2016 Juvenile Court Community Report

Community REPORT

Empowering

Youth

Strengthening Investing

Families

In the Community

JUVENILE COURT

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about Pierce County Juvenile Court, also commonly referred to as Remann Hall.

I hope this report sparks interest in what we do, gives insight into how we approach our work, and resonates with people as to why we believe this work is so important.

Most people think the Juvenile Court only serves kids who get in trouble with the law.

While this is one aspect of what we do, the bulk of our work involves kids who have not committed a crime. We provide advocates to children who have been removed from their parents by Child Protective Services. While we have seen sharp decreases in juvenile crime, the number of abused and neglected children brought into the foster care system has significantly increased. In 2016, Pierce

County had the highest number of children entering foster care in Washington State. This disturbing trend demands our attention and provides motivation to increase collaboration and resources in our community. Of the 1,700 children currently in the Pierce County foster care system, nearly half are under age 5. Research is clear that cumulative effects of stress and trauma can have lasting effects on the developing brain. It is important that we all come together to support young people who have been exposed to trauma to ensure they have successful futures.

For those youth who are referred to the court for criminal behavior, our approach has evolved over the years. Consistent with research and best practices, we have enhanced our services by becoming more

community based, trauma informed, and focused on a Positive Youth Justice model.

Pierce County Juvenile Court has been a Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) site since 2004. JDAI involves partnering with all justice system stakeholders, families, and community based organizations in an intentional, data driven manner to increase public safety. We have become national leaders by reducing the average daily population in detention by 85% while also decreasing the number of serious crimes by 81%.

Youth who come into contact with the justice system need much more from us than just being held accountable. We believe young people in trouble with the law need guidance, structure, education, and support to realize their full potential. As the national and local

landscape of juvenile justice continues to evolve, I want you to know we are working hard to stay at the forefront of system reform. We are committed to eliminating the racial and ethnic disparities that exist in our system.

We will continue to improve by engaging with families, partnering with the community, providing hope and opportunities for young people, as well as applying best practices and research based models that have been shown to be effective.

TJ Bohl, Juvenile Court Administrator

Civil Department Dependency Unit Pierce County Juvenile Court’s Dependency unit provides advocates for children (age 0-17) who have entered the foster care system due to abuse and/or neglect.

Staff Guardians ad Litem (GALs) and more than 250 volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) support the children they serve and work closely with parents, social workers, attorneys, and other stakeholders. The goal is to safely reunite families. GALs and CASAs advocate for the child’s best interest in court and the community.

Last Christmas, the Dependency unit received a huge donation of gifts in partnership with Amazon, Toy Industry Foundation, and National CASA.

Dependency Youth Served 2,144 2,048 1,947

2014

2015

2016

BeccA Unit The Becca Bill, passed by state legislature in 1995, was designed for parents to gain assistance from the courts to support their at-risk teens. It consists of At-Risk Youth (ARY), Child In Need of Services (CHINS), and Truancy.

At-Risk Youth (ARY) & Child In Need of Services (CHINS) The ARY and CHINS programs provide support to youth who are struggling with behaviors that may endanger the health, safety or well-being of themselves or another person. The Juvenile Court and Family Reconciliation Services (FRS) collaborate closely on ARY and CHINS to ensure that youth and families are offered appropriate services prior to the filing of petitions and required appearance in court. This collaborative partnership resulted in a decrease of petitions filed in 2016.

CTB 236

ARY 186

141

133 2015

2016

2014

CHINS

2015

101

21

2016

2014

11

9

2015

2016

Adoption Unit The Adoption unit is responsible for reviewing and filing adoption reports involving youth under the age of eighteen. The Adoption unit serves all Pierce County adoption referrals, including step-parents, second parent, relative, and post placement reports.

Adoptions Completed

Truancy The Truancy program involves a collaborative partnership between the Juvenile Court and school districts to help students improve school attendance and performance. Community Truancy Boards (CTBs) are an early intervention alternative to court, offered to youth and families who are struggling with attendance issues. CTBs assist in building connections, offering support and resources, and reducing barriers to attendance by developing individualized plans.

389

2014

447

2015

394

2016

Civil Department

Program Highlights

A Book for Me According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1 in 4 Pierce County 3rd graders are not reading at grade level.

Studies from the Annie E. Casey Foundation show that children who don’t read at grade level by age 10 are 6 times more likely to drop out of high school. The “A Book for Me� program was created to do our part in providing a new, age-appropriate book to every child entering the foster care system. Our goal is to help children achieve success and find joy in reading and in school.

Books are provided through generous donations. If you would like to contribute to this program, please contact Amber Hasler at (253) 798-7926.

Best for Babies (Pilot Program)

Best for Babies improves outcomes for infants and families through collaboration, community engagement, and systems change. This model program is the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, providing early intervention services and support to infants and families, as well as promoting healthy and secure attachments to parents and caregivers. Best for Babies reduces the amount of time families spend in the court system.

Served 15 infants & toddlers with 2 dismissals in 2016.

ParentS 4 ParentS Parents 4 Parents (P4P) is a non-profit organization created by parents who have successfully navigated through the Dependency Court system and were reunited with their children.

Parent allies lead classes for parents who are new to the dependency system. This program works to provide practical advice, hands-on support and encourages strong, healthy, and whole families.

Served 140 parents on average each month.

Real people, just like you, can change a child's life.

Arts Connect

CASA Program

Arts Connect is a partnership program with the Hilltop Artists, for girls involved with Dependency, Diversion, or Community Supervision.

A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is a trained volunteer that is appointed by a judge to advocate for children in foster care. CASAs ensure the voice of the child is heard and make important recommendations to the court based on the child’s best interests.

A team of adults, including professional artists, volunteers, and court staff, lead weekly classes on various art forms including glass blowing, basket weaving, and tile work. Hands-on projects are generated from group discussions and writing activities about identity, society, and healthy lifestyles.

The goal for every child in Dependency is to grow up in a safe and permanent home and be returned to their family as quickly as possible.

PIERCE COUNTY JUVENILE COURT

The Juvenile Court Dependency program relies upon the support and passion of our dedicated volunteers and we are grateful for everything they do for Pierce County’s most vulnerable youth.

If you would like more information about volunteering, contact Carrie Appling at (253) 798-3837 or visit our webpage www.piercecasa.org.

Probation Services Diversion Unit Our Diversion Unit is a community effort aimed at keeping youth from returning to the court system. Volunteers on the Community Accountability Boards (CABs) meet with youth and assign meaningful opportunities that are designed to educate and provide support. Youth leave the Diversion program better equipped to handle future challenges in positive ways. This program not only benefits the youth, but also the volunteers who leave knowing that they helped a young person get back on the right track.

1,518 youth received

prevention services through Diversion in 2016.

Probation Unit When the Court orders a youth to be placed on probation, we assign a state certified Probation Counselor to work with the youth and family. Youth are connected to prosocial opportunities that cultivate strengths, increase life skills, build self-confidence, promote accountability and responsible behavior, and surround them with positive adults. Youth will be offered the most appropriate community based intervention based on their unique needs.

We are working hard to increase our menu of services to effectively meet the needs of each youth and family.

With support and technical assistance from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Pierce County Juvenile Court has been on the forefront of innovative probation practices.

We are working with the University of Washington to apply current adolescent brain development research to probation practice. Probation has become much more than just supervision. We are evolving into a Positive Youth Development model that promotes behavior change, skill acquisition, and healthy relationships. Youth are offered opportunities to participate in new activities, which can lead to an increased skill set and confidence. In addition, we are aggressively trying to help youth find their place by offering opportunities to give back and become involved in groups, clubs and positive activities.

1,257

youth were served by the Probation unit.

1,257 1,130

1,106

2014

2015

2016

Family Council The Family Council was launched in 2015 with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Council is an advisory group of family members and young adults, with lived experience, who guide program and policy changes.

Court systems can be difficult to navigate, which often puts additional strain on families. We recognize that parents/guardians know what works and what does not work for their family. We intend to improve family partnerships by creating the space for dialogue, learning from families, and making changes to the system together.

Probation Services

Program Highlights

Building New Bridges This is a research-based program for low-risk youth and their parents/caregivers provided in partnership with Our Sister’s House. Families and youth learn skills for better relationships and get connected to resources in the community.

73 youth and families participated in 2016.

Pathways to Success (Pilot Program) Pathways to Success provides wraparound family driven services for African American youth and their families. Youth receive a mentor and parents receive a parent partner. A care coordinator is assigned to ensure everyone is on the same page and communication is clear and consistent. 4 youth and families participated in 2016.

Alliances

2nd Cycle 2nd Cycle is a community program that provides an opportunity for youth to tear down and rebuild a bike while learning valuable technical skills and gaining access to positive adult mentors. Youth become part of a team that plays a powerful role in building self-confidence and connecting youth to the community.

At the end of the program, youth have the opportunity to earn a bike.

Alliances is a mental health probation program that works to strengthen families, ensure a strong support system is in place well after probation ends, and reduce the amount of contact youth have in the criminal justice system. Youth and parents work in collaboration with court staff and advocates for a team approach to supervision. This program served 24 youth.

Aggression Replacement Training ART is an evidence-based program that helps youth learn to cope with aggression and thinking errors through work on social skills, anger control, and moral reasoning. In 2016, 166 youth participated in the program.

Savings Per Youth

$10,742*

Tuff Love Mentoring Tuff Love is a community partnership focused on intensive one-to-one mentoring.

They match each young person with a mentor to assess their strengths and needs, and develop a unique plan to move forward. Tuff Love enjoys working with gang involved youth. The mentors help connect youth to school, community programs and other learning opportunities.

Functional Family Therapy FFT is an evidence-based program where therapists work with youth and families to overcome behavior issues, build relationships, and increase communication.

Parents and youth learn how to negotiate effectively as they work on strengthening their Savings Per family support system.

Youth FFT served 122 youth $18,889* and families in 2016.

Girls Only Active Learning GOAL is a gender specific, promising practice program that teaches ways to cope with anger and frustration, improve social skills and enhance moral reasoning.

GOAL served 23 female youth in 2016.

Savings Per Youth

$10,742*

Tacoma Community Boat Builders TCBB has been a successful program for three years. In addition to youth learning how to build a boat, they learn practical math and reasoning skills, patience, water safety, wood working skills, and they work side-by-side with a mentor. Every youth who completes the program gets to take home the tool box they made and share the pride of creation with their family.

Opportunity Based Probation (Pilot Program) Juvenile Court is transforming the way we work with youth on probation through a program called Opportunity Based Probation (OBP). OBP is an innovative approach based on brain development research which uses a system where youth can earn points for meeting weekly goals. The points can be exchanged for small rewards such as gift cards, hygiene items or tickets to local events. OBP also provides an opportunity for youth to work with local businesses and develop job skills. The benefit of this program extends far beyond the youth successfully completing probation as it aims to prevent further criminal behavior and support youth in their transition to being healthy, productive members of society.

Evening Center The program is available through the collaborative efforts of the University of Washington – Tacoma, YMCA and the Juvenile Court. Youth who participate in the Evening Center learn valuable skills such as budgeting, resume building and how to apply for college/jobs. They also work on building communication skills and teamwork through use of the YMCA facility. Youth who successfully complete the program are given the opportunity to earn a free YMCA membership.

Work CreW Youth involved in the Work Crew program are offered opportunities to give back to the community through clean-up, painting, maintenance, and other various projects in the community. Youth take pride in their accomplishments, they learn about accountability and teamwork, and they get the chance to make a positive impact on the community.

Detention

Average Daily Population

Residential Supervision Our residential supervision model provides safe, secure custody of young people who are in trouble with the law and pose a high risk to the community.

While youth are in custody, we work hard to make sure that we are attentive to the physical and emotional needs of all youth. We provide medical services and mental health support, as well as opportunities to participate in education, mentoring, exercise, spiritual support, and addiction recovery. As we continue to learn more about trauma and the impact it has on the developing brain in young people, we will continue to enhance our services to promote accountability and behavior change while ensuring we are trauma informed and respectful of each young person’s situation.

Write253 Youth in Write253 learn a creative way to express themselves and find value in being able to write about what matters most to them. Workshops provide positive mentorship and relationship building in addition to helping youth work on literacy and vocabulary. Youth in this program also participated in the Louder than a Bomb (LTAB) Poetry Slam Contest where the audience was blown away with the creativity and heartfelt emotions expressed by youth.

30 20 10 2012

2011

2013

2014

2015

2016

Youth Served in Detention Programming Yoga Behind Bars

472

261

774

Rebuilding Hope

Book Club The Remann Hall Book Club was started by community volunteers. Each week, the volunteers come into detention to read and discuss books with youth. Thanks to generous community donations, the Book Club provided 550 youth with 869 new books in 2016.

Youth For Christ

107 AA/NA

Yoga Behind Bars Youth in detention have the option to participate in Yoga.

This program provides youth a positive outlet to handle stress and helps them relax, sleep better, and gain clarity.

Return on Taxpayer Investment

2016

Program Expenditures Dependency

3,846,626

Diversion

1,044,918

Truancy

1,095,120

Alternatives to Detention

288,370

Adoption

345,294

Probation

3,998,287

Aggression Replacement Training

536,877

Chemical Dependency Disp Alt

943,468

Special Sex Offender Disp Alt

531,034

Functional Family Therapy

422,885

Detention 2016 Total Expenditure

6,639,002 $19,691,880

7,402 *

66% focused on working in the community

youth were served in various programs across the court.

Services Intervention Detention *Youth may count in more than one program

$48,897 annual cost per adult inmate in Washington State.

For every dollar invested in correctional interventions for juvenile offenders taxpayers are saving between $3 and $11 dollars by keeping youth from returning to the system.

Read the full report on Evidence-Based options that Reduce Crime and Save Money www.piercecountywa.org/WSIPP Sources: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, Association for the Advancement of Evidence Based Practice

Funding Sources 22%

State 78%

County

Volunteer Services Volunteers play a vital role in the work we do at the Juvenile Court. Members from the community donate their valuable time to enrich children’s lives, empower parents/guardians and help make our community a healthier place to live. Volunteers throughout the court take on important roles such as support staff, child advocates, case monitors, board consultants, family support, mentors, lobby support and transportation.

If you have a passion for serving youth and families and have an interest in volunteering, please contact Carrie Appling at (253)798-3837 or visit www.piercecountywa.org/juvenilecourt.

Thank You When it comes to improving the health and well-being of young people, we recognize and embrace the saying “it takes a village”. In that spirit, we would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our volunteers and community partners, many of which are listed below.

Thank you for all you do.

2Watch A Common Voice A Step Ahead Pierce County Alcoholics Anonymous Alchemy Skateboarding Alpine Counseling Annie E. Casey Foundation Bethel Family Center CASA Kids Catholic Community Services City of Tacoma City of Sumner Community Youth Services – Pierce County Comprehensive Life Resources DSHS Children’s Administration DSHS Rehabilitation Administration Facing Forward Tacoma Family Council of the Juvenile Court First Christian Church of Puyallup Gary E. Milgard Foundation Good Sam Behavioral Health Greater Lakes Mental Health Hilltop Artists

Hope Sparks Justice for Girl’s Coalition of WA Juvenile Court Volunteers Lake City Community Church Narcotics Anonymous Northwest Leadership Foundation Optum Our Sister’s House Pat Miles Consulting Peace Lutheran Church Pediatrics Northwest Pierce County Community Connections Pierce County School Districts Pierce County Sexual Assault Center Pierce County Sheriff’s Department Point Defiance Counseling Project Child Success Puget Sound Educational Service District Puyallup Tribe Reach Center Remann Hall Book Club Rowlands and Associates Safe Streets Second Cycle

Sleep Train Tacoma Christian Reformed Community Church Tacoma Community Boat Builders Tacoma Goodwill Industries Tacoma Pierce County Bar Association / Volunteer Legal Program Tacoma Pierce County Health Department Tacoma Police Department TeamChild Treehouse The Wishing Well United Way of Tacoma University of Washington University Place City Hall Washington State CASA Washington State Center for Court Research Washington State OSPI Washington State Partnership Council – Juvenile Justice YMCA of Pierce County Yoga Behind Bars Youth for Christ

Juvenile Court

Executive Committee The Juvenile Court Executive Committee provides oversight of Juvenile Court operations.

The following Superior Court Judges comprised the committee in 2016:

• Jerry Costello • James Orlando • Susan K. Serko • Kitty-Ann van Doorninck • John Hickman • Kathryn J. Nelson • Gretchen Leanderson • Phil Sorensen • Frank Cuthbertson

We want our community to be one that is safe and supportive, where all children are healthy and succeed in school, and where all children grow up to be productive and contributing adults.

Contact Us 5501 6th Ave Tacoma, WA 98406 253-798-7900 piercecountywa.org/juvenilecourt

JUVENILE COURT