Human Trafficking/Creating Opportunities for Resilience and Empowerment (CORE): The CORE Program provides comprehensive support to at-risk youth and victims of human trafficking through a survivor-centered approach. The program prioritizes each individual’s unique needs, connects youth and families with essential resources, and fosters collaboration amongst community partners. Together, we strive to prevent future victimization and create a path towards safety, empowerment, and resilience.
Coordinator, Brittany Wissing, Brittany.Wissing@mcjcohio.org  937-496-6880

A non-emergency hotline number is available for general, non-Court related inquiries at 1-844-363-6448. Click here for additional resources.

10 & Under Program: This specialized program handles all delinquency and unruly referrals for juveniles aged 10 or younger through a multi-agency approach. The Care Coordination Team (CCT) is made up of a Care Coordinator (Court case manager), a Montgomery County Job and Family Services/ Child Welfare caseworker, and a South Community/Caring for Kids therapeutic case manager. The CCT evaluates and assesses all areas of a youth’s life, including but not limited to home, school, community, mental health, use of illicit substances, exposure to abuse/ dependency/neglect issues, and provide treatment opportunities where the need is indicated. A case plan is established and the family’s compliance is monitored.
Supervisor, LeAnn Clark, lclark@mcjcohio.org, 937 225-4047

Disproportionate Minority Contact Diversion Program (DMC/DP): In the 1988 Amendments to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974, Congress required that States address disproportionate minority contact with the justice systems. Specifically, each state must address efforts to reduce the proportion of youth detained or confined in secure detention facilities, secure correctional facilities, jails, and lockups who are members of minority groups if it exceeds the proportion of such groups in the general population. The Court created the Disproportionate Minority Contact Diversion Program (DMC/DP) to address that strategy. The DMC/DP Officer meets with youth, family, school officials and other community service agencies, to identify concerns and service needs impacting the youth and family. The program promotes family involvement and links youth and families with community resources and services. The goal is to divert minority youth from becoming identified with the juvenile justice system, thus creating linkages between the families and community while reducing referrals from local law enforcement to the Court. DMC/DP serves African American and multi race youth referred to the Court on a status or misdemeanor offense. To reach DMC/DP Staff, call 937-224-8446.

Traditional Diversion: Studies show that mixing low-risk youth with high-risk youth increases the probability of a youth further penetrating the juvenile justice system. As a result, the Traditional Diversion Unit was developed. This unit serves as another layer of prevention used to divert low risk youth from official action and probation supervision. The Traditional Diversion Unit typically receives cases that were filed officially, but were sent back to the Intervention Center by the Judge or Magistrate for unofficial handling; non-compliant cases with the Assessment Unit; or youth who have received several low-level offenses with the Court but scored low on the OYAS Dispositional tool. Staff conducts school visits, along with random home and therapeutic visits, and initiates referrals to programming and services. Cases that are successful are closed out without official court action. Unsuccessful cases are sent to the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney’s office for review.
Supervisor, Jennifer Heckman, JHeckman@mcjcohio.org, 937-225-5837

Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT): SBIRT is designed to identify individuals that may have a substance abuse issue and provide immediate intervention. Youth charged for the first time, with drug or alcohol related offenses, are eligible for participation. Youth meeting the criteria are scheduled for an unofficial Administrative Hearing and screened to identify strengths, behavioral health symptoms, goals, indications of internal and external distress and substance use symptoms/disorders. A youth’s success is measured by participation in SBIRT sessions, urinalysis screenings, and completion of programming and/or assessments.
Supervisor: Jennifer Heckman, JHeckman@mcjcohio.org, 937-225-5837

Sexually Oriented Diversion Approach (SODA): The SODA Program provides a diversionary intervention for youth charged with their first sexually oriented offense. SODA offers youth an opportunity to avoid the negative stigma and label associated with the sex offender adjudication process, while still receiving the same level of care. The SODA staff ensures the appropriate assessments, treatment, and level of supervision is provided to each youth in the program. Judges, Magistrates, the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney’s office, and the Intervention Center send referrals to the program, in which the youth takes ownership of the allegations, and the victim has approved of the youth’s participation in the program. Only low and moderate risk youth are eligible for participation in this specialized program. All youth active in the program receive psycho-education on the topics of boundaries and consent. The goals of the program and treatment are to provide skills for a healthy and responsible lifestyle and reduce the risk for recidivism.
Supervisor, LeAnn Clark, lclark@mcjcohio.org, 937 225-4047

Education Unit: The Education Unit staff responds to truancy related referrals from 16 local public school districts, and several online, charter and parochial schools within Montgomery County. The Education Unit conducts unofficial Administrative Hearings and uses Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDT) to address the attendance issues and identify the barriers of the youth and family. A MDT response provides the opportunity for the Court to partner with the school systems, mental health agencies, insurance providers, and community programming.  In hopes of making the child’s educational future successful with improved attendance, services that can be offered include: mental health assessments, Alcohol or other Drug (AOD) assessments, AOD groups, drug screens, anger management groups, educational life skills/preventative groups, in home family counseling, life coaching, employment resources, housing resources, basic needs resources, mentoring, credit recovery programs, alternative educational programs and community service. The goal of the program is to reduce the rate of habitual absenteeism by giving support to parents, and assistance in combatting the many societal issues that result in poor school attendance. In the event that a referral is non-compliant or unsuccessful with the diversion attempt, a complaint will be filed against the responsible party, and the charge will be set on the Judges docket for an official hearing.
Supervisor, Christopher Lemon, Christopher.Lemon@mcjcohio.org, 937 225-4095