Educational Planning of Court Involved Youth: A guide for counties, systems and individuals

The guide combines the best-practices recommendations from national research with direct service tactics employed successfully in multiple counties.  Included are the necessary components to implement a collaborative, community-centered intervention system that effectively meets the needs of county, family, and individual alike. With the understanding that each County carries its own strengths, barriers, and resources, the tools serve as a framework for assessing and adapting the system catering to the unique needs of each community in which it is implemented. The contents of the Guide help facilitate the coordination and collaboration necessary to foster comprehensive systems and individualized educational planning for youth in the community. 

Intro to the three tier intervention framework

Phase I: County

Framework guides county teams through creating an Education Action Team and specializes in cross-agency collaboration, establishing roles within agencies and teams, identifying focus areas, and garnering agreements to facilitate changes within their respective agencies.  At the county level, the aim is to identify and collectively target systemic gaps in educational stability and barriers specific to the county so educational outcomes of court involved youth are directly impacted. 

Phase II: Systems

This framework is for cross-agency training and collaboration among agencies at the level of direct services.  At the systems level, the aim is to determine notification protocols within human services departments, juvenile justice stakeholders and school districts that enable timely communication and prompt youth support processes. Within this notification also lie utilizing specific educational points of contact within each agency.    This level also prompts parental engagement among teams working with the individual youth towards educational success.  Phase 2 is designed to formalize systems communication, clarify responsibilities and organize cross agency trainings. 

Phase III: Individual

This framework is designed for all direct service procedures and protocols for a liaison, advocate, navigator and/or other service provider involved in educational intake, planning, and record keeping.