Topic: Search Institute's Developmental Assets

Question: I am looking for a Teen Court that applies the Search Institute's Developmental Assets and uses its profiles and/or assessments.  I first got interested in it at the NYCC conference, and now really want to start applying it.

Responses from Coordinators:

Lee County Teen Court
Evelyn Kirbach
Teen Court Program Coordinator
20th Judicial Court Administrator's Office - Florida
1039 SE 9th Place, #361
Cape Coral, FL  33990
Phone: 941-458-7084             Fax: 941-458-7083
Email: ekirbach@ca.cjis20.org

I am very sorry, I am not familiar with this

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Layton Youth Court
Karlene Peart
Chair/Coordinator
Layton Community Action Council
P.O. Box 2103
Layton, UT 84040-1746
Phone: 801-546-2174
Email: karlenelyc@msn.com

I do have a survey that I give to offenders and youth court members, I have attached a copy that you can give out to others.

Let me know if you have any questions.

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Montgomery County Teen Court
Micah Church
Juvenile Justice Programs Manager
Montgomery County Youth Services Bureau
209 East Pike Street
Crawfordsville, IN 47933
Phone: 765-362-0694 Ext. 18 Fax: 765-362-5719
Email: micahpysb@sbcglobal.net

I'm not sure what it is, but when you find out, please let me know as well...we've been interested in assessments. Thank you!

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Central South Dakota Teen Court
Noreen Plumage
Teen Court Coordinator
P.O. Box 271
Ft. Pierre, SD 57532
Phone: 605-223-7689 Fax:
Email: csdteencrt@midconetwork.com

Central SD Teen Court, in conjunction with our Healthy Youth/Healthy Communities board completed Developmental Assets last spring. This is the third time we, as a community, have completed it. We are currently in the process of writing a large grant based in part, on the results of the profiles....contact me for more info…

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Amherst Youth Court
Michael Torrillo
Coordinator
Amherst Police Department
500 John James Audobon Parkway
Amherst, NY 14228
Phone: 716-689-1344 Fax: 716-568-1182
Email: mtorrillo@adelphia.net

The Amherst Youth Court does not apply the Search Institute's Developmental Assets to the court. We do not take cases involving 16 year olds. However the Assets model is a big topic in our area. The three school districts in our town have been working with the Search Institute to track the progress of the 40 assets. 

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Colorado Springs Teen Court
Patricia Ezell
Executive Director
P.O. Box 2169
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
Phone: 719-475-7815 Fax: 719-385-6202
Email: csteenct@qwest.net
Website: www.csteencourt.org

I am unaware of this set of developmental assets and we are always looking for improvements. Can you send me more information of a link from which I can do my own research? 

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Columbia County Teen Court
Meg McCullough
Coordinator
CESA 5
P.O. Box 564
Portage, WI 53901-0564
Phone: 608-742-8814 Ext. 242 Fax: 608-742-2384
Email: mcculloughm@cesa5.k12.wi.us

Columbia County Connects Coalition (CCC) is the umbrella which our Teen Court works under. The 40 developmental Assets play a mayor role in all the CCC programming. All our yearly pre and post surveys of the volunteers ask questions related to the 4 assets we are currently addressing: Positive Family Communication, Caring School Climate, Community Values Youth, and Resistance Skills. We also conduct Search Institute surveys in 9 of the 10 school districts in our county. I would be happy to discuss this further, please feel free to contact me at mcculloughm@cesa5.k12.wi.us or at any of the numbers listed above.

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Greater Jefferson Community Youth Peer Court
Debra Linhart
Coordinator
P. O. Box 911
Jefferson, OR 97352
Phone: 541-327-2822 Fax: 541-327-2279
Email: jeffersonypc@excite.com

I use the parent/student survey and a related worksheet in the offender homework packet then use the survey responses to look for areas to direct sanctions as well as to stimulate dialogue with parent and youth. The homework packet also includes a "Circle of Support" where the student identifies healthy relationships in which he/she can turn to for a variety of needs. With author permission, The Circle of Support is adapted from the Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families and Communities: A Violence Prevention Parent Training Program by Marilyn L. Steele, PhD. This model is an excellent fit with Assets.

I also use strength based questions during the intake process such as, "List two things you like about yourself." To the parent, "Name two things your child is good at." I include Developmental Assets in the new volunteer training and encourage jurors to look for strength based sanctions. For example, one youth was sanctioned to complete two Boy Scout badges. He was in foster care, having academic failure, and had few friends. In spite of these obstacles, he somehow had linked in to the Boy Scout program and enjoyed it. A juror also volunteered to assist the student with his badge projects. The jury's goal was to keep him connected to the positive influences in his life. The jury understood that the Boy Scout program nurtured this offender's developmental assets.

These are a few examples of how our program has incorporated Developmental Assets.

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West Eugene Teen Court
Bruce Steinmetz
Supervisor
City of Eugene
Petersen Barn Community Center
870 Berntzen Road
Eugene, OR 97402
Phone: 541-682-6376 Fax: 541-682-8192
Email: bruce.h.steinmetz@ci.eugene.or.us

Eugene Teen Courts is a program of the City of Eugene Recreation Division, which has determined to make the Developmental Assets the basis for all its programs. I consider Restorative Justice and Developmental Assets to be the two philosophies that underlie our Teen Courts. However I don't think we are doing this in the formal way you are looking for (using assessments with defendants, etc.) We use Developmental Asset materials in some of our trainings. Largely it's a matter of approaching interviews, placements and all youth interactions with an Assets-based approach.

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Marcia Garrison
Director
Cincinnati Teen Court
Henderson Leadership College Rep Institute
7752 Montgomery Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236
Phone: 513-791-9281 Fax: 513-791-9281
Email: mdg122453@aol.com

If you find one let me know also. Thank you

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Marinette County Teen Court
Wally Hitt
4-H Youth Development Agent
University Extension
1926 Hall Ave.
Marinette, WI 54143
Phone: 715-732-7517 Fax: 715-732-7524
Email: walter.hitt@ces.uwex.edu

Would you please share with everyone when you find this info, thanks.

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Clark County Teen Court
Katrina Eisfeldt
Teen Court Coordinator
517 Court Street
Neillsville, WI 54456
Phone: 715-743-5272 Fax: 715-743-5120
Email: katrina.eisfeldt@co.clark.wi.us

Will you be posting these results on the web - I am also interested in this.

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Carbon Youth Court
Liz Ferguson
Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator
Four Corners Community Behavioral Health, Inc.
P. O. Box 867
Price, UT 84501
Phone: 435-637-7200 Ext. 0303 Fax: 435-637-2377
Email: eferguson@fourcorners.ws

If you get this information please pass on to me if you would. I would like to see how this is working with youth courts. I am familiar with the developmental assets, but I don’t use them with YC.

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City of Arvada Teen Court
Danielle Trujillo
Teen Court Coordinator
City of Arvada Municipal Court
8101 Ralston Road
Arvada, CO 80001
Phone: 702-898-7156 Fax:
Email: dtrujillo@ci.arvada.co.us

Will the search information be posted anywhere? I am also interested in this info.

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North Star Youth Court
Wendy Leach
Executive Director
P.O. Box 82147
Fairbanks, AK 99708
Phone: 907-457-6792 Fax: 907-457-6791
Email: nsyc@mosquitonet.com
Website: http://www.mosquitonet.com/~nsyc/

Please feel free to give my e-mail to the individual inquiring. I incorporate the Search Institute Research into most proposals. We have used this also as an evaluation tool and I am interested in fine tuning this (perhaps with direct contact with the Search Institute. Also, we have a nonprofit informational and training program based on the assets model in Fairbanks that our youth court often works with.

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Warren County Youth Court
Kathryn Price
Youth Court Director
Council for Prevention of Alcohol and Substance Abuse
346 Main Street, Suite 2
Hudson Falls, NY 12839
Phone: 518-746-1527 Ext. Fax: 518-746-1779
Email: warrenctythcrt@yahoo.com
Website:

We do not currently utilize them. Sorry.

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