Our Vision

Education: Reconnecting youth with educational settings is a demonstrated best practice.

Community: Re-entry practices should focus on inclusive, community-based experiences.

Employment: Work and training opportunities can help prepare youth for future employment and financial security.

Collaboration: Cross-agency collaboration enables continuity of services and helps address youths’ needs holistically.

Mission

The mission of the Y-ReCONNECTS Community of Practice is to foster the use of innovative, collaborative approaches to support the successful community reentry of justice-involved youth (age 14-24) with disabilities.

Featured TA Video Resources

Trauma among Multiply Marginalized Youth

Lydia X.Z. Brown, Advocate, Attorney, and Strategist

Intersections of Ableism, Racism, and Gender-Based Oppression

Lydia X.Z. Brown, Advocate, Attorney, and Strategist

Interacting with Autistic People

Lydia X.Z. Brown, Advocate, Attorney, and Strategist

Reaching Systems-Involved Youth

This recent panel discussion featured young adults formerly involved with the criminal justice and foster care systems. Panelists highlighted the ways that systems professionals supported, or could have supported, their successful reentry and positive vocational outcomes.

Participants

  • Ayanna Nia Rasheed — Transition Specialist, Roots Community Health Center
  • Elizabeth Quiroz — Co-founder, Redemption House of the Bay Area
  • Harry B. King — CEO, Kingdom Empowerment, Inc.

Reimagining Reentry

Effective Collaboration Improves Systems Navigation

The Problem

Justice-involved youth with disabilities are simultaneously involved in multiple social services systems. It can be hard to know where to turn for help.

illustration of system involved youth trapped by confusing web of social systems

A Solution

Research suggests that agencies can improve case management and service coordination for youth through task-oriented approaches to coordination.

  • developing formal interagency agreements with juvenile justice agencies
  • train staff to explicitly encourage collaboration
  • require interagency communication by supervisory and frontline staff
  • establish data and resource sharing frameworks to break down coordination silos and make systems more navigable for youth and families

Glossary of Terms

Need help understanding the language and processes of the juvenile justice system?