attorneys, juvenile corrections and detention administrators, community-based service providers, and practitioners with expertise in responding to gender-specific needs. Many hours were devoted to discussing, debating and constructing a set of ambitious yet implementable standards that are portable, easily understood, and designed to spur and inform state and local policy and practice reforms. III. PRINCIPLES FOR RESPONDING TO STATUS OFFENSES The first section of the provides a frame and foundation from which professionals working National Standards day-to-day with families and youth alleged to have committed status offenses can operate to achieve positive outcomes for everyone. In doing so, this section highlights twelve key principles to which professionals should adhere to protect youth and family safety, promote family connections and permanence, and ensure youth and family well-being. The twelve principles stipulate that judicial, legal, law enforcement, justice, social service and school professionals working with youth alleged to have committed status offenses and their families should: a child and family-centric approach to status offense cases by prioritizing child and family safety, well-being and permanency for the child; Understand and apply current and emerging scientific knowledge about adolescent development, particularly as it relates to court-involved youth; Understand positive youth development principles and how they can be used to achieve better outcomes for court-involved youth; Ensure that past trauma and other experiences, which may underlie or lead to status-offending behaviors, are identified and responded to with appropriate screening, assessment, treatment, services and supports; Implement a status offense system framework that promotes shared leadership and responsibility by encouraging youth engagement in court, agency, and other meetings affecting their case, safety, well-being, treatment services and/or placement; Utilize alternative dispute resolution strategies to resolve youth and family conflicts outside of the court system; Employ family engagement strategies that identify and emphasize a family’s strengths, and empower families to find and implement solutions outside of the court system; Eliminate racial and ethnic disparities by being culturally aware and ensuring impartial and equal access to culturally-competent prevention and intervention services and treatment for youth charged with status offenses and their families; Understand the developmental, behavioral and social differences between boys and girls and how their service needs are accordingly different. Make gender-responsive choices regarding interventions, treatment and services before, during, and following court involvement;
attorneys, juvenile corrections and detention administrators, community-based service providers, and practitioners with expertise in responding to gender-specific needs. Many hours were devoted to discussing, debating and constructing a set of ambitious yet implementable standards that are portable, easily understood, and designed to spur and inform state and local policy and practice reforms. III. PRINCIPLES FOR RESPONDING TO STATUS OFFENSES The first section of the National Standards provides a frame and foundation from which professionals working day-to-day with families and youth alleged to have committed status offenses can operate to achieve positive outcomes for everyone. In doing so, this section highlights twelve key principles to which professionals should adhere to protect youth and family safety, promote family connections and permanence, and ensure youth and family well-being. The twelve principles stipulate that judicial, legal, law enforcement, justice, social service and school professionals working with youth alleged to have committed status offenses and their families should: a child and family-centric approach to status offense cases by prioritizing child and family safety, well-being and permanency for the child; Understand and apply current and emerging scientific knowledge about adolescent development, particularly as it relates to court-involved youth; Understand positive youth development principles and how they can be used to achieve better outcomes for court-involved youth; Ensure that past trauma and other experiences, which may underlie or lead to status-offending behaviors, are identified and responded to with appropriate screening, assessment, treatment, services and supports; Implement a status offense system framework that promotes shared leadership and responsibility by encouraging youth engagement in court, agency, and other meetings affecting their case, safety, well-being, treatment services and/or placement; Utilize alternative dispute resolution strategies to resolve youth and family conflicts outside of the court system; Employ family engagement strategies that identify and emphasize a family’s strengths, and empower families to find and implement solutions outside of the court system; Eliminate racial and ethnic disparities by being culturally aware and ensuring impartial and equal access to culturally-competent prevention and intervention services and treatment for youth charged with status offenses and their families; Understand the developmental, behavioral and social differences between boys and girls and how their service needs are accordingly different. Make gender-responsive choices regarding interventions, treatment and services before, during, and following court involvement;
National%20Standards%20Brief.docx