Overview

hhh_small     The California Endowment–

                                             Youth and Community Safety Initiatives

Commonweal has worked closely with the California Endowment on health-based initiatives affecting youth in the justice system.  Between 2011-2014, Commonweal provided staff support to the Youth Justice Policy Board– a group of distinguished professional and community leaders from California youth-service disciplines, dedicated to advancing  statewide policy reforms for youth wellness and community safety.  Beginning in 2015, Commonweal partnered with succeeding California Endowment initiatives supporting a wide agenda of health and wellness for at-risk youth and including a strong community safety component.

chpm_small     Positive Youth Justice Initiative

This Sierra Health initiative is dedicated to improving responses and outcomes for “crossover youth” – children who are involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. The initiative blends “positive youth justice”, wraparound service and trauma-informed care approaches to support inter-agency collaborations that can address the multiple needs of these youth more efficiently and with better outcomes. From 2014-16, Commonweal staffed a national PYJI Advisory Committee of experts and leaders in the field.

California Wellness Foundation     Youth Violence Prevention Initiatives

For two decades the California Wellness Foundation has sponsored initiatives and programs for the prevention of youth violence in California. Under its leadership, grantees and policymakers have adopted major reforms including the creation of large new revenue streams supporting youth crime and violence prevention programs throughout the state. As a long-term grantee of the Wellness Foundation, Commonweal has helped California policy makers build funds and programs to reduce youth violence in California.

annie_e_casey_small     Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative

The JDAI is a national initiative dedicated to reducing and eliminating the unnecessary and often injurious detention of children in secure juvenile justice facilities. Now active in 37 states, the JDAI has documented significant detention reductions with positive results, both for children and for public safety. Commonweal serves as a technical assistance advisor to the JDAI, training justice system personnel throughout the United States on detention risk assessment and related best-practices.