Awarded to: Nebraska Interstate Commission for Juveniles State Council: Mark LaBouchardiere, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Services, Buffalo County, Hon. Kale Burdick, County Court Judge, Holt County, Hon. Amy Schuchman, Separate Juvenile Court Judge, Douglas County, Rhonda Rolles, Director of Victim Assistance Division, Douglas County Attorney’s Office, Kari Rumbaugh, Deputy Administrator for Juvenile Services, AOCP Lancaster County, April Carlson, Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children, Lancaster County, Jacey Rader, Assistant Deputy Administrator for Operations, AOCP, Lancaster County, Mark Benne, Director, Northeast Nebraska Juvenile Services, Madison County, Captain Jerry White, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, Sen. John Fredrickson, District #20,  Lancaster County, George Welch, Assistant Attorney General, Lancaster County, Heather Briggs, Chief Deputy, District 4 Probation, Douglas County

The 2023 Outstanding Team was given to the Nebraska Interstate Commission for Juveniles State Council (ICJ ) which includes members from the fields of juvenile justice, child welfare, law enforcement, State Legislature, detention center, and victim advocacy, and serves as an invaluable resource to the Nebraska Interstate Compact for Juveniles office within the Administrative Office of Courts & Probation.

As a member of the Interstate Commission for Juveniles, Nebraska is required to not only comply with all ICJ rules but also uphold the mission of the ICJ, including protecting the welfare of the youth Nebraska serves in addition to promoting public safety.

The Nebraska ICJ State Council is instrumental in providing ongoing support to the Nebraska ICJ Office to ensure these requirements are met. The State Council provided key assistance in development and implementation of a formal process to address the specific challenges of returning an out-of-state runaway when the youth had been a victim of human trafficking and had been allegedly abused and/or neglected by his or her legal guardian. In addition, each member of the State Council also works as an advocate or resource regarding ICJ matters for other stakeholders within their given area of the juvenile justice or child welfare system and acts as a conduit to the Nebraska ICJ office in developing relationships with these stakeholders across the state of Nebraska.

The Nebraska ICJ State Council has been used as an example for other states working to develop a strong and effective State Council.

The Outstanding Team Award recognizes workgroups that promote a collegial, supportive environment characterized by positive morale. An accomplished team exhibits collaborative problem-solving or the creation of new relationships that improve work processes marked by efficiency and superior performance.

Photo: Kari Rumbaugh, Abbie Christian (award nominator), Jacey Rader, and Chief Justice Mike Heavican.