Renisha* spent much of her childhood in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services—her mother struggled with severe mental health issues and could not give Renisha the care and guidance she needed. When not in state custody, Renisha often moved from one friend’s house to another. As a teen, she was arrested for illegal possession of a handgun and aggravated assault with a firearm. Now 18, she spent the last school year juggling 12th grade classes, a job, and caring for her 3-year-old son, splitting time between a friend’s house, her stepmother’s, and her son’s grandmother’s house.

Justice-involved girls “often have needs that are uniquely complex due to their gender,” says Ryan Hill, development director of the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights (LCCR), which serves as the public defender for youth in Orleans Parish and provides social work support to youth in East Baton Rouge Parish. Justice-involved girls suffer higher rates of family conflict and abuse than boys, and are more likely to become teen parents or fall prey to sex traffickers, he says. Girls like Renisha—with neither stable family relationships nor a place to call home—are especially vulnerable.

OJJDP funding enabled LCCR “to significantly expand” Brighter Futures, a program targeting girls in Orleans and East Baton Rouge Parishes who have been assigned a public defender, Mr. Hill says. Each girl has a support team—a defense attorney, social worker, youth advocate, investigator, and when necessary, a civil attorney. Renisha’s team helped her enroll in high school online so she could be home to care for her son. They also helped her find childcare for work hours, provided transportation to appointments, and helped secure copies of her birth certificate, Social Security card, and state identification card.

Renisha is now a high school graduate with a steady job. Brighter Futures has closed her case.

Brighter Futures receives OJJDP funding under the Reducing Risk for Girls in the Juvenile Justice System initiative, which supports community efforts to serve girls age 17 and younger. Funded programs approach services through a gender lens, attentive to the unique needs of girls and young women involved in—or at risk for involvement in—the juvenile justice system. With fewer girls incarcerated (see sidebar), programs increasingly emphasize community-based services, according to OJJDP Program Manager Christine Ramirez.

In Roanoke, VA, Total Action for Progress (TAP) used OJJDP funding to launch Girls United, which concentrates on girls in Title I middle and high schools who have a history of delinquency or are at high risk for it. Program participants typically come from homes touched by substance use disorders, mental health issues, or domestic violence. Many girls are in the foster care system; others are housed in detention centers, says Jo Nelson, a TAP program director. All of them are at “extreme risk” for substance use disorders, domestic violence or assault, teen pregnancy, homelessness, gun violence, and a host of other dangers.

Girls United is the only girl-centered program of its kind in Roanoke. Girls receive weekly one-to-one support and meet in peer groups twice weekly. Sessions emphasize personal development, addressing topics such as mindfulness, handling conflict, life skills, and recognizing inappropriate relationships.

“We work to show them that they are unique and perfect within themselves, and teach them appropriate relationship skills, methods of communication, self-empowerment, and self-worth,” Ms. Nelson says. “Above all, we provide girls with a safe space to express their thoughts without being judged or frowned upon.”

* “Renisha” is a pseudonym.