Texas Juvenile Justice A PUBLICATION OF THE today TEXAS JUVENILE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT A Message From the Director El Paso County Takes To The Big Stage page 2 January has been busy at TJJD as we TJJD Implements Human Trafficking Course for All continue to move rapidly on a number Direct Care Staff in February page 3 of initiatives. On January 13, we again met with the Regionalization Task Force SPOTLIGHT: Vikki Reasor, Principal, Gainesville State as we move toward implementation this School page 4 a funding application for the regional TJJD Co-Hosts Strengthening Youth & Families diversionsummer. ofAt individualthis meeting, youth. we finalizedWe also Conference page 5 discussed the work being done within each David Reilly Judy Davis Honored as 2015 Outstanding Community region to identify regionalization opportunities. A number of Volunteer page 7 private providers shared details of how their services could be incorporated into the regionalization efforts. It was a productive Rep. Ruth McClendon Honored as 2015 Champion for meeting. I am particularly grateful to Travis County for hosting. Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention page 7 Our county partners are doing a great job of working within their regions to ensure services are available when we begin our Family Involvement Survey Demonstrates Agency diversion efforts in June. Gains page 8 We are continuing to look for avenues to expand our canine AMIKids-Rio Grande Valley: TJJD’s Residential Provider program – Pairing Achievement With Success (PAWS) – into of the Year! page 9 additional facilities. Last November, the PAWS program at our Harris County Juvenile Probation Department and Ron Jackson facility in Brownwood teamed with Service Dogs Disability Rights, Texas Form Partnership page 9 Inc., an organization that trains dogs to assist Texans living with hearing or mobility challenges. PAWS participants will SPOTLIGHT: Bill Austin, Wise and Jack counties Chief now provide initial training for shelter animals that will go Juvenile Probation Officer page 10 on to become service dogs. This effort will touch many lives, including those in need of a companion animal as well as the TJJD Hosts PREA Audit Readiness Conference page 11 youth trainers. The program at Ron Jackson has now expanded TJJD Kicks Off Tattoo Removal Program page 12 to boys; currently. We also expect the program to be operating at the Gainesville State School later this Spring. Evins Staff and Volunteers Share Thanksgiving With Families page 12 The agency recently implemented an intramural athletic program at each secure campus and all youth are actively participating in TJJD Utilizes Technology to Bring Families Together seasonal sports. A Players Council was formed at each school, page 13 made up of a representative from each team. The council will Willoughby House Christmas page 14 be a voice for the students to the staff, expressing concerns, ideas, and opinions about the intramural program, and will also Upcoming TJJD Sponsored or Co-Sponsored Trainings relay information from the staff back to their respective teams. and Webinars page 15 I am excited about the intramural programing. It is a natural Employees Receiving Tenure Awards page 16 Continued on page 3 JANUARY 2016 El Paso County Takes To The Big Stage The El Paso County Juvenile Probation Department’s Challenge Academy is the department’s long-term residential program that provides evidence-based programming, substance abuse treatment and life skills for the overall growth and development of youth and their families. Since 2013, the Challenge Academy Explorers Post has been an active participant in the annual Sun Bowl Parade, building parade youth. It all started with an idea to give back tofloats the thatcommunity have specialand experience meaning whatfor the community has to offer to our youth. The 2013 “Eye of the Tiger” parade float. first float in 2013 drew on the motivation and Itdedication was titled that “Eye fictional of the Tiger” boxer and Rocky received Balboa an honorabledisplayed in mention not giving by paradeup and judges.fighting to win. In 2014, Challenge Academy youth and counselors drew from the fact that most of the youth have to learn to be adults before their time at the expense of their childhood. The group’s entry that year was their “Angry Birds” (Best Presentation of the Parade Theme). float which received the Governor’s Award The Challenge Academy’s 2015 “Space 2014 “Angry Birds” parade float. stars, all you need is dedication, motivation andShuttle” hope. float The stressed message that, to youth to reach was thatfor the sky is the limit and they should reach for the stars in their dreams and goals in life. “Space Shuttle” received the General’s Award (Most Outstanding Small Float). and rewards. Team advisors Lee Camack, AlfredoEvery float Saucedo, comes Rocio with itsEstrada set of goals,and Margaux lessons Marquez and a set of youth work hours and hours, days to days and even months to raise ground up. Congratulations to the El Paso Challengethe money Academy for the float staff and and built youth it fromfor their the dedication, hard work spirit of excellence. 2015 “Space Shuttle” parade float. 2 TEXAS JUVENILE JUSTICE TODAY | JANUARY 2016 A Message From the Director (continued) way for youth to build teamwork staff and our mission. are meeting the needs of the and participate in normalizing youth; activities. I continually look to Finally, the agency published its expand programing at our facilities 2015 Treatment Effectiveness The program for youth with that allow kids to be kids. Report last month. This report substance abuse problems contains interesting and instructive • shows a treatment completion I’ve been traveling to a number of data on our youth population, rate of 93% overall and facilities during the past several commitment numbers, program demonstrated a reduction of months, engaging our employees enrollment and completion rates. recidivism rates from last year. in town hall meetings and listening to their suggestions and concerns. report: Youth whose combined This is a very constructive exercise. Some interesting findings in the treatment services included • I leave each facility having learned 99 percent of the youth both mental health and more about the important work entering TJJD have at least one substance abuse treatment • of our incredible staff. Having a specialized treatment need, and experienced reduced recidivism two-way dialogue with the people 98 percent of those are receiving rates compared to FY2014, doing the real work of our agency is appropriate treatment; decreasing from 58% to 41%. helping to inform me of how we can Psychiatric hospitalizations The report can be found on our achieve a better balance between and emergency room visits website. treatment and accountability in • hit an all-time low in FY2015, our facilities. It also gives me a indicating that mental health tremendous sense of pride in our services provided in the agency TJJD Implements Human Trafficking Course for All Direct Care Staff in February years, a trend likely to continue as more information and statistics become available on Human trafficking has been a prominent training topic in Texas and nationally for several local juvenile probation departments have worked with a number of entities including the trafficking and exploitation, especially related to children. Over the last few years, TJJD and and International Hope, to seek professional development in this area as a proactive measure for staff to enhance awareness and responsivityAttorney to the needs General’s of these Office, youth Department in our system. of Public Safety, Traffick911, Allies Against Slavery, State legislation mandated human trafficking training for all juvenile correctional officers, along with trauma informed care training. TJJD curriculum developers recently completed a new 2-hour human trafficking course that will be charactersimplemented and into processes the new are hire provided. schedule This for course all incoming also instructs juvenile staff correctional on how to officersrecognize beginning the signs in and February. symptoms This of course is an introduction to human trafficking where a discussion of definitions and terms, myths and facts, and to providing this new course to all new hires, TJJD will also provide this training to all tenured staff. Juvenile probation departmentsvictims or traffickers may request within this TJJD training facilities at as any well time as the by reporting the Juvenile processes Justice once Training they haveAcademy, been identified.or while coordinating In addition regional training. For additional information on this training course, please contact Kristy Almager at 512.490.7125 or Chris Ellison at 512.490.7245. 3 TEXAS JUVENILE JUSTICE TODAY | JANUARY 2016 SPOTLIGHT Vikki Reasor Principal, Gainesville State School justice side, I would say a major We love to travel anywhere, but difference is the way education especially to places where I can and the facility must cooperate and scuba dive! work together to ensure a smooth operation. Thankfully, ours is a very What is the best part of your job? strong team! Knowing beyond a shadow of a What led you to your career in doubt my students feel that my education? What do you see as the biggest teachers truly care about them and Teaching is what I was born to do. challenges for juvenile justice their future and for the short time I believe I was called to be a MOM education? they are with us…someone invested and to TEACH… Our biggest challenge, is trying in their lives and truly gave their all to reach our students where they to show what love and grace look Why did you decide to enter the are, when at times there are large like. We have a small window of field of juvenile justice? educational gaps. We want to give time here to not only teach, but to My Bachelor’s degree is in Deaf each individual student what they remind our students that this is but Education and I started my need, and it becomes challenging one short chapter in the book of career teaching the deaf and then with students on so many levels their lives…there is so much hope moved to special needs kids.