Guidebook for Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare System Coordination and Integration: A Framework for Improved Outcomes

• NCJ Number: 210749
• Author(s): Janet Wiig; John A. Tuell
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 172 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
• Corporate Author: Child Welfare League of America, Inc.
• Sale Source: Child Welfare League of America, Inc.
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Instructional Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This guidebook provides guidance for State and local jurisdictions in their efforts to integrate their juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

Abstract

The guidebook's commitment to such integration is based in research and experience which has shown that increased integration and cooperation between these two systems can increase opportunities for prevention and improve outcomes for both the systems and their clients. As used in the guidebook, "integration" refers to a new system of handling juveniles who cross over both systems, i.e., juvenile delinquents who have a history of child maltreatment or other involvement with the child welfare system and children who have been maltreated and are at high risk of becoming juvenile delinquents. "Coordination" involves the efficient and effective management of children who cross over both systems, so as to improve the process and services provided by both systems. The guidebook is divided into five aspects of integration and coordination: mobilization and advocacy, data collection and analysis, inventory and assessment, action strategy, and implementation. Each aspect describes the primary activities that could occur in its domain, along with examples of work in other jurisdictions. The section on mobilization and advocacy discusses the initiation of the process of integration and coordination, management of the initiative, selling the initiative, and setting goals and evaluating the initiative. The section on data collection and information-sharing addresses the identification of questions that require data collection, determination of the data elements, management of the data collection, and the development of effective information-sharing. The section on inventory and assessment pertains to compiling a resource inventory, identifying best practices, review of assessments, funding review, and training across systems. Seven case studies compose the section on action strategies, followed by the section on implementation guidelines. 10 appendixes with supplementary information and 100 references