The Maryland Office of the Public Defender’s Affected Crossover Youth Project

The OJJDP FY 2019 Opioid Affected Youth Initiative(OAYI)will fund sites to develop a data-driven coordinated response to identify and address challenges resulting from opioid abuse that are impacting youth and community safety. The OAYI will support states, units of local government, and/or tribal governments to (1) develop a multidisciplinary task force with working groups to identify specific areas of concern; (2) collect and interpret data that will assist the task force in developing strategies and programming that will be used to better coordinate response efforts and resources; and (3) implement services that will address public safety concerns, intervention, prevention, and diversion services for children, youth, and families directly impacted by opioid abuse.

The Maryland Office of the Public Defender’s Affected Crossover Youth Project will use funding to develop a data-driven coordinated response to identify and address challenges resulting from opioid abuse among justice involved youth and their parents, with particular attention to crossover youth who are dually involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems or at risk for dual involvement. The program seeks to improve the coordinated efforts of stakeholders and increase access to community-based drug treatment services for Baltimore County’s crossover youth and their families. CA/NCF