CASS COUNTY
JUVENILE PROBATION
CONTACT
HOURS
Monday - Thursday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
STAFF DIRECTORY
Will ScottChief Juvenile Probation Officer
Kathy Myers
Administrative Assistant
Amanda Haney
Juvenile Probation Officer
JDAI- Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative
Cass County is one of 37 Indiana counties involved in the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI). Cass County JDAI, led by the Cass Circuit Court Judge, is a collaboration of Community stakeholders and focuses on the JDAI 8 Core Strategies of Juvenile Justice System Improvement. JDAI improves public safety; reduces over-reliance on secure detention and out-of –home placements; enhances racial, ethnic, and gender equity, and saves taxpayer dollars. Cass County has been a JDAI site since 2016.
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JDAI is a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and is overseen by Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, Indiana Department of Correction, Indiana Supreme Court, Indiana Department of Child Services and Indiana FSSA: Division of Mental Health & Addiction.
PROGRAMS
Adolescent Community Enrichment (ACE)
Home/School Based Programs
Outpatient Therapy
This is an intensive program that assists youth in developing positive thinking to encourages improved behavior for success in the home, school, and community. This court ordered program targets youth whose behavior has put them at risk for placement at a residential treatment facility or at the Department or Corrections. The modalities of individual and group therapy are used to address person issues such as anger management, healthy relationships, conflict resolution, etc.
Home Based Programs serve children and adolescents who are currently on probation or displaying at-risk behaviors. Each child served will receive support by a case manager within the home, school, and community. Overall goals of the program include assisting children/adolescents and their families with stress management by learning new coping strategies, providing support by linking to community resources and promoting positive school relationships, implementing skill building strategies to improve behavior, social skills, and interpersonal skills, and offering educational opportunities related to behavior management, parenting, and child specific needs.
Many issues today can be sorted out with the help of a trained professional. Outpatient therapy, or counseling as it is often called, is typically where a person meets with a therapist once each week for less than an hour. The number of sessions depends on the needs of the person. The therapist supports the person as he/she addresses such goals as positive behavior change, symptom reduction, and improved self-esteem.
Substance Abuse Treatment
Adolescent Intramural Mentoring Program (AIM)
Drug and alcohol abuse is often an escape for anyone who already is encountering difficulties in life. Our treatment professionals meet individually and in groups with children, teens, and adults and support them as they develop healthier ways to cope. Group sessions are typically held weekly for ten weeks and provide the opportunity for peer support and most importantly, the knowledge that you are not alone as you work to overcome addictive behaviors.
The AIM program pairs at risk youth with positive adult mentors from the community. The youth and mentors participate in events such as: church league softball, YMCA league volleyball, and fishing.
Education Center
MRT (Moral Reconation Therapy)
Mentoring for Youth
The Education Center provides an educational setting to support independent, online learning for students involved in the juvenile justice system and who require an alternative educational environment. The classroom is located in the Juvenile Probation Department facility and is structured to provide a positive experience to promote educational success.
MRT is a cognitive-behavioral system that leads to enhanced moral reasoning, better decision making, and more appropriate behavior. MRT is a 12 week program that supports youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
This is a one to one mentoring program designed to provide low-risk youth, currently involved with the Juvenile Probation Department, an opportunity to spend quality time with a positive adult role model. Youth are connected with trained mentors who volunteer their time to make a difference in a youth’s life.
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