Our Approach

Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma Informed Care is an initiative that will create a paradigm shift in the Department of Juvenile Justice. The goal is to provide assessments and treatments in a way that promotes healing, both physically and emotionally. DJJ employees avoid using phrases such as “offender,” “delinquent,” or “prisoner,” and instead call the kids “youth.” Similarly, they don’t ask what is wrong with a youth, but rather they ask what has happened to the youth. Florida has been nationally recognized as one of the states that is working hard to improve interactions with youth.

Risk Assessment

The Risk Assessment and Case Management System is a comprehensive process that outlines the most effective way to work with youth throughout their time with the Department of Juvenile Justice.

This system facilitates communication among areas of the DJJ which allows workers to provide consistent, effective care for youth from the time they are adjudicated to the time they enter aftercare.

Florida Prearrest Delinquency Citation (PDC)

Prearrest delinquency citation is vital to building on our successes in transforming the juvenile justice system.  By providing misdemeanor offenders the opportunity to participate in intervention services at the earliest stage of delinquency, we see better youth outcomes and reduce the likelihood of future system contact for those youth.  Additionally, reducing system contact saves millions of dollars that would otherwise be spent if youth were arrested and required to go through formal delinquency processing.