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The National Association of Counties Research Foundation (NACoRF) is the education, technical assistance, and research arm and non-profit subsidiary of the National Association of Counties (NACo). Founded in 1935, NACo is a bipartisan, non-profit membership association that brings together and elevates the leadership of county governments to achieve healthy, vibrant, and safe communities across the nation. As NACo's subsidiary, NACoRF assists America's 3,069 counties, including nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees, in pursuing excellence in local government. NACoRF promotes thought leadership among county governments in four areas: best practice research, education and training, peer learning, and convening among government and private-sector leaders.
Counties are the primary provider at the local level of health, social services, child welfare, schools, and juvenile and adult justice systems, giving county governments and leaders a unique and essential role in improving responses to youth who encounter the justice system. Counties have the opportunity and responsibility to implement collaborative, evidence-based programs and policies that bolster public safety, reduce costs and improve individual outcomes.
NACoRF is establishing the County Juvenile Justice Innovation Network (CJJIN), a three-year educational and community of practice initiative to elevate juvenile justice as a critical policy and investment priority for county leaders. In coordination with other providers, NACoRF will offer states, territories, and counties access to skilled, tailored, on-site and virtual support designed to strengthen their capacity to comply with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act core requirements, administer their Formula Grant awards and subawards, and improve their juvenile justice systems.
NACoRF will ensure equity and inclusion throughout the project's activities by ensuring that underrepresented voices and overrepresented communities, particularly communities of color and rural communities, participate in all proposed project activities. The project will also include presentations and training on unique challenges and innovative models in these communities, along with opportunities to connect with crossover NACo cohorts of local communities and NACo committees focusing on justice and other youth-serving systems.
Provider Organization
National Association of Counties Research Foundation (NACoRF) Award Details
Services
The National Association of Counties Research Foundation (NACoRF) will establish a County Juvenile Justice Innovation Network (CJJN) that will allow county teams to engage with peers in developing strategies to implement the Title II, Part B, Formula Grants Program at the local level. The goal is to assist teams in reducing the number of status offenders in detention and youth in adult facilities, develop a robust continuum of care, and identify and address racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system by implementing approved State Plans. The network will support peer learning and sponsor virtual and in-person networking and technical assistance opportunities with peers and subject matter experts.
NACoRF will also create and share a County Juvenile Justice Innovation Toolkit to support county leaders in understanding the best and most promising practices in juvenile justice. It will also provide strategies for collaboration with other youth-serving systems to reduce youth incarceration and detention, increase access to a continuum of appropriate care, improve individual outcomes, and identify and eliminate racial disparities in the juvenile justice system.
Major deliverables will include a national webinar series on State Plan successes and juvenile justice innovations, case studies/profiles highlighting innovation and lessons learned, and briefs highlighting county best practices and implementation strategies.
Audience
Child Protection and Advocacy Professionals
Child Welfare Personnel
Compliance Monitors
Court Personnel
DMC Coordinators
Detention/Corrections Staff
Juvenile Justice Specialists
Law Enforcement
Mental Health Professionals
Mentoring Professionals
Nonprofit Organizations
Other
Prosecutors
Social Services
State Advisory Groups
Substance Use Professionals
Tribal Community
Youth Advocates
Youth Services Professionals
Eligibility
NACoRF will select a diverse set of counties through an application process. NACoRF will create, publish, and disseminate the application to county elected officials, juvenile justice and social services practitioners, and other relevant county audiences in states that received Title II Formula Grants.
NACoRF will score the applications using a rubric to select teams. Once they complete the review process, NACoRF will choose five participating teams. Invitations and a public announcement will follow.
NACoRF will create and share a County Juvenile Justice Innovation Toolkit as part of this grant. The toolkit aims to support county leaders in understanding best and promising practices in juvenile justice and collaboration with other youth-serving systems to reduce youth incarceration and detention, increase access to a continuum of appropriate care, improve individual outcomes, and identify and eliminate racial disparities in the juvenile justice system.
Additionally, NACoRF plans to launch a national webinar series on State Plan successes and juvenile justice innovations, case studies/profiles highlighting innovation and lessons learned, and briefs highlighting county best practices and implementation strategies.
Elise Simonsen
Associate Program Director, Behavioral Health & Justice [email protected]
202–942–4279
