Youth In Custody Practice Model (YICPM)

In recent years, the administration of juvenile corrections has been complicated by numerous challenges. Staff turnover, media scrutiny, budget cuts, and intense political pressure threaten even the best efforts to align practices with rehabilitative principles and objectives. Around the country, system partners are routinely being asked to do more with less. This is especially true for staff operating long-term residential facilities for high-risk youth. As systems realign and downsize, many facility workers now report seeing higher percentages of youth residents with significant needs, including mental health, substance use and gang involvement issues.

Given these concerns, juvenile justice professionals and their partners seek assistance. They wish to work in ways that are smarter, better and more cost-effective. They want tools to guide system improvement efforts and strategies tailored to serving a youth population with increasingly complex needs. The Youth in Custody Practice Model (YICPM) initiative responds to this call for help.

Informed by research on “what works” in serving youth in custody, as well as professional standards and the field’s preeminent thinking on best practices, the YICPM initiative is designed to assist state and county juvenile justice agencies and facility providers to implement a comprehensive and effective service delivery approach. Utilizing the YICPM monograph as a roadmap, the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators (CJJA), the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy (CJJR), and a team of consultants provides participating sites with training and technical assistance (TTA) to align core, research-based principles with everyday practice, and achieve more positive outcomes for youth, families, staff and communities.

The Youth in Custody Practice Model offers agencies and facilities guidance on essential practices in key areas such as family engagement and addressing racial and ethnic disparities, as well as practices in four important domains:

1. Case Planning;
2. Facility-based Services (e.g., Academic and Career/Technical Education; Programming; Physical Health; Behavioral Health; Supporting Staff; Youth Voice; Environment; Behavioral Supports; Crisis Management; Managing the Influence of Gangs)
3. Transition/Reentry; and
4. Community-based

The enumerated practices stem from the view that services and approaches for system-involved youth and their families should be: research-based; developmentally appropriate; family-centered; individually focused and predicated on validated assessments; strength-based; trauma-informed; data-informed and outcome-driven; culturally responsive; and coordinated.

Ultimately, the goals of the YICPM initiative are to (1) promote safe, fair and healthy environments for youth, staff and families; (2) prepare, equip, empower and support staff to provide effective services; (3) increase positive youth and family experiences and outcomes; and (4) enhance community safety. Anticipated outcomes from the effort are listed in the section below, titled “Goals, Expected Outcomes and Evaluation.”

With support and guidance from CJJA and CJJR, a team of national juvenile justice experts authored the YICPM, including:

• Kelly Dedel, Ph.D., Director of One in 37 Research, Inc., and court monitor and subject matter expert in several legal cases involving the conditions of confinement in juvenile facilities across the U.S.;
• Monique Khumalo (formerly Marrow), Ph.D., child clinical psychologist and juvenile justice consultant for the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice at the University of Connecticut Health Center and the Center on Trauma and Children at the University of Kentucky;
• Fariborz Pakseresht, Former Director of the Oregon Youth Authority, and Former President of CJJA; and
• Michael Umpierre, Esq., CJJR Director and former co-coordinator of the National Center for Youth in Custody.

Since the inception of the YICPM initiative in 2016, CJJR and CJJA have supported three cohorts of sites to implement the model, including the development and implementation of action plans designed to improve outcomes for youth, families, staff and communities. In these three rounds of the initiative, CJJR and CJJA have worked with the following ten jurisdictions:

• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Massachusetts
• Texas
• Wisconsin
• Alameda County, California
• Los Angeles County, California
• San Diego County, California
• Wayne County, Michigan

Participants include six state juvenile justice agencies, three county probation departments, and one privately operated care management organization at the county level. These sites have implemented the model in long-term post-dispositional facilities as well as in pre-adjudication detention facilities.

For the fourth round of the initiative, CJJA and CJJR will offer two distinct TTA versions of the YICPM, including the traditional 18-month approach, and a new 12-month option providing more targeted support. A more detailed description is provided later in the section titled “Training and Technical Assistance Packages.”

The principal value of the Youth in Custody Practice Model initiative is that it offers juvenile justice system officials and partners a comprehensive, cohesive, research-based framework for juvenile justice service delivery. It is geared towards state and county juvenile justice agencies and facility providers seeking to:

• Improve outcomes for youth, families, staff and communities;
• Drive systemic change in a unified, thoughtful manner;
• Provide additional support to staff;
• Build stronger partnerships with families, stakeholders and communities;
• Increase consistency in practices;
• Create greater systems of accountability and quality assurance; and
• Operate more cost-effectively.

Note that state or county juvenile justice agencies may select privately operated facilities with which they contract to demonstrate the YICPM even if not applying jointly with the provider organizations. The second option listed above is offered to support private-public partnerships designed to defray costs and increase investments in efforts aimed at achieving positive outcomes for youth, families, staff and communities. The third option is geared for private organizations operating facilities within a regional area that seek to provide services in line with best practice and professional standards.

For the fourth round of the YICPM, CJJA and CJJR are pleased to offer the field two opportunities to receive training and technical assistance. These versions include:

Version 1: Traditional 18-Month YICPM Initiative

Consistent with the traditional approach used since the inception of the YIPCM in 2016, over an 18-month period (i.e., March 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022), CJJA, CJJR and a team of experts will provide training and technical assistance to support the site’s implementation of the YICPM. It  is understood that each site selected to participate in the YICPM will have different strengths and weaknesses and may be more advanced in some areas of practice than others. For this reason, each site’s 18-months of training and technical assistance will be a customized package of services within the general framework of the overall initiative. The training and technical assistance will support sites in:

• Assessing current practices compared to the comprehensive, research-based blueprint presented by the YICPM;
• Developing customized action plans to implement desired policy and practice improvements and achieve measurable objectives;
• Training staff on the research undergirding the YICPM and the strategies listed therein;
• Building and broadening a coalition of support for the system improvements, including agency staff, partners and stakeholders;
• Creating strategies designed to achieve long-term sustainability of the efforts, such as policy development, training, quality assurance and performance measurement; and
• Measuring the effectiveness of the training and technical assistance in changing practices and achieving positive

Over the course of six site visits and regular conference calls and email correspondence, the training and technical assistance will be delivered by national experts with experience in the youth in custody arena. The consulting team will include two lead consultants who will attend every site visit and an additional consultant who will attend two of the six visits. Overall, this team of consultants will provide each participating site with a minimum of 130 days of consultation.

The consulting team will cover all areas of the Practice Model including:

Family Engagement and Empowerment;
Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities;
Case Planning;

• Facility-Based Services (e.g., Academic and Career/Technical Education; Programming; Physical Health; Behavioral Health; Supporting Staff; Youth Voice; Environment; Behavioral Supports; Crisis Management; Managing the Influence of Gangs);
• Transition/Reentry; and
• Community-based Services

Additionally, the consulting team will include a number of specialized subject matter experts available to assist sites in targeted areas requiring further attention. For example, a site may wish to delve deeply into improving facility-based family engagement practices, addressing racial and ethnic disparities, or enhancing trauma-informed approaches. To this end, specialized experts would provide consultation—on site and/or by phone/email/webinar—to help participants develop specific strategies to improve practices. The lead consultants will work with each site to identify areas of interest for this specialized consultation. Each selected site will be provided with a total of 15 days of TTA from the specialized subject matter experts.

Finally, the 18-month option of the YICPM includes a strong data collection and evaluation component. Dr. Jennifer Woolard, Associate Professor of Psychology and Chair of the Psychology Department at Georgetown University, and her staff will provide training and technical assistance to sites to support data collection, analysis, and report writing related to the YICPM implementation. This effort, involving 13 days of consultation from Dr. Woolard and her team, is designed to measure the impact the YICPM has on changing practices and achieving positive outcomes.

In total, the training and technical assistance package includes a minimum of approximately 158 days of consultation from the lead consultants, specialized subject matter experts, and data consultants.

Version 2: Targeted YICPM Support

As noted above, for the first time ever, CJJA and CJJR are offering an opportunity for sites interested in receiving more targeted support around particular elements of serving youth in custody. For this 12-month version of the YICPM initiative, participating sites will receive the YICPM monograph, an overview of YICPM components, and intensive training and technical assistance on one of the following tracks:

• Track 1: Partnering with and Supporting Staff, Youth and Families: This track will cover strategies for supporting and equipping staff; elevating the voices of youth in practice; and engaging and partnering with families in meaningful ways.
• Track 2: Motivating Positive Youth Behavior at the Facility: This track will cover strategies for establishing a positive physical and social facility environment; providing youth with behavior supports including through strong behavior management and motivation practices; and preventing and safely responding to critical
• Track 3: Collaborating across Systems to Deliver High Quality Services: This track will cover strategies for conducting effective and cross-disciplinary case planning; delivering high quality education, medical and behavioral health services; and supporting a seamless reentry
• Track 4: Promoting Race Equity and Fairness for Youth in Custody: This track will cover strategies for ensuring that youth of color are treated equitably and fairly at the facility level, including through the use of data-driven strategies, training, messaging, and organizational culture change.

Led by a consulting team of national experts, this technical assistance package includes two site visits and regular conference calls and email correspondence. At least two lead consultants will facilitate every visit and call which will be designed to support the site to analyze gaps in policy and practice in the track, and develop and implement action plans to address those gaps. While this package does not include the full data and evaluation component contained in the 18-month version, note that the lead consultants will provide guidance to the site to support a self-directed evaluation of their work under the YICPM. Overall, this team of consultants will provide each participating site with a minimum of 80 days of consultation.

Similar to the 18-month version, this training and technical assistance package will also include access to subject matter experts who will assist the site in targeted areas requiring further attention. In collaboration with the site, CJJR and CJJA will tap into their respective networks to identify and engage the subject matter experts for up to three days of consultation. In total, the training and technical assistance package includes a minimum of approximately 83 days of consultation from the lead consultants and specialized subject matter experts.

Consulting Team

As noted above, for both the 18-month and 12-month versions of the YICPM, the training and technical assistance will be delivered by national experts with experience in the youth in custody arena. The lead consultants providing this training and technical assistance may include the following individuals:

• Michael Umpierre (Director, Center for Juvenile Justice Reform);
• Mike Dempsey (Executive Director, Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators);
• Kelly Dedel (Director, One in 37 Research, );
• Tim Decker (Former Director of the Missouri Department of Social Services’ Division of Youth Services & Children’s Division)

The training and technical assistance will be delivered in a phased approach designed to engage the key leaders, staff and partners in the agency and/or jurisdiction. This may include agency directors, deputy directors, chiefs of staff, general counsel, facility superintendents, education directors, behavioral health directors, community partners, and other managers and staff from various line levels who are intricately involved in the YICPM practice areas (e.g., case planning, facility-based services, transition/reentry, community-based services).

The consulting team will work with the participating site to determine the best strategies to advance the work (e.g., implementation teams; workgroups) and to identify the types of individuals to engage in the effort. As part of the initiative, each site will conduct organizational, facility-based, and aftercare assessments to compare current practices against those set forth in the YICPM. Once the assessments are completed and the YICPM infrastructure has been established, the consulting team will work with the site to first develop and then begin to implement the strategic action plans.

In addition to site-specific support, there will also be opportunities for the selected sites to learn from each other and from the first three cohorts of YICPM participants. The purpose of this peer-to-peer interaction is to build a network of leaders that supports one another during the YICPM implementation process by sharing strategies for overcoming roadblocks and ensuring sustainability.

The Youth in Custody Practice Model initiative is grounded in the belief that with the right services and supports, all youth can live healthy, productive and crime-free lives. CJJA and CJJR recognize that every effort must be made to support juvenile justice staff and partners because their jobs are extremely challenging. We also acknowledge that families and communities play critical roles in the process, and that protecting public safety is an essential element of the work. Given this foundation, the Youth in Custody Practice Model initiative is designed to help systems achieve four primary goals (as indicated in the “Background and Overview” section above):

1. Promote safe, fair and healthy environments for youth, staff and families;
2. Prepare, equip, empower and support staff to provide effective services;
3. Increase positive youth and family experiences and outcomes; and
4. Enhance community safety.

The table below lists some of the anticipated outcomes associated with each of the YICPM’s four goals. The extent to which they will apply to a specific site depends on the areas of need identified by the assessment process and targeted by the action plan.

As mentioned previously, in the 18-month version of the YICPM, a program evaluation will be completed to measure the effectiveness of the training and technical assistance and the sites’ action plans in changing practices and achieving positive outcomes. The evaluation will describe the TTA activities of the YICPM and measure the implementation activities (outputs) that result from these interventions in the sites. This will require communication with the consultation team, including Dr. Woolard and her staff. Participating sites will be expected to use and potentially build upon their existing data to measure the extent to which the YICPM has been implemented with fidelity and improved outcomes are realized. (Again, note that for the 12-month version of the YICPM, the lead consultants will provide guidance to the sites regarding a self-directed evaluation of the implemented YICPM strategies).

Implementing the YICPM will require a significant commitment from each of the participating sites. Our experience with the initial three YICPM cohorts and other initiatives makes us keenly aware of the investment of time and effort that is required for success. At a minimum, participating organizations should be prepared to engage in monthly conference calls, participate in all site visits (including covering the costs associated with convening the team members for each visit, as well as meeting preparation and follow-up), communicate regularly with the consulting team, drive the data collection process (for the 18-month version), and coordinate any implementation groups established (e.g., implementation team, workgroups). We ask that each site thoroughly examine its level of commitment and the ability to support staff members in undertaking this work. In this regard, there is an expectation that each site will be ready to move rapidly in implementing the YICPM upon selection.

The costs to participate in the YICPM and receive the training and technical assistance from CJJA, CJJR and the team of experts include the following:

• 18-month version: $209,000
• 12-month version: $98,500

This fee includes:

• All technical assistance from the lead consultants (130 days in total for the 18-month version; 80 days in total for the 12-month version), specialized subject matter experts (15 days in total for the 18-month version; 3 days in total for the 12-month version), and data consultants (13 days in total for the 18-month version). For each version, the fee includes all consultant fees, consultant travel, and costs associated with conference calls and webinars;
• Evaluation of the effectiveness of the training and technical assistance and action plans in changing practices and achieving outcomes in the participating sites (for the 18-month version); and
• CJJA staff support for coordinating and managing all aspects of the
  This fee must be paid in full prior to commencement of the training and technical assistance (if not received by March 1, 2021, implementation support will cease). Please note that the fee does not include the cost of local staff time devoted to this project. It is recommended that 50% of a staff person’s time be dedicated to managing and coordinating this project. CJJA, CJJR and the consultants will work with this staff person to coordinate all aspects of the project.

Up to three sites (i.e., state or county juvenile justice agencies and/or facility provider organizations) will be selected to participate in the program through a competitive application process. The strongest applicants will have:

• A history of juvenile justice reforms;
• High-level commitment to quality system and practice improvements at the agency and facility levels, including through the use of policy development, training, quality assurance and performance measurement;
• The capacity to collect data over a sustained period of time through an existing information system (particularly relevant for those applying for the 18-month version which includes the YICPM data collection and evaluation component); and
• A willingness to focus YICPM implementation in up to three facilities, with the goal of expanding implementation to other facilities in the jurisdiction (i.e., state, county or regional area).

These criteria ensure that the selected sites are ready and able to implement the reforms proposed by the YICPM.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm in the applicant’s local time zone on November 30, 2020. The application guidelines are listed below. Please be sure to follow the instructions provided as applications will be assessed on the basis of the four criteria listed above, as well as the clarity and completeness of responses to the application questions.

Finalists will be selected and notified by December 7, 2020. Between December 8, 2020 and December 15, 2020, CJJA and CJJR will host interviews with each finalist to further determine readiness to implement the YICPM. CJJA and CJJR will work with each applicant to identify a time for the one-hour interview. The interview must include the leader(s) of the applying organization(s) (e.g., director of the state or county juvenile justice agency and/or chief executive officer of the private facility provider organization), but also may include other key leaders, such as chiefs of staff and facility superintendents.

Selected participants will be notified on December 18, 2020. At that time, participants will receive further information in order to commence the training and technical assistance services on March 1, 2021. The first site visit with the consulting team will occur in April or May 2021 (note: if public health guidelines prevent the site visit from occurring, the consulting team will work with the participating site to develop an alternative plan which may include virtual training and/or postponement of the in-person convening).

Applicants must submit responses to the application questions listed below. You may supplement responses with relevant attachments, though this is not required.

Application Questions:

Briefly describe the organization(s) applying for the YICPM initiative (e.g., state or county juvenile justice agency, private facility provider organization); which version you are applying for (i.e., 18-month or 12-month version, and if the latter, which of the four
tracks you would like to receive support with); and why you are interested in participating in the effort. Explain why you consider this work to be important and what you hope to achieve.

Identify any relevant system improvement efforts currently being implemented by your organization(s) and how the YICPM initiative would align with those efforts. Describe strengths and challenges faced by your organization(s) in leading reform initiatives (e.g., workforce readiness to engage in the work; policy development mechanisms; training capacity; quality assurance structures; communications infrastructure and supports).
Describe the facilities in which you plan to demonstrate the YICPM (up to three),
including each facility’s relationship to the agency/organization (e.g., operated by the agency or private organization), location, bed capacity, current number of residents, number of staff, general aggregate-level background information on residents (e.g., race, gender, offense types, risk levels, special needs), and any other information about the facility you deem important to note.

Each of the groups listed below is essential to implementing the YICPM. Indicate which of these groups (and/or any others) you intend to engage in the
Organizational Leader (e.g., Agency Director, Chief Executive Officer)
Chief of Staff
Clinical Staff (e.g., Qualified Mental Health Professionals, Counselors)
Custody Staff (e.g., Supervisors, Unit Managers)
Data / Research Staff
Deputy Director (e.g., Residential Programs/Services)
Education Staff
Facility Superintendent(s)
Quality Assurance Staff
Reentry / Aftercare Staff
Indicate who has been identified to manage or coordinate the YICPM’s implementation, his/her title, and how much of his/her time will be devoted to the
Describe the ability and willingness of your organization(s) to collect and analyze data on practices and outcomes related to youth in custody. Identify any existing information systems, related data collection efforts (e.g., Performance-based Standards), and support staff you expect to engage in the YICPM
Identify any existing local- or state-level leadership groups, committees, task forces, etc. (external to the agency) that you expect to support the YICPM’s implementation. Briefly describe their composition, authority, organizational structure, history and
Please acknowledge your understanding of the participant investment and expectations (see above), and if already identified, please describe how you plan to fund your participation in the
Provide any additional information about your organization(s) or facilities that supports your application and that you wish to share with the selection committee. Please specifically address how you expect the selected demonstration facilities to lay the foundation for expanding the YICPM initiative throughout the
All applications should use the following format:

• Microsoft Word or PDF format
• 12-point font
• Single spaced
• Include page numbers
• Maximum of 12 pages (not including the cover page and attachments)

Applications are due by 11:59 pm in the applicant’s local time zone on November 30, 2020 and should be emailed to Charity Brenstuhl at charity.brenstuhl@cjja.net. All applications must include the cover letter below (which must be signed by the agency’s or organization’s leadership). Please email Charity if you are unable to scan the application cover sheet and send it electronically.

Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators

The Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators is a national non-profit organization formed in 1994 to improve local juvenile correctional services, programs and practices and to provide national leadership and leadership development for the individuals responsible for the systems. CJJA represents the youth correctional chief executive officers in 50 states, Puerto Rico and major metropolitan counties.

CJJA fulfills its mission through educational activities and programs as well as research and technical assistance projects. Education activities include: the New Directors’ Seminar for

recently appointed chief executive officers; annual meetings for all directors offering sessions on best practices and evidence-based approaches; presentations at conferences hosted by other national organizations; and written materials to the public and policymakers about the issues in youth corrections. CJJA also provides information through quarterly newsletters, its website and blog.

CJJA is a founding member of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change Initiative and currently operates the CJJA Resource Center where it provides technical assistance and resources to the field. CJJA co-directed the National Center for Youth in Custody, an OJJDP-funded training and technical assistance center, and also developed Performance- based Standards (PbS), a program designed to provide facility leaders and staff with national standards to guide operations to best service youth, staff, families and communities and to continuously monitor daily practices and culture within facilities with performance outcome measures.

Center for Juvenile Justice Reform

Founder in 2007, the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy advances a balanced, multi-systems approach to reducing juvenile delinquency that promotes positive child and youth development. Given its extensive networks and platform, CJJR is in a unique position to provide strong and sustained national leadership in identifying and highlighting the research on policies and practices that work best to reduce delinquency and achieve better outcomes for this nation’s children.

CJJR works to focus the nation’s juvenile justice and related systems of care on the key principles embodied in an evidence-based juvenile justice reform agenda, utilizing a multi- systems approach. These include: an effective balance of prevention and intervention services; an individualized system of justice for youth; implementation of proven and effective practices; strong linkages to the community; and significant public engagement and building of public and political will.

Beyond providing information on these key principles CJJR also provides guidance and instruction on how to implement this reform agenda through the adoption of sound policy and practice. In this regard, the center supports the development of stronger leaders in the juvenile justice and related systems of care and helps them to achieve better outcomes for the young people in their care.