The Juvenile Justice Commission's (JJC) Office of Specialized and Interagency Services coordinates activities and collaborates with other government agencies such as the Office of Children's Services - Division of Youth and Family Services and Division of Child Behavioral Services, Office of the Child Advocate, Housing Mortgage Finance Agency, Division of Mental Health Services, State Parole Board, Social Security Administration and Department of Labor. Communication with all of these agencies is necessary to address the multi-service/system needs of youth and to plan for each juveniles return to the community. By coordinating with other state and federal agencies, the JJC maximizes the resources it can provide for the juveniles in its care and ensures linkages to services offered by other youth-serving agencies.

This office is also charged with collecting data on interagency activities and special populations such as sex offenders, fire setters and those with serious mental health disorders, as well as overseeing contractual agreements between various agencies. Working to ensure the most innovative and effective care for juveniles with special needs, this office is responsible for the organization of resources and activities, particularly for young people in JJC facilities and programs in need of mental health and sex-offense-specific services.

The office also focuses on activities related to diverting young people from the juvenile justice system, when possible and appropriate, and for coordinating services that assist juveniles with their re-entry or their return to the community from placement with the JJC. For example, the Office of Specialized and Interagency Services recently coordinated the implementation of a statewide mental health-screening tool for the county juvenile detention centers. This Office also played a critical part in the development of a memorandum of understanding with the Division of Developmental Disabilities that includes protocols for the expeditious identification and planning for developmentally disabled youth and access to services such as housing and scholarships for youth in transition to adulthood.

The Office of Specialized and Interagency Services also coordinates special initiatives at the direction of the Executive Director of the JJC. These include program development activities, statewide training plans for the JJC facilities and juvenile detention centers, suicide prevention strategies, specialized policy academies, and representation on various statewide task forces.

For more information, please contact:
Barbara Chayt
609-943-3132