CJJR is out on the Road!
Posted in Announcements
Our CJJR team has been hitting the road (and the airways) across the United States, with no end in sight. From Florida to Kansas to Oregon, whether it is participating in conferences and trainings, giving presentations with partner organizations, or doing local site visits, our team believes that system transformation begins locally. We are looking forward to seeing you, hearing about your successes, and finding ways on how we can help overcome challenges on the behalf of our most vulnerable kids.
Engaging and Empowering Families: Facility-Based Strategies for Improving Outcomes for Youth, Families, Staff, and Communities
CJJR Director Michael Umpierre presented at the Council for Juvenile Justice Administrators (CJJA) Facility Director/Superintendent Training in Palm Beach, Florida. Attended by approximately 50 facility directors and superintendents from across the United States, CJJA’s FST program provides participants with the knowledge, guidance, and perspectives needed to successfully manage juvenile justice facilities.
Michael presented on how best to engage and empower families alongside Cecely Reardon, Commissioner of Massachusetts Department of Youth Services. This included a host of strategies, including creating meaningful opportunities for participation and collaboration such as well-facilitated family team meetings that are strength-based, and where the youth and families have a sense of ownership over plans. Having a youth-driven process that identifies support networks can also lead to positive outcomes in reentry, orientation, and case planning.
You can learn more about CJJA’s program on their dedicated FST page. You can also learn more about our certificate program that focuses on youth in custody here.
Crossover Community Spotlight
Kansas startup, EmberHope Connections, is the first foster care provider in the state to dedicate a team of professionals to work specifically with crossover youth. EmberHope collaborated with CJJR to develop a protocol for identifying youth who are dually adjudicated and dually involved – regardless of whether they contact the child welfare or youth legal system first – as well as subsequent steps to determine how those young people and their families can be best served. EmberHope is well-situated to lead these efforts, particularly because they serve Sedgwick County which was the first CYPM site in Kansas beginning almost 10 years ago.
CJJR’s Macon Stewart and Alex Miller alongside the State of Kansas Crossover Youth Coordinators Ashley Brown, Michelle Montgomery, and Daniel Olson had the distinct honor of commencing the utility of EmberHope’s crossover protocol in late August when they visited with the team in Wichita. CJJR is excited to see the ways in which EmberHope, and the broader community, expand their support for crossover youth. Without a doubt, EmberHope is creating the blueprint for how youth-serving agencies can build internal infrastructures that have far-reaching external benefits.
You can learn more about our Crossover Youth Practice Model and EmberHope at the links below:
Oregon Juvenile Department Directors Association (OJDDA) Conference
From September 15-17, CJJR’s Deputy Director for Equity and Racial Justice, chis bijoux will be a keynote speaker at this year’s Oregon Juvenile Department Directors Association Conference!
The theme of the conference is “Honoring Our Communities: Equity in Action.” A diverse group of organizations in informative training sessions will showcase the impact of intentionally cultivating community partnerships rich in cultural diversity. Dr. chris bijou will present “Exploring our Past to Build a Path to a More Just Future.”