Rehabilitation

This brief aims to develop Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals’ awareness and knowledge related to serving young people with disabilities who experience homelessness. It also provides guidance on building collaborative relationships with Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) service providers to assist youth with disabilities in accessing available services and support. (author abstract modified)

This report from the national Stop Solitary for Kids campaign is a practical guide for youth justice system administrators, supervisors, staff, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates to begin the process of safely reducing room confinement in their juvenile and adult facilities. It provides examples of this process undertaken by three state agencies and one county sheriff’s department: Colorado Division of Youth Services, Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, Oregon Youth Authority, and Shelby County Sheriff’s Department in Memphis, Tennessee. Data from these jurisdictions demonstrate that reducing room confinement is possible without increasing violence in a facility. Moreover, shifting youth justice facility practices away from punitive isolation and towards models that focus on emotional regulation and behavioral skills helps youth successfully transition back into their communities. (author abstract modified)