Children Who Commit Status Offenses CINSFINS

1
Children Who Commit Status Offenses (CINS/FINS)
2
What is a Status Offense?

• Committed by a person under the age of
  majorityonly children can commit a status
  offense
• Actions that are law violations ONLY if committed
  by a childbecause they are children
• Drinking
• Leaving home without permission
• Tobacco use
• Not attending school
• Any non-criminal misbehaviornot covered in the
  criminal statutes for juveniles

3
Traits of Children Who Commit Status Offenses

• Most often status offenders have issues that stem
  from developmental and family circumstances
• Lack of parental supervision due to work
  schedule, health issues or substance abuse
• The child has a contributing condition or illness
  that are barriers to learning and self-control
• The pre-teen or teen has the expected
  developmental behaviors related to rebellion,
  asserting independence and impulsivity
• Status offenses may indicate that the child may
  first be a victim.
• Sexual and Physical Abuse
• Neglect
• Parental rejection/emotional abuse

4
Status Offense or Criminal Behavior?

• Domestic violence sibling-on-sibling, child on
  parent
• Simple assault in the schools
• Criminal Mischief
• Use of illegal substancesdrugs, alcohol, tobacco
• Minor destruction of property
• Misdemeanors in the categories above can should
  be diverted to intervention

5
What is a Status Offense in Florida?

• Floridas separate law for status offenders are
  Chapters 984 and 228, F.S.
• In Florida, status offenses are, specifically
• Habitual truancy,
• Ungovernability ( out of reasonable control of
  parents),
• Running away/leaving home without permission,
  and/or
• Engaging in any behavior that puts the child at
  risk for abuse or neglect, e.g., locking the
  child out of the home.

6
What is a Status Offense in Florida?

• In Florida, status offenders are defined in 2
  categories
• FINS A Family In Need of Services
• CINS A Child In Need of Services
• FINS ARE VOLUNTARY SERVICES
• CINS ARE COURT-ORDERED SERVICES (a petition must
  be filed)

7
Eligibility for Children/Family in Need of
Services 984.03(25), F.S.

• AT TIME OF REFERRAL, DOES NOT HAVE
• An open investigation for abuse, neglect or
  abandonment,
• Current supervision by DJJ or DCF, or
• An adjudication of delinquency or dependency.

8
What works with Status Offenders?

• Respite Services in temporary shelter are used
  when families and or the child appear to be
  potentially unsafe, are over-stressed or insist
  that this is the service they need.
• Family Strengthening, unless there is evidence of
  abuse or neglect or the child states this is the
  case. Hot line called.

9
What Works?Effective Strategies from Meta
AnalysisResearch

• Individual-Level Interventions
• Self Control/Social Competency
• Individual counseling
• Behavioral Modeling/Modification
• Contextual-Level
• Teaching Family Model

Only apply to non-institutionalized juvenile
offenders.
10
Profile of Floridas Status Offenders

• Who refers them?
• 27 from concerned individuals/adults
• 24 from schools
• 13 from Law Enforcement
• 11 from Juvenile Justice
• 16 from other sources in community
• 9 are self-referrals by the youth
• .

11
Profile of Floridas Status Offenders

• Age
• Average age of youth in shelter 15.2
• Average age of youth receiving counseling
  services 14.3
• The most frequent ages of served youth 15, 14
  16
• Gender
• 51 female 49 male
• Risks 89 have multiple risk factors in 3 of 4
  domains (school, family, peer group and
  individual youth behavior)
• School problems -- 92
• Family problems -- 96
• Suicide risks -- 28
• Previous Arrest -- 36
• DJJ Outcome Evaluation Report 2006.

12

• Status Offender CORE SERVICES
• (Emergency Room)
• Centralized Intake Open 24/7 (Assessment, Triage)
  
• Runaway/Crisis Shelter (In-patient admission)
• Non-residential Services to Families (Out-patient
  Services)
• Case Court Management (Referral/Check-ups )
• Prevention and Outreach (Public Health
  Education)

13
Specialized Services

• Staff Secure placements
• Court-ordered
• 90-day stay in unlocked shelter
• Physically Secure (locked) placements (funded for
  6 per year)
• 90 to 120-day stay in MH or SA Treatment facility
• Contracted service with Treatment Centers

14
How Many are Served?2006-07

• Screening for eligibility 31,647 calls for help
• Intake Assessment 14,863
• Shelter 6,242/73,569 days of care
• Non-residential services 10,957
• Counseling and Case Management 17,377
• (unduplicated count, includes re-admission which
  make up about 15 of those served)
• Florida Network stats only

15
How Many are Served?2006-07

• Prevention and Outreach
• 1,620 children and 3005 adults received
  education/attended groups on topics of alcohol
  substance use, adolescent behavior, parenting or
  educational issues.
• Nearly 68,000 children and adults were educated
  on the services available

16
Outcomes2006 DJJ Outcome Report

• Most Recent Data is from 2003-04
• 94 Youth remained crime-free for 6
• months post discharge
• 88 did not enter the JJ system at 6-months
• post discharge
• In 2003-04
• Average length of stay in shelters 8 days
• Average time in non-residential 16 weeks

17
Where to Get Help

• GO TO floridanetwork.org
• Click on the county where you live to find the
• phone number of the nearest shelter
• open 24-7
• CALL 1-800-runaway (786-2929) Will refer you to
  the agency in your area
• Wherever you see a Safe Place sign
• Businesses are trained to help get you to a
  shelter
• Local law enforcement can take you to the nearest
  youth crisis shelter
• Brochures are handed out to law enforcement,
  schools other places
• Presentations are made at the community level