WA-PCJJ Committees

Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice Youth Engagement

The Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice functions to intentionally involve youth in its organizational structure and activities. Youth with lived experience best understand what policies, programs and changes will be most effective.

Youth engagement is a reciprocal youth-adult partnership because both groups contribute, teach and learn from each other.

Youth Self-Empowerment and Leadership Development

  • Speak up and be heard – Provide your perspective on issues most important to you. The Partnership Council is committed to uplifting and integrating youth voice in the development of system improvement recommendations.
  • Advocacy – Engage in committees and projects that interest you.
  • Partnership – Engage with council members and explore meaningful and positive collaboration.
  • Leadership – Develop youth-initiated projects (for youth by youth initiatives). Leverage the Partnership Council and committees for support.
  • Recognition – The Partnership Council will write a letter of recommendation in recognition of a youth member’s contribution and accomplishments, which is useful for job or school applications.

Youth-Centered Approach

The partnership council uses a youth-centered approach to ensure youth members play a vital role in shaping advocacy initiatives, policy recommendations and system reform:

  • Engagement – Platform for youth to speak up and engage in advocacy efforts as partners
    • Quarterly council meetings – Apply to become an appointed council member. There are four meetings a year and DCYF’s Office of Juvenile Justice will facilitate preparation meetings with you.
    • Committee meetings and projects – Please contact DCYF’s Office of Juvenile Justice for more information on getting involved in council meetings and projects. 
  • Partnership – Engage with youth members and support their positive development activities. Engage with community organizations, detention facilities and Juvenile Rehabilitation staff to foster collaborative partnership in support of positive youth outcomes.
  • Recognition – Provide formal recognition of youth contributions in support of their job or education pursuits as to incentivize participation.

For more information, please contact Jenny Young in the Office of Juvenile Justice at Jenny.Young@dcyf.wa.gov.  

Resources

SAMHSA’s “Now is the Time” Initiatives, Supporting Young Adults with Lived Experience

Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Youth Collaboration:  Tools and Tips from Youth SAG Members

Assessment of Youth/Young Adult Voice Critical Themes

Prior to the Summer of 2020, the Behavioral Health Committee and the Re-Entry and Reconnecting Youth Committee functioned separately with their own individual meetings. After recognizing that much of their work regularly overlapped with subject matters, the co-chairs determined to combine the committee meetings. The Reentry/Aftercare & Behavioral Health Joint Committee meetings continue to focus on improving access to mental health assessment and treatment services as well as supporting youth’s transition and reengagement to home and community from confinement.

Committee Purpose

The purpose of the joint committee meetings continues to support meaningful and appropriate community-based, culturally responsive medical and behavioral health treatment, education, housing, employment, and community (including family) support upon release from incarceration. Additionally, the joint committee works to ensure access to these same behavioral health assessment and treatment services as a preventative measure to keep youth from being pulled deeper into the juvenile justice system.

(PCJJ By-Laws) The Behavioral Health Committee shall address the mental health and chemical dependency needs of youth who encounter the juvenile justice system. To this end, the Committee shall work across systems to identify and encourage implementation of evidence-based and promising assessment and treatment solutions that are culturally responsive, community-based, and designed to prevent youth from further penetrating the justice system.
(PCJJ By-Laws) The Reentry and Reconnecting Youth Committee shall work to ensure that youth involved in the juvenile justice system have continuity of care and access to meaningful and appropriate medical and behavioral health treatment, education, housing, employment and community (as well as family) support upon their release from incarceration by: promoting and recommending strategies that will improve and increase access to transitional support services and that will provide continuity of care and services for all youth to address their identified needs, and that will reduce stigma and other collateral consequences impacting a youth’s successful reentry.


 

Members

Meetings

Committee Statement of Purpose

The Racial and Ethnic Disparities Committee works to foster fair and equitable treatment of similarly situated youth in the Washington State juvenile justice system by recommending strategies for policy changes, education programs, and funding and technical assistance at the local and state levels.  The Committee shall promote and work with communities to develop alternatives to secure incarceration for status offenders and low risk offenders, encourage the statewide development of alternative programming and non-secure placement options, and the development of non-exclusionary school policies. 

Committee Co-Chairs: Clinton Taylor and Jimmy Hung

OJJ Staff Support:  Jenny Young

Committee Statement of Purpose

The Grants and Technical Assistance/Fiscal Committee is responsible for the review, evaluation and recommendation of policies and procedures to be used by the WA-PCJJ in soliciting, selecting and administrating WA-PCJJ funded projects.  The committee reviews Requests for Proposals prior to issuance, reviews proposals for funding received and makes recommendations for finalists to the WA-PCJJ.  Additionally, the committee reviews all final grant proposals and makes recommendation for grant awards to the WA-PCJJ.  The Committee also reviews requests received for training and technical assistance and authorizes or denies the expenditure upon approval by the Chair of the Council, or forward to the full WA-PCJJ as required by policy.  The Committee is also responsible for reviewing the WA-PCJJ funding and budget, and provides updates to the full Council.

Committee Chair: Ada Daniels

OJJ Staff Support: Jenny Young