Five key learnings from a court-based crossover youth program

Abstract

Crossover youth (COY), those dually involved in both the child welfare and youth justice systems, face systemic barriers within the justice system, including harsher sentences and greater likelihood of detention as compared to non-crossover youth. The Crossover Youth Project (COYP) was formed to ameliorate these systemic issues. We conducted in-depth interviews with 22 stakeholders, predominantly from youth justice and child welfare, to examine the processes and outcomes of the program implementation. Interviews with the stakeholders revealed five key learnings for uptake and success: 1) A full-time case coordinator is key to increasing intersectoral collaboration; 2) Education and training for service providers must be ongoing and repeated; 3) A systematic COY identification and referral process is necessary for appropriate service provision; 4) Clear marketing of the program is needed to ensure service provider buy-in; and 5) Voices of the youth must be centered (Nothing about us, without us). These lessons serve to inform the formation and implementation of future interventions for crossover youth.