Magistrate handling the case. This position no longer exists at the Court because managing these cases in a cohesive manner has become part of their process. In summary:

1. If a child is currently involved in a JJ or CW case and another case comes in, the new case is assigned to the same jurist.

2. We set the CW and JJ cases at the same time. If a youth is on probation, the jurist will do a probation review at the time of the CW case coming before the court. If the youth is coming to Court on charges or for a probation review, child welfare will also provide an update.

3. The GAL and attorneys for the parties on both the CW and JJ cases are given notice to attend all hearings on the cases. The youth is also in attendance unless they request to be excused from a hearing addressing only CW issues.

4. When Probation prepares recommendations for JJ dispositions, the status of the CW case is taken into consideration and the caseworker is consulted regarding the needs of the youth.

5. CW caseworkers are active participants in the JJ hearings.

Additionally, Summit County has a practice of pooling funds for youth involved in multiple systems, with the Juvenile Court, Summit County Children Services (CW), the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board (ADM), and the Summit County Board for Developmental Disabilities (DD) each contributing approximately $100,000 per year to a shared pool that funds our Children and Family First Council. These funds provide wrap-around services and other referrals for services to address the needs of children who are involved in multiple systems with the goal of keeping them out of the justice system. 

Lastly, Judge Teodosio meets with the head of the child welfare agency on a quarterly basis to discuss practices and procedures related to crossover.