“Crossover Youth” are youth who are involved with both Juvenile Justice and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. They have experienced abuse and/or neglect and have engaged in delinquent behaviors. Crossover youth encompasses a vulnerable population with diverse needs.

Our goals are to reduce:

• The number of youth who become dually involved
• The number of youth who are removed from the home
• The use of congregate care and residential facilities
• The disproportionate representation of children of color involved in either system

And to increase:

• Collaboration and communication between agencies and families
• The use of community-based programs
• The overall wellbeing of youth and their families

• Enhanced education on the characteristics and system experiences of crossover youth;
• Training on a proven model of practice to better address the needs of youth;
• Utilization of a cross-system data template to inform decision-making;
• Development and utilization of effective tools, processes, and strategies to better meet the needs of youth and their families;
• Customized technical assistance to support implementation of the Model; and
• Support for a focused and structured level of engagement with youth, families, and community.

Additionally, the CYPM focuses on the disproportionate representation of children of color in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. While this work primarily focuses on youth who are already known to both systems, participating sites also explore practices that can be implemented within each system to prevent young people from crossing over into a second system of care.

There is a strong need for community members like you to join this cause.

Crossover youth are at a heightened risk of being rejected by their peer group. This is due to a deficiency in social skills, a lack of emotional regulation skills, and their adoption of any maladaptive behavior patterns that have been modeled for them by their caregivers. Youth who have been rejected by positive peer groups develop associations and form their own peer group, consequently reinforcing delinquent behaviors in one another. As a result, crossover youth struggle to break into positive prosocial hobbies or activities. They inadvertently perpetuate a pattern of rejection by prosocial peers and subsequent acceptance by delinquent peers. To interrupt that cycle, crossover youth need a welcoming community of positive social contacts who can teach them a healthy hobby, model a healthy lifestyle, and provide stable environments.

If you are established in a club or organization within Bannock County and would be willing to fellowship a crossover youth, please complete the form at the top of this page.