Division of Community Services Programs - Related Links
Division of Community Services Programs
Supervision and Out-of-Home Services
School-based Supervision
DJJ has placed staff in a number of middle and high schools to increase contact with DJJ youth and provide better monitoring. The program is monitored for important outcomes: decreased rates in dropouts, truancy, suspensions and expulsions resulting in fewer school referrals to juvenile courts and better grades and graduation rates. Aftercare services are provided for youth returning home from DJJ institutions or other programs. Aftercare planning will begin upon admission to a YDC or community residential program. Each committed youth placed in the community on aftercare is provided individualized and measurably effective services that are directed toward the youth's assessed needs and in compliance with the Conditions of Placement and Service Plan.
Caseworker Supervision
The High Intensity Team Supervision (HITS) Program provides a community-based, in-home placement alternative for juvenile offenders and a housebound detention program for pre-adjudicated youth. This supervision involves a variety of strategies and graduated sanctions including, but not limited to electronic monitoring, curfew checks, drug and alcohol testing, crisis management, service learning projects, community service, and home, school, work and office visits.
Out-of-Home Services
Specialized Treatment Services provide residential treatment services for the delinquent and unruly youth who need more specialized care. These youth either require long-term residential placement or specialized treatment service emphasizing mental health care. Managed by residential placement specialists, services include wrap-around therapeutic foster care and intermediate and intensive levels of care for youth classified as emotionally disturbed.
Room, Board and Watchful Oversight (RBWO) is the provision of lodging and food and the attentive and responsible care of children. RBWO is administered by the Department of Juvenile Justice's Division of Community Services and the Department of Human Services Office of Provider Management (OPM). RBWO was implemented in the state of Georgia on July 1, 2007. DJJ & OPM are committed to ensuring that each child has a safe place to live, adequately nutritious meals and continuous watchful oversight to ensure basic safety needs are met.
Room, Board and Watchful Oversight Programs and Community-Based Services
The following program categories were established for Room, Board, and Watchful Oversight:
- Child Caring Institutions (CCI)
- Child Placing Agencies (CPA)
Youth are placed in the best oversight environment based on their behaviors and characteristics. There are four main areas of a child’s life that are assessed to determine the best placement:
- School Adjustment
- Performance in Home Environment
- Social and Community Activities
- Health and Developmental Factors
The Department of Juvenile Justice currently has five Residential Treatment Services Specialists who are assigned to the four Regions. They will focus on supporting DJJ and their assigned providers by:
- Holding providers accountable for the care of children through monitoring and inspections
- Developing, measuring and enforcing provider contract deliverables
- Mediating provider concerns
- Assisting providers with ongoing training needs to serve DJJ youth
- Assisting in placement, removal and step-downs of DJJ-placed youth
- Acting as a liaison to DHS and DFCS for provider and child placement initiatives and concerns