Recorded May 29, 2014
This webinar profiled Connecticut’s school-based diversion programs, developed with help from the MacArthur Foundation's Models for Change initiative and technical assistance from the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, to reduce the flow of children with mental health issues from schools into the youth justice system. Presenters discussed key components of the models, how they have worked with advocates and other community stakeholders on the program, funding mechanisms, outcomes, successes and challenges, how the work can be replicated, and how it fits in with addressing other school-to-jail issues.
>> Download the presentation slides (you may need to right-click to download file to your computer).
>> Watch the recorded webinar on school-based diversion for youth with mental health issues (.WMV format).
>> For info about the school-based diversion for youth with mental health needs in other states -- or technical assistance, please visit the Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Collaborative for Change, supported by Models for Change.
Presenters included:
Lara Herscovitch, Deputy Director of the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance (an NJJN member). Lara Herscovitch joined the Alliance in February 2008; she has over 15 years of experience in nonprofit sector programs, policy, and organizational development. Prior to joining CTJJA, she served as Connecticut Fund for the Enviroment’s Director of Grants & Special Projects, including post-merger strategic planning. Previously, Lara was Director of Programs at the Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation, providing strategic and operational leadership of the Foundation's grant making and its Nonprofit Resource Center for organizational capacity building. She was with Save the Children/U.S. before that, focused on education/literacy, early childhood development, and youth development. Lara holds an MSW in Policy & Planning and Community Organizing from the University of Connecticut’s School of Social Work and a BA in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts.
Catherine Foley Geib, MPA, is the Manager of Clinical and Educational Services at the Connecticut Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division. She began her juvenile justice career 20 years ago as a probation officer and currently oversees the development and operation of mental health and education evaluation and treatment services for court-involved juveniles. She was formerly the manager of detention services, and managed the successful exit from the Emily J. federal court oversight through collaborative efforts with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to introduce a community-based system of evidence-based treatment and wraparound services for detained juveniles. She is the team leader for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Models for Change Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Action Network grant awarded to Connecticut, and oversees the development and implementation of new strategies to promote school-based diversion, mental health training, and family engagement. She was honored by the MacArthur Foundation as a 2011 Champion for Change for her work. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Relationships magna cum laude from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at New York University.
Dr. Jeffrey J. Vanderploeg, Ph.D., Associate Director of the Connecticut Center for Effective Practice. Dr. Vanderploeg is Associate Director of the Center for Effective Practice at the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut, Inc. (CHDI) and Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Vanderploeg is involved in quality improvement, evaluation, consultation, research, and training initiatives in children's mental health, juvenile justice, and education. He currently oversees the CHDI Performance Improvement Center, a quality improvement initiative that enhances the quality, fidelity, and outcomes of child-serving programs. He also directs the School Based Diversion Initiative (SBDI), which aims to reduce the number of youth with mental health needs who are arrested in schools. Dr. Vanderploeg is also involved in the identification and dissemination of evidence-based practices in school- and community-based settings. Prior to joining CHDI in 2009, Dr. Vanderploeg was on the faculty at Yale University School of Medicine. He received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Bowling Green State University.