| An Integrated, Multidisciplinary Court |
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The Seventeenth Judicial District Juvenile Court is an integrated, multidisciplinary court. Professionals from all disciplines work together to make certain that children are protected, families remain intact whenever possible, and that the community is safe. This requires the participation of those affecting children and families, including social service agencies, law enforcement agencies, schools, and court representatives. Adobe Acrobat ReaderTo read many of the documents on this page you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, you may obtain a free copy by clicking on the graphic below.
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Model Court Designation The Juvenile Court in Adams County has been designated as a National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Model Court. This designation makes the Juvenile Court in Adams County one of a limited number of courts nationally with this designation. A multidisciplinary team in each model court location will develop and facilitate location-specific court programs. Representatives from related professions and agencies such as social service personnel, guardians ad litem, attorneys, Court Appointed Special Advocates, court personnel and treatment providers will collaborate to identify best practices in each location. The court will examine current practices, create innovative solutions and strategically plan individualized approaches to improving court practices, child welfare system and the community. The 12-month project includes intensive training, identification and implementation of best practices for court improvement, and ongoing education after the initial project has concluded. For more information on the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges website. A more complete description of the Model Court Designation can be read in Adobe Acrobat format. The Mission Statement for the model court sets forth the court's goals and objectives. Return to Top↑ Local, State and National Links With Respect to Children, Families and Juvenile Justice To review other organizations dealing with families, children and the juvenile justice system visit Local, State and National Links With Respect to Children, Families and Juvenile Justice. Seventeenth Judicial District Plan for Handling Dependency and Neglect CasesThe Seventeenth Judicial District Plan for Handling Dependency and Neglect Cases was adopted pursuant to Chief Justice Directive 98-02. The plan sets forth the protocol and timelines for the handling of Dependency and Neglect cases in the Seventeenth Judicial District. Effective February 27, 2006 the Seventeenth Judicial District Plan for Handling Dependency and Neglect Cases has been amended to reflect the findings contained in the assessment and evaluation of the plan as well as the newly adopted Chief Justice Directives 04-05 and 04-06. The new plan also has adopted Standards of Practice for Respondent Parents Counsel. Return to Top↑ Research Presentations and Studies Regarding Juvenile IssuesThe Seventeenth Judicial District Plan for the Handling of Dependency and Neglect Cases: An Assessment and Evaluation, A Report to the Chief Justice of the State of Colorado is a comprehensive review of the success of the Seventeenth Judicial District Plan for Handling Dependency and Neglect cases prepared by Judge Melonakis and current Colorado Court Improvement Program Coordinator, Bill DeLisio. For the more recent statistical study, An Evaluation of the Seventeenth Judicial District Plan for Handling Dependency and Neglect Cases: An Analysis of Modified Court Practices Prepared by the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business can be read. Judge Melonakis' presentation at the 33rd National Conference on Juvenile Justice, Prosecutor, Court and Community Partnerships for At-Risk Youth, is a comprehensive study of the causes of juvenile delinquency, community based alternatives to prevent juvenile delinquency, and the need for multidisciplinary approaches to deal with delinquent behavior. In his Memorandum to the Colorado Supreme Court regarding Disproportionate Minority Confinement in the Juvenile Justice System, Judge Melonakis summarizes the current research regarding the existence, causes and possible resolutions for the issue of Disproportionate Minority Confinement in the Juvenile Justice System. In My Opinion - Respecting Parent and Child Representation is Judge Melonakis' article published in the Spring, 2006 National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Journal addressing the need for establishing standards, adequately compensating and insuring better practices for attorneys in the dependency and neglect practice. For an evaluation and assessment of the Family Treatment Court program's target populations and cost-effectiveness, please read Dmitri Medoff's comprehensive study, Seventeenth Judicial District Family Treatment Court: Identification of a Target Population, Budget Assessment and Program Comparison. Parties are encouraged to review and have familiarity with the visitation assessment utilized by the Adams County Social Services Department to determine the type and frequency of visitation between parents and children in dependency and neglect cases. This assessment tool can be viewed in Adobe Acrobat format by clicking Adams County Visitation. Seventeenth Judicial District Integrated Family Drug CourtThe Seventeenth Judicial District Integrated Family Drug Court program provides intensive judicial supervision and a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to address the disruption which occurs in families as a result of alcohol abuse or use of methamphetamine. The program is based upon a number of national models which have a demonstrable success in safely reunifying children with parents who have been rehabilitated through appropriate treatment. The program incorporates treatment, sanctions and rewards into the dependency and neglect process. This program was developed as a collaborative effort among the Seventeenth Judicial District, the Adams County Social Services Department, Arapahoe House, Inc., and the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center. A brochure giving a general overview of the program can be read to obtain a quick explanation of the program's highlights. An initial report on the effectiveness of the Integrated Family Drug Court has shown that the program has a much higher rate of success in safely reunifying parents and children than traditional approaches where methamphetamine or cocaine are the parent's drug of choice. Return to Top↑ Seventeenth Judicial District Family Treatment Court The Family Treatment Court is an innovative program for substance abusing juvenile offenders combines intensive probation supervision for juvenile offenders, family treatment planning and intensive judicial supervision to insure that high risk youth can safely be integrated into the community. The program requires youthful offenders and their parents to attend drug and alcohol counseling, parent groups, parental responsibilities training, and individual treatment at the ROC site. The program is divided into three tracks with various levels of intensity of supervision and treatment. The program is unique in the State of Colorado. For an evaluation and assessment of the program's target populations and cost-effectiveness, please read Dmitri Medoff's comprehensive study, Seventeenth Judicial District Family Treatment Court: Identification of a Target Population, Budget Assessment and Program Comparison. Seventeenth Judicial District Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Background Checks in Dependency and Neglect CasesThe courts of the Seventeenth Judicial District, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Adams County Sheriff's Office, all Chiefs of Police within the district, and the Directors of the Adams County Department of Social Services and the City and County of Broomfield Department of Health and Human Services entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to permit national background checks of persons who are potential emergency placements for children as part of the investigatory function in dependency and neglect cases. This is the first agreement of its kind in the State of Colorado and one of few in the United States. The agreement also formed the basis for recently passed legislation, HB1175, which in most regards reflects the principles set forth in the agreement. Symposium on Shared Resources in Juvenile Proceedings Summary of Findings and Preliminary RecommendationsOn November 16, 2002 the Adams County Juvenile Court sponsored a Symposium on Shared Resources in Juvenile Proceedings. The symposium was a day long meeting intended to identify areas where inter-agency cooperation could assist the participating agencies and the court in avoiding duplication of services. The symposium was to establish a framework for agency cooperation and to make recommendations for streamlining court proceedings. The summary of findings and preliminary recommendations generated by this symposium can be reviewed in Adobe Acrobat format by clicking . In November, 2006, the City and County of Broomfield District Court sponsored a Symposium on Shared Resources in Juvenile Proceedings. The symposium was a one-half day hearing intended to identify areas where inter-agency cooperation could assist the participating agencies and the court in avoiding duplication of services. The symposium was to establish a framework for agency cooperation and to make recommendations for streamlining court proceedings. As a result of this meeting a Summary Report and Strategic Planning Framework was prepared by Judge Melonakis. This framework will be utilized for future program development to prevent child abuse and neglect, reduce delinquency and reduce truancy. Return to Top↑ An Overview of Coordinated Court Services and the Creation of the Family Violence Coordinating CouncilA comprehensive overview of the Juvenile Court's direction and policy-making processes as well as a preview of the development of a Family Violence Coordinating Council for the Seventeenth Judicial District previews the direction of the Juvenile Court. Information regarding current projects of the Family Violence Coordinating Council for the Seventeenth Judicial District, meetings, trainings and other resources please visit the Family Violence Coordinating Council page on the Seventeenth Judicial District web site. Seventeenth Judicial District Juvenile Court Education ProgramsThe Juvenile Court in the Seventeenth Judicial District will offer a number of Education Programs for professionals involved with the court in 2004. Each presentation will last approximately one and one-half hours and will be held in the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, Colorado, unless otherwise noted. As these presentations are scheduled, they will be posted at this location. Monthly Juvenile Court Meeting ScheduleThe Juvenile Court will keep participants informed as to the scheduled meetings for the Multi-Disciplinary Team, the Symposium on Shared Resources, the Family Violence Coordinating Council and other meetings which participants desire to have posted at this location. For a complete calendar of November, 2007 meetings, please click Monthly Meetings. Return to Top↑ Seventeenth Judicial District Minority Over Representation Committee Recent studies have shown that members of minority communities are disproportionately involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. The Seventeenth Judicial District Minority Over Representation Committee is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary effort to identify, develop and utilize community based resources, including faith-based resources, to resolve these issues. Utilizing a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the committee has developed a unique, internet based Cultural Resource Handbook which identifies several hundred services by culture served, geographic location and service. The purpose of this handbook is to permit social agencies, community groups, law enforcement, and municipalities to better access culturally appropriate services to better deal with minority over representation issues. This handbook can be reviewed by clicking the Cultural Resource Handbook link on this page or on the navigation bar of any page on the Seventeenth Judicial District web site. Seventeenth Judicial District Graduated Sanctions Council The Seventeenth Judicial District Graduated Sanctions Council is a collaborative effort among the state and municipal courts, the Office of the District Attorney, law enforcement, social agencies and the Link Juvenile Assessment Center to more effectively intervene in preventing, managing and imposing appropriate consequences for behavior by children that may lead to delinquent behavior or for delinquent behavior itself. The council is attempting to develop, coordinate and manage services which will achieve these objectives through restorative justice projects and more carefully coordinated case management by municipalities and the state court system. Seventeenth Judicial District Graduated Sanctions Council projects and plans will be posted at this location as they are developed. The Link Juvenile Assessment Center The Link juvenile assessment center provides a collaborative, multi-agency, single entry process for youth who are involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. By on-site screening and thorough assessment, youth are referred to appropriate intervention services in order to prevent initial or repeat youth offenses and to seek alternatives to detention. For more information, visit the Link website. Return to Top↑ The Placement Planning Review Team/Connections Process Manual The Placement Planning Review Team/Connections Screening Team is an interagency staffing team developed to review juvenile offenders who are in serious jeopardy of residential treatment center placement, specialized programs supervision, detention sentencing or commitment to the Division of Youth Corrections. The staffing team provides a multi-disciplinary approach to assessing the holding status and treatment needs of juveniles considering a continuum of supervision or containment from least restrictive to most restrictive environments. The Placement Planning Review Team/Connections Process Manual is a detailed guide which explains the different programs represented, an acronyms page, contact pages, and a hierarchy of voting and auxiliary members. Residential Treatment Center Information The Residential Treatment Center and Residential Child Care Facility Guide identifies facilities currently utilized by the Adams County Social Services Department. A listing of Residential Treatment Centers in the State of Colorado can be read in Adobe Acrobat format. You may review the CAFCA website to obtain information for their member agencies. |
| The Seventeenth Judicial District is one of five courts in the United States to have been awarded a sub-contract by the Northrop Grumman Health Solutions FASD Center for Excellence project to develop a strategic plan for dealing with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum |
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| Disorders in the juvenile justice system. For more information regarding this project, please visit the Seventeenth Judicial District FASD Initiative Website. |
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The Truancy Case Manager interviews the truant family and develops a Family Services Plan. The development of this plan includes input from the family, supporting agencies and the truant's school. The plan is reviewed with the truant family and initiated. The Truancy Case Manager monitors the plan and family's participation in an attempt to ensure that the plan is reducing truant behavior. Once a child's truant behavior is abated, a memorandum of accomplishment is filed by the Truancy Case Manager with the referring school district and the truant's parent or guardian. The successful child and his or her family are invited to an awards ceremony at the court. The child is honored for his or her accomplishment in completing the program and is presented with a certificate of accomplishment. Any truancy court proceedings commenced against the family are then dismissed. Seventeenth Judicial District Education Mentor ProgramThe Seventeenth Judicial District Truancy Reduction Project in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center and the Adams-Broomfield Bar Association have developed an Education Mentor Program. Incorporating existing Truancy Reduction Project case management process, the Education Mentor Program pairs a legal professional with a student in an attempt to more effectively deal with educational issues. Attorney Education Mentors not only advocate for the student in a legal setting, they also assist in encouraging and advocating for their student/client's educational success.
The Return to Top↑ University of Colorado School of Law Juvenile and Family Law Program In collaboration with the University of Colorado School of Law, the Seventeenth Judicial District has sponsored a Juvenile and Family Law Program. Student attorneys who are supervised by a practicing attorney, represent school districts and litigants in cases before the court. The University of Colorado School of Law Juvenile and Family Law Program has been instrumental in making it financially more feasible for school districts to bring truant children into the Seventeenth Judicial District Truancy Reduction Project. The program provides significant benefits to the community by reducing truancy and the consequences of truancy such as academic underachievement and delinquent behavior. For more information visit the University of Colorado School of Law Juvenile and Family Law Program website. The University of Denver, Sturm College of Law and the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center have joined together to develop a child advocacy law clinic. The clinic is a one year program which teaches law students how to effectively advocate for children. Second- and third-year law students represent child clients in court, supervised by an attorney from the Children's Law Center. The cases they get range from child abuse and neglect to divorce, domestic violence, adoption, probate, and guardianship. Students handle all aspects of a case, including fact investigation, home visits to a child, report and motion drafting, and court appearances. When difficult non-legal issues crop up, they can draw on the expert advice of the Clinic's multi-disciplinary team, which includes a child psychiatrist, child psychologist, social worker and pediatrician. The Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center has also been a valuable partner for the Seventeenth Judicial District Juvenile Court in developing new programs that effectively advocate for children and families who find themselves involved in judicial proceedings. For more information visit the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law Child Advocacy Clinic website. For more information about the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center, please visit the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center website. Return to Top↑ Seventeenth Judicial District Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program |
| The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Adams and Broomfield Counties program serves both Adams County and the City and County of Broomfield. CASA is organized pursuant to Section 19-1-201, C.R.S. et seq. CASA volunteers perform an important function for the court in instances where children have been brought before the court due to allegations of abuse or neglect. CASA volunteers undergo intensive training so that they can participate in court proceedings involving such children. CASA volunteers meet with the children assigned to them and their families to obtain information which they then present to the court regarding the children's best interests. This information is presented to the court in both a written report and through the attendance by the volunteer at court hearings. |
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For information regarding becoming a CASA volunteer or other information regarding the CASA program, please contact: Simone Jones, Executive Director, CASA OF ADAMS AND BROOMFIELD COUNTIES, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, Colorado 80601; Telephone: (303) 654-3378. Contact information for the City and County of Broomfield is as follows: 17 DesCombes Drive, Broomfield, Colorado 80020; Telephone: (720) 887-2170. The E-mail address for both locations is: casa17th@casa17th.com. For more information, visit CASA of Adams and Broomfield Counties website. Return to Top↑ Office of the Child's RepresentativeThe Colorado Office of the Child's Representative is the Colorado State agency responsible for training, supervising and contracting with attorneys to provide guardian ad litem services for children. The Office of the Child's Representative is also charged by statute to facilitate the development of Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs throughout the state by collaborating with the state CASA program. For more information about the Office of the Child's Representative, you may visit this agency's web site by clicking . Seventeenth Judicial District Domestic Violence Protocol The Seventeenth Judicial District Domestic Violence Protocol developed by the Seventeenth Judicial District Domestic Violence Task Force was adopted on December 20, 2002. Return to Top↑ |
