Custom Certificate Programs for Local Transformation

The Center for Youth Justice (CYJ) at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy supports and educates leaders across systems of care to advance a stronger and more responsive youth legal system. Through training and technical assistance, CYJ helps youth-serving agencies and community-based organizations implement research-informed, community-centered policies and practices to better serve youth and families.

Since 2008, CYJ has delivered more than 60 intensive Certificate Programs to over 2,500 professionals across the United States and internationally. These programs are designed to build both individual leadership and collective capacity among multi-agency teams and cross-sector stakeholders—including policymakers, organizational leaders, direct care staff, service providers, youth and family advocates, and community representatives. Grounded in a multi-system, multi-disciplinary approach, these professional development programs support participants in translating theory into practice, and in advancing collaborative system change efforts that are responsive to the lived experiences and needs of youth and families.

CYJ’s Certificate Programs focus on a range of system change priorities, including supporting crossover youth and other youth from marginalized communities; enhancing school-justice partnerships, diversion, and early intervention strategies ;transforming juvenile probation; and improving conditions and services for youth in custody. A hallmark of these programs is the development of Capstone Projects—local, team-led system change initiatives designed during the training and implemented with support from CYJ following the program.

Building on the success of this national model, CYJ is now launching a new format: Custom Certificate Programs for Local Justice Transformation. This innovative delivery model brings high-impact, research-informed training and technical assistance directly to jurisdictions, meeting communities where they are and designing solutions with, not for, local partners.

By delivering training directly in local jurisdictions and co-designing each program in collaboration with local stakeholders, CYJ aims to reduce participation barriers while offering customized, scalable solutions that promote local leadership, cost efficiency, and sustainable system transformation.

Download the Program Overview

Program Design

CYJ will partner with each site to co-design a local Certificate Program that aligns with their unique priorities, capacity, and reform goals. Programs will be built around one of three training packages, each offering varying levels of training intensity, technical assistance, and implementation support. Within each package, sites may select from CYJ’s existing curricula or co-develop fully customized sessions that reflect their specific system priorities and local context. Sites will also be able to adjust the level of support desired.

All Custom Certificate Programs include core components such as collaborative planning, interactive training sessions, and the development of a Capstone Project or Action Plan to support local reform. Programs are delivered by subject matter experts with field experience and are designed to foster peer learning, cross-system collaboration, and practical application of knowledge.

The ideal number of participants per program typically ranges from 30 to 50, with flexibility based on jurisdictional goals and delivery format (e.g., virtual programs may accommodate larger cohorts, and more specialized topics may be suitable for smaller groups). Participants may attend as part of a multidisciplinary team or as individual practitioners.

To meet the varying needs of jurisdictions and organizations, CYJ offers three standard program packages. All packages are adaptable based on team size, timeline, resources, and readiness, and CYJ will collaborate with each site to finalize the structure, content, and delivery method (i.e., virtual, in-person, or hybrid) of each Custom Certificate Program.

Learn more about each package by visiting each landing page for the options below.

Please note that estimated cost ranges are provided as a reference.

Final costs will be determined collaboratively based on program design, duration, and scope of support. For example, shorter trainings delivered virtually will have a lower cost compared to longer, in-person trainings.

Training Topics and Capstone Projects

CYJ’s Custom Certificate Programs are grounded in decades of experience supporting system change efforts across youth-serving sectors. Training content is tailored to the specific needs and priorities of each jurisdiction and draws on a wide range of expertise across policy, practice, and implementation. 

Sessions are led by experienced faculty and field-based practitioners and are designed to be interactive, reflective, and directly connected to the real-world challenges and opportunities that teams are navigating in their communities. Participants may choose to focus on a single priority area or combine multiple topics to support broader transformation efforts.

• Reducing Crossover by Advancing Collaboration: Strategies to build and sustain interagency teams, clarify roles, and promote shared accountability for youth involved in multiple systems of care (e.g., Crossover Youth).

• School-Justice Partnerships: Collaborative efforts to reduce school-based referrals to the justice system, promoting supportive, inclusive learning environments.

• Youth Diversion: Alternatives to formal system involvement that promote accountability, youth development, and community engagement.

• Youth in Custody and Facility-Based Improvement: Enhancing conditions of confinement, youth and family engagement, and preparation for community reintegration.

• Transformational Leadership in Youth Justice: Building leadership capacity, supporting strategic planning, and preparing for sustainable system transformation.

• System Equity and Inclusion: Approaches to advancing equity across youth-serving systems, including strategies to address racial and ethnic disparities, promote gender-responsive services for girls, and implement affirming practices for LGBTQ+ youth and youth with disabilities.

How to Get Started

To get started, simply submit a Program Interest Form to share your team’s goals, training interests, and preferred timeline. Within two weeks, our team will follow up to schedule a consultation call to learn more and explore program options with you. From there, we’ll collaborate with your site to co-design a Custom Certificate Program that reflects your priorities—including training content, length of engagement, delivery format, and the structure of your Capstone Project or Action Plan.

Learn more and explore the options by downloading the full program overview.