City of Orlando Continuum of Care Project to Support Youth Success

The City of Orlando proposes to implement the Building Local Continuums of Care to Support Youth Success Initiative through the facilitation of a comprehensive planning and assessment process to address the overutilization of youth detention facilities. The purpose is to identify the factors that increase a young person’s likelihood of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system, exploring the disparities that exist within identified Orlando neighborhoods as well as resources that are needed to provide prevention and intervention to reduce juvenile incarceration rates. Project activities include: engaging key community stakeholders and conducting a needs assessment to identify available resources and gaps; identifying evidence-based approaches that promote the long-term well-being of youth and their families; collaborating with experts to determine effective strategies for addressing the needs of at-risk youth; devising economic impact strategies aimed at achieving cost savings within the juvenile justice system; designing a strategic plan for reinvesting identified cost savings in the larger continuum of care; and developing a sustainable framework that supports the decarceration of youth and the diversion of children at risk of involvement in the criminal justice system. Expected outcomes include the establishment of a Youth Advisory Board in identified neighborhoods, a comprehensive needs assessment and gap analysis report, documentation of promising and evidence-based approaches, economic impact strategies and cost-savings analysis, a strategic plan for reinvesting cost savings, a sustainable framework for decarceration and diversion, and a collaborative community engagement and coordination plan.