P OLICY L UNCH : I NNOVATIVE J UVENILE S PECIALTY C OURTS

Dallas County Juvenile Mental Health Court Judge Robert Herrera Associate Judge 304th District Court

QUESTIONS?

Dallas County ESTEEM Court Judge Cheryl Shannon District Judge 305th District Court

E.S.T.E.E.M E.S.T.E.E.M. Court Experiencing Success Through Empowerment, Encouragement and Mentoring Judge Cheryl Lee Shannon

Mission Statement To provide positive experiences for referred female youth that will foster success and empowerment and thereby prevent further involvement in the legal system.

TARGET POPULATION High Risk Victims (HRV) who have committed CINS offense or have had misdemeanor charges deferred by the District Attorney and have one of the following criteria: - At least 4 runaways in 12 month period, or at least one residential stay at Letot; - A victim of child exploitation

GOALS - Facilitate successful completion by providing continuity of Judge, Probation Officer and service provider. - Address the needs of the target population by providing wraparound services. - Utilize available community-based resources and Department services as needed. - Increase family involvement by providing services for the family as well as the child.

Goals Goals con’t - Provide and exit plan for success after diversion - Decrease further entry into the juvenile system, reducing Department expenses, and improving outcomes for the families.

IMPLEMENTATION - Conduct an Intake Staffing with the family to explain the program (determine if admission criteria is met and their willingness to participate) - Administer Assessment to determine the needs of the child and family. - Develop and implement a clear and concise case plan - Provide referrals to the family that meet the identified needs

Implementation con’t - Girls group session after Court to debrief, promote comraderie and build positive relationships. - Parent Group session after Court to debrief, provide group support and introduce new parenting strategies. - Treatment Group, HOPE, specifically designed for this population by Letot’s clinical staff

Implementation con’t - Provide the family with a directory of community services for their personal use. - Assign girls 15 hours of CSR

Court Process - Court meets weekly - Court Team staffs cases weekly - Judge gives overview of the program to child and family - Review Hearings - Groups following Court

COMMUNITY PARTNERS Big Brothers/Big Sisters AIM Truancy

The Pathway to Success - Level 1 – Sapphire - Level 2 – Emerald - Level 3 – Ruby - Level 4 - Diamond

OUR SUCCESSES Graduates

QUESTIONS?

C ONTACT I NFORMATION 3625 N. Hall Street, Suite 760, Dallas, Texas J AIME H ANKS M EYERS North Texas Managing Director S UMA A NANTHASWAMY North Texas Staff Attorney