The Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative prioritizes the reduction of youth in out-of-home placements. Efforts continue to enhance and expand access to home-based services, which will reduce the number of youth in placements. With this priority, there are still times when an out-of-home placement is needed to provide for community safety and treatment services.

The primary purpose of out-of-home placement for youth in the juvenile justice system focuses on the utilization of targeted interventions to facilitate risk reduction related to delinquency.  Out-of-home placement should only be considered after all home and community-based interventions have been exhausted and further intervention is necessary to ensure community safety.  Probation officers remain highly engaged before, during, and after placement to ensure youth are receiving targeted interventions to enable them to remain at home and to plan for their safe return as quickly as possible. 

Probation has developed a continuum of services across the state to support the rehabilitation of youth who must receive interventions outside of their home.  Efforts to expand options and improve the quality of placement services available to youth in the juvenile justice system is ongoing. The current continuum includes foster care, congregate care (treatment and non-treatment), and youth residential treatment centers.

For additional information contact:

Julie A. Smith
Out-of-Home Program Specialist
521 South 14th, Suite 500
Lincoln, NE 68508
Mobile: (402) 314-8545
julie.a.smith@nejudicial.gov