The design and implementation of Family Foster Care Services for high risk delinquents Transitioning from Correctional Confinement

Specialized Family Care (SFC) provides planned, long term family foster care to youth who have been adjudicated as delinquent and who are at high risk of on-going delinquent behavior following their transition into the community from correctional confinement. The program is funded and operated through a collaborative arrangement among The Casey Family Program-Bismarck Division, the North Dakota Department of Human Services (DHS) and the North Dakota Division of Juvenile Services (DJS). Specially recruited, trained and supported foster families work closely with a dual case management system of services provided by SFC social workers and DJS case managers responsible for community-based aftercare. Individual case plans for youth involve a mix of intensive aftercare programming for delinquent behaviors, individually designed intervention strategies, intensive supervision, and intensive casework. This article discusses the program model, implementation challenges, costs and preliminary outcomes.     

Trauma Interventions and Systems Change in Rural Areas: The Role of the Juvenile Court Judge in Collaboration with Mental Health Professionals

This article will focus on the evolution of the collaborative work of the Louisiana Rural Trauma Services Center (LRTSC), a Center within the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, and the 23rd Judicial District, a jurisdiction in south Louisiana serving three rural parishes. We will describe how the collaboration and joint efforts, and the changes that have been made in terms of availability of evaluation and treatment resources, seem to be influencing both the educational and judicial systems in St. James Parish and potential sustainability of some of the identified resources. The article will examine how the court and the LRTSC work together with emphasis on the evaluation, reporting and recommendation processes, outcomes and benefits to date, and challenges for the future.     

Governors and “Their” Deputies: New Legislative Principals in Mexico

Many studies on legislatures around the world have not detected a regional voting dimension. Yet governors are often important political figures and can exert strong influence on state politicians. From an analysis of the Mexican legislature, I determine that governors hold important resources that ambitious politicians need in a system with no consecutive reelection. Mexican governors use their power over federal deputies to prod their agents, the caucus leaders, into working for their states' interests on fiscally relevant issues, especially the annual budget. On all other issues, the governors delegate their deputies' votes to the party's legislative leadership.     

When the Bough Breaks the Cradle Will Fall: Promoting the Health and Well Being of Infants and Toddlers in Juvenile Court

Approximately one‐third of the children in the child welfare system are under the age of six. These children are almost invisible in our juvenile courts. It is now clear from the emerging science of early childhood development that during the first few years of life children develop the foundation and capabilities on which all subsequent development builds. Living in emotional and environmental impoverishment and deprivation provides a poor foundation for healthy development. These very young and vulnerable children are exhibiting disproportionate developmental and cognitive delays, medical problems, and emotional disorders. However, there is growing evidence that early planned interventions can help. The juvenile court must take a leadership role in focusing on the very young child and learning more about risk, prevention, and early intervention in order to facilitate the healing process.     

Questions Every Judge and Lawyer Should Ask About Infants and Toddlers in the Child Welfare System

We need to change the culture in our courts. Instead of ignoring the special needs of babies and toddlers, we need to recognize that abused and neglected children are at risk for developing negative sequelae as a result of their maltreatment. The science of early development is unequivocal that early intervention can be effective. The following questions were developed as a guide for lawyers, judges, and child advocates in the child welfare system as a first step toward advocacy and intervention for young children. Armed with the questions, the scientific reasons they need to be asked, and the research that provides support, we recommend that these questions be used as a tool and be asked over and over until the needs of maltreated infants and babies are addressed. It is our legal obligation under the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, and it is our moral responsibility to these young children.     

People: hearts and minds. The City of Mississauga,Canada

The City of Mississauga is located on the western boundary of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario, Canada. As a municipality it is undergoing rapid urban growth, pressure from citizens to keep the taxes down, political pressure to reorganize the surrounding municipal areas, rapidly changing technology, increasing competition for economic development and increasing demands for high level services from its citizens. This article will indicate how, in the face of the challenging demands of the '90s, the city is making a significant shift in the ‘culture’ of the organization. The City is moving from a traditional style of management emphasizing control to one that stresses leadership and empowerment of the workforce. It involves changing from a hierarchical bureaucracy to an organization that is more flexible, responsive, innovative and creative with a strong customer focus. To meet the demands of this shifting culture there needs to be a highly skilled workforce. There are a number of initiatives in the City to accomplish this ‘cultural shift’. This article deals with the continuous learning aspect called Capability Development, focusing on Team Effectiveness, Continuous Improvement and Customer Service. We developed two phases for the learning. Capability Development Phase I outlined the concepts and tools for managers at all levels to be able to support the learning required to accomplish the ‘cultural shift’. Phase I included the City Strategic Plan, Management Strategy and Human Resources Vision and practical management tools. Phase II was designed for front line staff working in their ‘intact teams’. It incorporates the concepts and tools from Phase I and is being delivered by trained volunteer facilitators within the City. We will discuss the process, the results and learnings we have discovered on our journey.     

Perfect Political Storm

After months of battering by allegations of cronyism and sustained hostile media from London's only paid for newspaper, Ken Livingstone's election campaign turned into the perfect political campaign. His third term bid to be Mayor of London wrecked on the high seas of democracy as the government grappled with economic gloom, a credit crunch and its lowest poll rating