On January 21, 2015 in Washington DC, Jessica Heldman, Associate Executive Director of the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice, presented at a Congressional Staff Briefing hosted by the Vera Institute of Justice. The Briefing, entitled “Connecting the Dots: How Interagency Collaboration Can Better Serve Vulnerable Youth”, began with opening remarks made by Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III, RFK Children’s Action Corps Board Member. Ms. Heldman presented to both House and Senate staff about Dual Status Youth – those who touch both the juvenile justice and child welfare systems—as part of an expert panel, discussing the importance of data identification, information sharing and collaboration between agencies dedicated to helping juveniles.
This Briefing is part of a research-based, educational briefing series, convened by the Vera Institute of Justice, on adolescent brain research, the systemic causes of youth contact with the justice system, and the implications for future legal standards and best practices. To learn more about the briefing series, The State of Juvenile Justice: A National Conversation About Research, Results, and Reform, please visit: www.vera.org/project/state-of-juvenile-justice.