Oklahoma Sees New Push to Allow Juvenile Competency Hearings; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Oklahoma Sees New Push to Allow Juvenile Competency Hearings (JJIE)
  In Oklahoma, competency determinations are allowed in cases where a juvenile is tried as an adult and in “youthful offender” cases, in which a teenager is adjudicated for a serious crime but with limited punishment and probation. A person found incompetent can be sent to a clinic or medical professional who will try to establish competency within a certain time. If he or she remains incompetent, the charges are dismissed and the person is ordered to undergo community- or facility-based treatment.

• The Legislation that has the Potential to Reduce Youth Recidivism in California(Nation Swell)
  Nationwide, 80 percent of incarcerated juvenile offenders end up behind bars again. For California — the state with the highest rate of incarcerated youth — this has to stop. But now, a new bipartisan-approved bill (currently waiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature) could change this troubling statistic, VoiceWaves reports.

• New Juvenile Court Diversion Program Gets Off Ground in ICCSD (Press-Citizen)
  A new juvenile justice diversion program for students in the Iowa City Community School District is up and running, though it has only been put to use once in the month since it was introduced.
• Michigan Considering Changes in Juvenile Justice System (WLNS.com)
  Michigan's juvenile justice director is meeting with directors from three other states to discuss changes to their juvenile corrections system. Michigan has been selected to take part in the six month program. 6 News Nick Perreault talked with Michigan's Department of Human Services on what they want to look at and present to the governor in the months ahead.

Jobs, Grants, Events and Webinars

• Please share the Reclaiming Futures Opportunity Board with your colleagues in the juvenile justice, adolescent substance abuse and teen mental health areas. It’s free to browse and post!

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment and Mental Health

• Federal Grant to Help Region Battle Youth Drug Abuse (Leader-Telegram)
  DFC is a federal grant program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy that provides funding to community-based coalitions that organize to prevent youth substance use. Since the passage of the DFC Act in 1997, the DFC program has funded more than 2,000 coalitions and currently mobilizes nearly 9,000 community volunteers across the country.

• Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Opens for Adolescents (The Philadelphia Tribune)
  “At PHMC, we believe physical space and innovative design help drive program delivery. This new facility gives us additional opportunities to fulfill our mission to improve the health of our communities and the lives of the individuals and families we serve through this phenomenal program,” said Richard J. Cohen, president and CEO of PHMC.

• CWRU, Ohio Dept. of Education Receive Federal Funding from President's Youth Gun Violence Plan (Cleveland.com)
  Case Western Reserve University and the Ohio State Department of Education will receive more than $2 million in federal funding to expand training programs for mental health workers who treat children and to help schools recognize and respond to mental health issues in students.