DHS January lecture examines positive reforms to child welfare and juvenile justice systems

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- The Department of Human Services (DHS) welcomes John Tuell as the first speaker in the Spring 2014 Practice and Policy Lecture Series.  He will present “Dual Status Youth and their Families: Altering the Human and Fiscal Toll.” It will be held January 28th, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City. 

Youth who enter both the juvenile justice system and the Child Welfare system often face immense challenges.  The Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice released two seminal publications in December 2013 on the topic of dual status youth.  The publications include the Guidebook for Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare System Coordination and Integration: Framework for Improved Outcomes, and Dual Status Youth – Technical Assistance Workbook. These publications provide practical guidance for state and local jurisdictions in their endeavor to improve the outcomes for dual status youth and families and to enhance system performance among the critical youth and family serving agency partners. 

Tuell currently serves as the Executive Director for the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice at the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps.  The RFK Center’s current technical assistance and resource support focuses on such areas of reform as juvenile justice and child welfare system coordination and integration (dual status youth), information sharing across multiple youth systems, conduct of probation and court system reviews, performance-based contracting and performance measurement, and strategic planning.

The Practice and Policy Lecture Series has been developed to provide thought-provoking presentations on Oklahoma's emerging policy issues, trends and best practices. The series is sponsored by the DHS Office of Planning, Research and Statistics and the University of Oklahoma Center for Public Management with the goal of providing the best educational opportunities available in a forum that offers participants an opportunity to question, share and learn from each other. 

All lectures are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Office of Planning, Research and Statistics at (405) 521-3552 or visit the Practice and Policy Lecture Series website 

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