Creating Better Futures Begins with Positive Youth Development and Community Engagement

In 2024 we had the opportunity to speak with Brett Peterson from Utah Juvenile Justice and Youth Services and Jill Mata, from the Bexar County, Texas Juvenile Probation Department. The team from Utah Juvenile Justice and Youth Services participated in CYJ’s 2017 Youth in Custody Certificate Program, and the team from Bexar County participated the same program in 2015 and was the Capstone of the Year Award recipient in 2019.

The conversation focused practical strategies for partnering with youth, families, and community organizations in residential settings. A key takeaway was the positive impact of positive youth development practices and working directly with community partners. We’ve included a small clip of the full webinar, which you can find here: https://youtu.be/HTimdMqHIX4

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can bring practical strategies to your community, we encourage you to explore our newly revamped Youth in Custody Certificate Program, now accepting applications!

Bexar County’s Capstone Project:

You can learn more the award-winning Capstone here, but in short the team from Bexar County, Texas centered their Capstone Project on supporting youth in secure residential care to transition back into their communities. They focused their effort in a specific local facility, the Krier Center, building readiness for meaningful academic and employment opportunities for youth. In particular, the team created academic, vocational, technological, and life skills programs with support from the County Juvenile Probation Department, East Central Independent School District, County District Attorney’s Office, and other community-based partners.

Utah’s Capstone Project:

The team from Utah focused on improving evidence-based substance use treatment delivery for youth transitioning from Secure Care to the community and concurrently strengthening
staff capacity by:

Identifying risk and protective factors to address youth’s needs, particularly for youth with substance use disorders
Enhancing current reentry services, including educational and vocational trainings
Building stronger family and community engagement strategies, including partners in education and mental health services
Developing staff competencies through effective and efficient training