Nebraska Juvenile Probation’s enhancements to behavioral health screening featured in new Podcast episode highlighting Dr. Keith Cruise of the Center for Trauma Resiliency and Juvenile Justice and his work to support trauma informed Juvenile Justice systems.

As part of Nebraska’s Juvenile Justice System Enhancement Nebraska (JJSEN) Initiative, work has been underway since 2021 to enhance juvenile probation’s behavioral health screening tools and process specific to including screening for trauma amongst justice involved youth. Through this work, a practice model was created and branded as TRACKS or Targeted, Responsive Assessment for the Court is Key to Youth Success. This practice model features enhancements to the behavioral health screening process and tools used by probation officers during the predisposition investigation (PDI). Launch of this practice model across the state is being done in a staged-based manner guided by implementation science principles and will be live in all districts by June 2025. 

A success statement has been created to guide implementation efforts: Successful implementation and sustainability of the TRACKS process will lead to greater engagement of youth and families in the timely identification and follow up of behavioral health needs. Thus, informing a comprehensive picture of the youth’s risk, need, and responsivity factors which are integrated into targeted recommendations for the court at disposition.

The Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice’s podcast series Youth Justice Transformation in Action released its latest episode titled “Building a Gold Standard Trauma-Informed Youth Justice System: Awareness, Assessment, and Case Planning.”  In this episode, Executive Director John Tuell speaks with Dr. Keith Cruise, Professor and Director of Clinical Training at Fordham University, about groundbreaking projects at the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice. Featuring transformational work in Nebraska, this episode offers practical insights for creating more effective and compassionate youth justice systems.

Listen here! Apple Podcast, Spotify, and through the RFK NRCJJ RSS Feed.