DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ALTERNATIVE CENTER (DVAC) Pima County Juvenile Court Center (PCJCC)
PIMA COUNTY The Domestic Violence Alternative Center (DVAC) is an alternative to detention intake for youth who are arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence offenses. Crisis debriefing, accountability conferencing, and referrals to behavioral health treatment are provided.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ALTERNATIVE CENTER Snapshot Created in August 2007 May 2011 relocated to PCJCC Funded by a grant from the Bureau of Justice Administration The Administrative Offices of the Court supports funding of community provider, Lutheran Social Services, to provide therapeutic interventions Probation Officers co-located at DVAC Collaboration with multiple law enforcement agencies, behavioral health providers, Child Protective Services, and community providers Serve youth 8-17 years old charged with misdemeanor DV offenses Hours of operation are 24/7
Why we created DVAC Our JDAI efforts to create alternative to detention programs Data Driven Data analysis consistently indicated domestic violence referrals were the highest referrals by law enforcement in Pima County to Pima County Juvenile Court History of having positive collaboration with our stakeholders (law enforcement, community providers, behavioral health providers, County Attorney, Public Defender, and Child Protective Services)
The Process Workgroups were created to include system partners law enforcement, probation, community providers, Child Protective Services, County Attorney, Public Defender, and behavioral health systems Workgroups concluded work approximately 18 months later recommending a domestic violence center Law enforcement agreed on various misdemeanor domestic violence offenses to be diverted to DVAC Community provider agreed to provide crisis intervention, assessments, and respite care at the DVAC location Probation Officers co-located at DVAC screening youth referred, providing accountability conferencing, and working closely with behavioral health providers for emergency services or placements.
The Challenges Getting everyone on same page Time for law enforcement Philosophy changes Law enforcement were comfortable with routine Change in community provider Training, training, training Lack of knowledge of resources Location Collaboration
The Benefits Police Officers can complete the process at DVAC within 10 to 15 minutes versus 45 minutes at PCJCC Intake Youth and families get immediate crisis intervention services and assessments by a Master Level Licensed Clinician A 23 hour respite care is available on site Instant referrals for follow-up care to behavioral health providers Reducing the number of domestic violence referral youth sitting in detention Appropriate and effective intervention reduces recidivism Youth and parents are satisfied with the program and find it helpful!
The Numbers July 2010 September 2010 DVAC: 60 Intake: 213 (16 detained) July 2011 September 2011 DVAC: 257 176 released home 47 went to respite Shelter, CPS Relatives, group homes Intake: 22 (7 detained) May 2011 November 2011 566 referrals processed through DVAC within a seven month period
Contact Information Honorable Karen S. Adam, Presiding Judge, 520.740.2262 Roxana Matiella, Juvenile Justice Services Coordinator, 520.7404542, roxana.matiella@pcjcc.pima.gov Cary Steele-Williams, Juvenile Probation Program Supervisor, 520.740.2028, cary.steelewilliams@pcjcc.pima.gov Pima County Juvenile Court Center 2225 E. Ajo Way, Tucson, Arizona 85713 520.740.2000
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