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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Ind. Courts - "County juvenile court shows off pioneering mental health diversion program"
Vicki Urbanik of the Chesterton Tribune reported yesterday in a long story that begins:
Juvenile court officials from throughout Indiana gathered Friday to learn more about a Porter County program aimed at addressing the mental health needs of juvenile offenders instead of requiring that the kids go through the normal court process.Porter County began the program – known as the Mental Health Diversion Project – in late 2005, after Porter County Circuit Court Judge Mary Harper and other juvenile officials learned about a similar program in Santa Clara County, California.
Porter County Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Amy Beier said officials were interested in starting a diversion program here after seeing a significant number of juveniles who seemed to be dealing with mental health issues. Months into probation, she said, officials could see things unravel with the kids, later forcing them to play “catch up” in terms of the best way to handle the cases.
At a seminar on Friday in Valparaiso, juvenile court officials heard the details of how the program works in Porter County. The audience members included representatives from five other Indiana counties selected in a pilot program for juvenile assessment and treatment: Lake, Johnson, Bartholomew, Clark and Marion.
Under Porter County’s project, all juveniles referred to the Porter County Probation Department or placed in detention undergo a mental health screening. If officials suspect a mental health issue, either because of that initial screening or due to interviews, the juvenile could be referred to the diversion project.
A team of officials -- including the prosecutor -- reviews each case before deciding if a juvenile should be accepted. The prosecutor has complete veto power: If he wants to proceed with charges, then the juvenile is not placed in diversion.
Kids who are ultimately accepted receive treatment through one of the two providers, the Family & Youth Services Bureau or Porter-Starke Services. In addition, they and their families meet regularly, at least on a weekly basis, with Porter County Juvenile Probation Officer Kate Sorenson.
Because the kids are in a diversion program, their case is not like a typical juvenile offender’s. There is no court case opened, and the kids who complete the program don’t have a juvenile record.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on June 17, 2008 12:07 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts