Topics Related to Juvenile Justice

It's TGIF -- and we are certainly thankful for the staff of Treatment Services during Juvenile Justice week and beyond. Mental health is a complex and pivotal segment of juvenile healthcare. Juveniles committed to North Carolina's juvenile justice system present with multiple and complex behavioral health needs. Psychological program managers within Juvenile Justice -- such as regional Psychological Program Manager Dr.

Education Services is charged with fulfilling all state and federal mandates of a traditional school system for youths committed to state juvenile facilities. Janet Dalton, a teacher at Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center, tries to reach even the most resistant learners by providing games and activities for her students to make the classroom enjoyable while the students learn. An avid math enthusiast, Dalton has volunteered on several occasions to assist other teachers.

Today the Juvenile Justice week spotlight is on Health Services, the team that is dedicated to meeting the health and health education needs of the youths in juvenile justice facilities. Our professional medical staff screen and assess youth upon admission, develop healthcare plans and provide appropriate interventions and/or follow-up that may include referral for specialty assessment and intervention.

As Juvenile Justice week continues today, we turn our attention to Juvenile Facility Operations. Staff in this unit operates two types of secure commitment centers for youths in North Carolina: juvenile detention centers and youth development centers.

Gov. Roy Cooper has proclaimed Oct. 15-21, 2017, as “Juvenile Justice” week in North Carolina. All this week, we will be spotlighting the different units of our Juvenile Justice section through their outstanding employees, in recognition of their work with juvenile offenders, their families, crime victims and communities. 

Employees in DPS’ Juvenile Community Programs unit work to provide North Carolinians with a comprehensive strategy to help prevent and reduce juvenile crime and delinquency. They do this by providing oversight and guidance to Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) programs, found in each county; to short-term youth residential programs; and through non-residential contractual programs that offer services to children and families such as functional family therapy (FFT).

We kick off our recognition of “Juvenile Justice” week with our Court Services unit. Juvenile Court Counselors provide intake and supervision for undisciplined and delinquent juveniles, through such services as assessment, case management, diversion and post-release supervision.

Children who are housed temporarily in North Carolina’s juvenile detention centers find they are provided the opportunity to experience growth in many ways: from social, to educational, to emotional. A newly developed program at the Cumberland Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Fayetteville allows them to nurture growth (of donated plants) while exploring their artistic creativity.

Some say that a dog is a man’s best friend. Well, in this case, SAYLOR, a three-year-old yellow lab, aims to become the best friend for children in the New Hanover Juvenile Detention Center.

An affectionate, expressive SAYLOR joined the center June 9 and has been making friends ever since.

She is the first facility dog placed at a detention center by the paws4people foundation, a nonprofit organization that places assistance dogs with individuals and facilities with the purpose of helping people.

A teacher is someone that not only teaches her students but inspires, transforms, prepares and encourages them to do more, be more.

That’s why Janet Dalton, math teacher at Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center, was inspired to enter the profession. She had a third grade teacher who made everyone in her class work together as a team and contribute accordingly.