joseph w. kirby · court supervises the activities of various fiduciaries to ensure that they...
TRANSCRIPT
2019 Annual Report
Joseph W. Kirby
2019 Annual Report
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Forward...………………………...………..………………..………………..………………..………………..………………..3
Judge Kirby's Bio...………………………...…..……….………………..………………..………………..………………...4
A Message from the Court Administrator...………………….....………………..………………..………………6
Court Staff...……………………….....….………………..………………..………………..………………..………………..7
Budget & Finance ...…………………………....….…..………………..………………..………………..………………..8
Probate Court..………………………..…..……….…..………………..………………..………………..………………...10
Juvenile Court..……………………….…..……….…..………………..………………..………………..………………...13
CASA Program....…………………....…..……….…..………………..………………..………………..………………...18
Juvenile Court Probation....………………………………………...………………..………………..………………...21
Juvenile Detention Center.………………………………………...………………..………………..………………….23
Mary Haven Youth Center.…………………………………………….……………..………………..………………...26
Court Clinic...……………………………………………………………...………………..………………..…………………32
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FOREWORD
This Annual Report is offered to provide an overview of the function and activities
of the Warren County Probate-Juvenile Court. The Court consists of five distinct
departments: Probate Court, Juvenile Court, Probation Department, Juvenile Detention
Center and the Mary Haven Youth Center.
The Court employs 103 full time and 14 part-time staff members within its
various departments. The Court operates on a budget of approximately $7.3 million,
which is derived from federal, state and local sources.
The mission of the Court is specialized and important. In the Probate area, the
Court supervises the activities of various fiduciaries to ensure that they execute their
trust to the benefit of those they were appointed to serve. The activities of the Probate
Court are imbued with the public interest. That is, the Court must always be mindful
that there are important public interests to be protected in addition to the private
interest of the parties and litigants that may be before the Court.
The Juvenile Court docket includes consideration of cases where children are
alleged to be delinquent or unruly and other cases where children are alleged to be
dependent, neglected or abused. In all of those cases, the Court must strive to provide
for the supervision, care, protection and rehabilitation of those children. In doing so,
the Court must also strike an appropriate balance between those objectives and the
protection of the community and holding the child accountable for illegal conduct. This
oftentimes is a difficult task.
Our success is not measured by the number of juveniles who interact with our
Court, but rather by the number who are able to become productive, law-abiding
adults. The commitment of each and every member of our staff to achieve that result
in every case makes coming to work worthwhile.
We live, work and raise our families in this community and, thus, are committed
to making a place that we are proud to call home.
The Warren County Probate-Juvenile Court, its staff and I look forward to serving
Warren County in the years to come. I am proud to submit to you our 2019 Annual
Report.
Joseph W. Kirby, Judge
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Joseph W. Kirby Judge
In 1991, he entered law school at the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law in Detroit, Michigan.
After his first year, he transferred and ultimately graduated from Salmon P. Chase College of Law, with a Juris
-Doctorate degree and was admitted to the practice of law before the Ohio Supreme Court in November, 1995.
Prior to taking the bench, Judge Kirby was a partner in a law firm in Springboro, Ohio whose practice
consisted primarily of criminal defense, personal injury and family law. In 1996, he was appointed a part-time
magistrate in the Warren County Juvenile Court, presiding over cases involving delinquent and unruly
children, and child support matters.
In 2005, Governor Bob Taft appointed him as the Area II Judge of Warren County Court, presiding
over cases involving misdemeanor criminal, traffic and civil disputes for the southern part of Warren County.
In 2006 and 2012, he ran unopposed in the general election to retain his seat.
In April of 2013, Governor John Kasich appointed him as the Judge of Warren County Probate -
Juvenile Court. In 2014 he ran unopposed in both the primary and general election to retain his seat.
In 2015, he was selected by Ohio Public Images as the award winner for the Outstanding Elected
Official of the Year. In 2018 he was recognized as part of the C-Suite Awards Class of 2018. In 2019, he
received the Chairman’s Award for the Warren County Republican Party
Judge Kirby also served in the United States Air Force Reserve. In 1982, he joined AFROTC at Miami
University, Ohio. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Miami University in 1986. He was
commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force upon graduation.
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He served in the 89th Tactical Fighter Squadron in 1988 as the Operations
Management Officer from 1988 to 1996. During this time the unit converted from the F-4 to
the F-16, and was deactivated in 1994. Later that same year, the unit was reactivated as the
89th Airlift Squadron, flying the C-141 and C-5.
In 1996, he attended the Judge Advocate Staff Officer Course at Maxwell Air Force
Base, Alabama and emerged as a judge advocate for the United States Air Force Reserve. He
served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate of the 445th Airlift Wing, providing legal advice
to the wing and squadron commanders, and over 2,000 assigned personnel. In December
2008, he was Honorably Discharged after twenty-two years of service. He retired at the rank
of major.
He is admitted to practice before all courts and agencies in the State of Ohio and in
the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the Air Force Court of
Criminal Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Court of
Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the United States Supreme Court.
He was a prior member of the Ohio Association of Magistrates, the Association of
Municipal/County Judges of Ohio, and is a current member of the Warren County Bar
Association, Ohio Association of Juvenile Court Judges and the Ohio Association of Probate
Court Judges.
Continued
Judge Kirby
Page 2
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A Message from the Court Administrator
2019 has been an eventful year for the Court. The long-awaited building addition and renovation came to reality. The groundbreaking was in December 2018 and in just a little over one year, December 2019, the building and its renovation was completed on time and under budget. A successful completion to an exciting and long-anticipated project.
Before After
In addition, the staff buried a time capsule to be opened in 75 years from now. Not sure of course if anyone will ever remember this 2019 Annual Report, but they will have an easy time finding the time capsule, being located at the main entrance of the court and prominently identified by a bronze placard. In addition, there are some surprises in the time capsule that we hope those discovering the capsule 75 years from now will enjoy as much as we enjoyed placing them there.
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JUDICIAL STAFF
Probate - Juvenile Court Judge.………………………………Joseph W. Kirby
Administrative Assistant to Judge...………………………Sharon Eisenhut
Chief Magistrate.………………………………………………...Carolyn Duvelius
Magistrate.………………...………………………………………Jennifer Coatney
Magistrate……….....……………...…...…………………………………………Andrew Sievers
Magistrate/Staff Attorney.……………….……....…………………………….Jenna Seitz
Assignment Commissioner..………...…………....……………………..Kelly Hamilton
Chief/Judge’s Bailiff...……...……………….………………………………..Mark Helsinger
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Court Administrator……………………….......………………………….Anthony Brigano
Director of Court Services.….……..……………......…………………….Amy Jo Jones
Chief Fiscal Officer…………….…………...…………………………………..Anne Juergens
C.A.S.A. Director…….……………………...…………………………………...Malia Mumma
PROBATE COURT
Chief Deputy Clerk…………………..……...………………………………………Sue Roberts
JUVENILE COURT
Chief Deputy Clerk……….…………………….…...…………………Beth Farmer-Mason
PROBATION DEPARTMENT
Chief Probation Officer..…...………………........……………………Laura Schnecker
JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER
Superintendent…………...…………...…...…….……………………………………Tony Miller
MARY HAVEN YOUTH CENTER
Superintendent…………………………...…..………..…………………………Jennifer Biggs
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BUDGET AND FINANCE
The Budget and Finance Department is responsible for preparation of the annual budgets for Probate
Court, Juvenile Court, Juvenile Probation, Juvenile Detention Center and Mary Haven Youth Center.
In addition to preparing the annual budgets for these departments, Budget and Finance is responsible
for the preparation of all vouchers for payment of each department’s expenditures, monitoring and
tracking the expenditures incurred to ensure each department operates within its individual budget.
Budget and Finance maintain employees’ sick and vacation records, prepares the bi-weekly payroll
and maintains accurate records of health care expenditures for all departments within the Probate-
Juvenile Court.
Additional duties include accounts receivables, accounts payable and collection of Mary Haven and
outside placement support received from Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of juveniles placed by the court;
compiling and timely filing quarterly and annual reports; calculation of income to determine eligibility
of court-appointed attorneys and guardian ad litems; maintaining records and tracking funds from all
grants, maintaining records of and tracking Indigent Guardianship Funds; daily checking of Juvenile
Court receipts of costs, fines, bonds, court deposits and any other receipts which may be paid
through that department; issuing checks for bond forfeiture and restitution paid by juveniles to
victims; balance and close out Juvenile Court’s monthly receipts, balance Juvenile Court’s checking
account and annually pay unclaimed funds into the Auditor’s Office and check and prepare for
payment all court-appointed attorneys’ itemized fee statements and certification for appointed
counsel fees.
Employee Cost………………………………………………...$4,108,320.00
Attorney/Sheriff Fees/Client Service………………….$934,030.00
Operating Cost…………………………………………………….$110,159.00
Capital Costs…………………………………………………………………..$0.00
Total…………….………………$5,152,509.00
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Employee Costs..……………………………………………………………………$662,615.00
Purchased Services……...………………...……………………………………$158,391.00
Operating Costs……………………...……………………………………………….$15,388.00
TOTAL…………………………….$836,394.00
Employee Costs……………………………………………………………………….$49,320.00
Operating Costs ……………………………………...……………………………….$1,824.00
TOTAL……………………………..$51,144.00
Employee's Costs…………………………...$1,030,892.00
Purchased Services….…………………………$155,620.00
Operating Costs.…………………………………..$18,484.00
Capital Costs….………..…………………………………….$0.00
Total…………………$1,204,996.00
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Probate Court
Warren County Probate Court began operations in 1835 and holds the distinction of being one of
the oldest continuing operations in the State of Ohio. The Probate Court is established in each
county of Ohio to supervise the administration of estates, guardianship proceedings, trusts,
wrongful death actions, civil actions, minor’s settlements, and matters involving the mentally ill.
The Court is also responsible for issuing marriage licenses, adoptions, name changes, and delayed/
corrected birth registrations.
Judge Joseph Kirby and the staff of Probate Court are charged by law with the duty of protecting
the assets of the parties involved, monitoring the timely filing of documents, and meeting the
needs of the citizens of Warren County. In a manner of professionalism and courtesy, the staff
handles an emotional public that is dealing with death and mental illness, as well as achieving
ambitions of marriage and adoption. The goal for 2019 was to meet the daily demands with
efficiency and quality of service.
29%
1%
0%
5%
0%
0%
1%
4%
2%1%0%
8%
49%
Probate Filings 2019Estates
Wrongful Death
Guardianships Minor
Guardianships Incompetents
Conservatorships
Trusts
Civil Actions
Adoptions
Mental Illness
Minor's Settlements
Birth Registrations/Corrections
Change of names
Marriage Applications
11
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
711 711 705
784739
668 645697 718 699
ESTATES:
80
61
109
96
82
64
96 99
80
108
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
GUARDIANSHIPS - INCOMPETENTS
4240
4244
31
51
37
20
34
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
GUARDIANSHIPS - MINORS
12
85 86
77
8780
60
69
98
8884
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
ADOPTIONS
10
20
1315
34
18
21
16
19 20
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
CIVIL ACTIONS
3 3
18
56
23
98 8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
2 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 3 2 0 1 4 2 0 1 5 2 0 1 6 2 0 1 7 2 0 1 8 2 0 1 9
TRUSTS
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JUVENILE COURT
The purpose of the Juvenile Clerk’s Office is to assist in processing and organizing court documents and manage the day-to-day clerical and administrative duties of the court. The Clerk’s Office is comprised of a Chief Deputy Clerk, seven full-time employees, and three part-time employees. Deputy Clerks are charged with maintaining the court’s records throughout the life of the case. From the moment the complaint is filed, they are responsible for creating the case file, perfecting service of all parties, distributing the court’s orders and decisions, and preserving the file until the case has closed. The Juvenile Court accepts civil filing for dependent, neglect, and abuse cases, custody, paternity, support, grandparent power of attorney, and civil protection orders. Delinquency charges and traffic citations comprise the criminal filings. The Clerk’s Office collects payments for bonds, court costs, filing fees, fines, and restitution. The Juvenile Clerk’s Office strives to meet the needs of an emotionally charged public while working with law enforcement, defense counsel, and Prosecuting Attorneys to help insure that the overall Mission of the Juvenile Court is met.
The Mission of the Warren County Probate/Juvenile Court is to resolve matters fairly
and timely by providing an impartial, independent and dignified forum, in order to promote
respect for the Rule of Law, instill public confidence and trust, protect individual rights and
liberties, and ensure public safety.
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15
16
17
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Court Appointed Special Advocate
(CASA) Program
• Mission of Warren County CASA Program:
recruit, screen, train and support community
volunteers to advocate in court for child
victims of abuse and neglect.
• Guiding principle: every child deserves a
powerful and consistent voice in court and a
safe and permanent home in which they can
thrive.
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1 FT &
2 PT staff
53 Volunteers
157 children
2,773 hours
22,769 miles
2019 in Review:
• 1 fulltime and 2 part-time CASA staff supported 53 CASA volunteers who advocated for
157 children from 91 families.
• Those same 53 CASA volunteers worked 2,773 hours and drove 22,769 miles to
advocate for these children.
CASA Activities:
• Volunteers visited each child at least once a month.
• Volunteers wrote 156 CASA reports for court.
• Volunteers represented the child’s best interest in 307 hearings.
• Volunteers also logged 725 hours of in-service training.
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Case Information:
• Of the children served, 39% are under the age of 5. These children are potentially higher risk cases since they are not able to self-
report abuse and are typically not engaged in outside services.
• 78% of open cases involved at least one parent with substance abuse as a major factor
40% of cases involved opiates
45% of cases involved methamphetamines (which is an increase from 2018)
Cases involving caregivers with opiate and meth substance abuse typically last longer, and, in the end, the kids
rarely get reunified with the parent from which they were removed.
• Average length of AND cases is 16.9 months which requires a long commitment of the CASA volunteer.
• 76 children had their cases closed with the following outcomes:
47% were placed in the legal custody of kin
21% were reunified with their family
22% were adopted (which is an increase from 14% in 2018)
3% emancipated from care
Ages
< 1 year
1-4 years
5-8 years
9-12 years
13-17 years
18+
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JUVENILE COURT PROBATION
The Warren County Juvenile Court employs 12 probation staff. This staff includes one Chief
Probation Officer, one intake officer, and ten probation officers. The Probation Department has
several types of supervision that include the following: reporting probation, compliance, diversion,
truancy, and pre trial services. The probation department also monitors pay or appear cases and
completes post sentence investigations for the Court. Probation Staff are all trained to use
evidenced based practices. In 2019 probation staff provided guidance to at least 581 individuals.
Supervision The type of supervision to which a youth may be assigned is dependent upon a num-
ber of factors. Those factors include: age, seriousness/type of offense, needs of the child, and record
of previous offenses.
Pre-Trial Supervision is provided to youth while their case is pending with the Court. This would
include house arrest/GPS supervision, drug screening, and curfew monitoring.
Diversion Cases- Pursuant to Rule 9, ORJP and WC Local Rule 11, if the best interest of a child and
public require, cases may be referred to unofficial status and the child subject to the complaint
referred to Diversion, in lieu of formal court action. Successful completion of Diversion will result in
dismissal of the complaint. Diversion is used with both delinquency and truancy cases and in 2019
made up 32% of the total number of cases supervised by probation staff.
Compliance Supervision is a less intense model of supervision. A compliance hearing is
scheduled at the original court hearing to give the family a time line on when court orders &
services should be completed. At the compliance hearing date the compliance officer meets with the
family to verify that services and court orders are fulfilled. If the orders are fulfilled the case can be
closed. If the orders are not complete, further court action can be taken. In 2019 32% of all the
cases supervised by probation were compliance cases.
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Truancy Supervision - The Court has an official Truancy Program that encompasses a Truancy
Coordinator and a Truancy Officer position. Truancy supervision entails consistent contact with the
school and the youth. Our Court also offers focused docket time specific to Truancy as well as an
intensive ATTEND docket where youth and families that are deemed eligible attend at least monthly
hearings to address truancy.
In 2017 House Bill 410 was enacted which brought about significant changes including alternatives
to truancy charges being filed with the Court. Our Truancy staff work collaboratively with the
Warren County Educational Service Center and each school district to promote school attendance.
During the 2018-19 school year 638 intervention meetings/plans were completed with students as a
means to get students back on track with attendance and avoid formal charges. There were 92
habitual truancy complaints filed with our Court in 2019.
Reporting Probation is the most involved type of supervision. It requires that the youth have
frequent contact with a Probation Officer and/or Court Staff. Contact can be in the form of office
visits, home visits, school visits, and/or phone calls. Formal terms of probation are filed with the
Court with this type of supervision. A risk assessment is completed with all youth as well as an
individualized case plan is created. All probation staff use strength based practices with youth as
well as evidence based models including Carey Guides to assist in helping youth make better
decisions. In 2019, 22% of the cases supervised by probation were reporting probation cases. The
average age for a youth on reporting probation was 15. Demographics of reporting probation cases
are listed below by gender, race, and degree of offenses.
Demographics of Reporting Probation Cases
The Mission of the Warren County Juvenile Court Probation Department is “To identify strengths of
juveniles and their families to facilitate positive change and safety in the community.”
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Female Male
109
3
12
40
20
40
60
80
100
120
White Bi-Racial Black Other
45
71
12
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Felony Misd. Status/Traffic
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JUVENILE DETENTION ALTERNATIVES INITIATIVE
In early 2017, Warren County Juvenile Court Judge Joseph Kirby collaborated with The
Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS) to launch the
Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) in Warren County. Thus far, the collaborative
partnership has led to significant advancements to our local juvenile justice process. In 2018
the vision for community stakeholders who share in the belief that detention should be
objective and only reserved for youth who pose the greatest risk to public safety to join us in
our efforts to improve the lives of youth and families who enter the Warren County juvenile
justice system came to life and continued to grow. A community steering committee made up
of representatives from the Educational Service Center, Mental Health and Recovery Services of
Warren & Clinton Counties, Family & Children’s First Council, Board of Developmental
Disabilities, Children Services, Sheriff’s Department, Solutions Community Counseling, Mason
City Schools, and the Defense Bar met and collaborated throughout the year.
JDAI sites, including Warren County, have demonstrated safe reductions in the number
of youth detained through a set of eight interrelated core strategies which include:
1. Collaboration among juvenile justice agencies, community organizations and other
government agencies;
2. The use of data in making policy and case-level decisions;
3. Objective instruments to guide detention decisions;
4. Operation of a continuum of non-secure detention alternatives;
5. Case processing efficiencies to reduce time between arrest and case disposition;
6. Safe reductions of special populations (e.g. violations of probation, warrants and
cases awaiting placement);
7. Racial/ethnic fairness in policy and case-level decision-making;
8. Improving conditions of confinement.
By systematically addressing each of these areas, JDAI has proven that juvenile
detention rates can be dramatically reduced without a corresponding increase in juvenile crime
or reduction in public safety. The JDAI Initiative has expanded in Ohio and now has fourteen
counties participating.
In 2019 our Court continued with this initiative which involves community involvement
and support. Some things of note from 2019 include the use of foster care as an alternative to
detention for youth when appropriate, the addition of a mental health clinician in our Juvenile
Detention Center, and probation transformation work which included training and new
everyday practices with our youth. JDAI practices in Warren County have reduced over-
reliance on detention without compromising public safety.
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Juvenile Detention Center
The Warren County Juvenile Detention Center (“JDC”) is a 24-bed facility with two holding cells
that are designed to be used for short-term stays where a delinquent child may be held while they await court action or sentencing. We currently have 11 full-time corrections officers, 5 part-time officer, one full-time Mental Health Clinician, one Administrative Assistant, and the Superintendent. The children detained in JDC are classified by their charges, prior criminal
history, and behavior. This classification allows staff to separate the nonviolent children from the violent children, thus maintaining a safer environment for staff and the children who are detained
in the facility. JDC houses both male and female children that are charged with a criminal offense. JDC can house children as young as age 11 all the way up to their 21st birthday (if they
are under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court). A child under the age of 11 may be detained in detention under special circumstances.
Detention Services
During the year 2019 the Detention Center oversaw the secure detention of 282 children. The
average daily population was 10.6 children with an average length of stay of 11.7 days. The Detention Center is overseen by Superintendent Tony Miller. The daily operations were overseen by 1 Lieutenant, 2 Sergeants, 11 full-time Officers, and 5 part-time Officer. These positions were supported by 1 full-time Administrative Assistant and 1 full-time Mental Health Clinician.
Housing
The Warren County Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) is a 2 pod, 24 bed facility with 2 additional
holding cells. Detained children are classified by their current charge, behavior at intake, criminal
history and gender. The classification of detained children allows staff to house individual children
in a manner that provides the highest level of safety for both officers and child. All cells are
single occupancy. The average age of a child detained at JDC is 15.7 years old.
All Juvenile Detention Employees receive mandatory training that includes Cardio Pulmonary
Resuscitation (CPR), Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), Basic First Aid, Emergency
Response, Verbal De-escalation Techniques, Fire Extinguisher use, Prison Rape Elimination
(PREA), Trauma awareness, and Suicide Prevention and Intervention. We facilitate this with
ongoing training throughout the year. Training occurs weekly and monthly in areas such as Policy
and Procedures, Safety and Security, Professional Conduct, Mental Health Awareness, and
Effective Communication. All aspects of the detention process are closely monitored,
measured, tracked, studied, and discussed at all staffing levels in order to maximize awareness
and communications which is vital to maintaining high standards of care. Areas that are closely
monitored include youth mental health diagnosis, medical issues, and problematic behaviors.
Other areas include Officer Performance, Behavior Modification, and Program Effectiveness. Our
goals are to provide for the safety, security, health and wellbeing of the children and staff and to
provide leadership that represents authority in a manner worthy of respect and emulation.
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Programming
We support the belief that personal growth and development has the potential to create long term positive
change within the child we come in contact with. It is through the facilitation of constructive programming and structure that we attempt to create an environment that fosters development. The child will be controlled,
supported, and protected with these standards in mind. Programming includes classes such as Art Therapy,
Creative Expression, Yoga, Health Education, Healthy Relationships and many more.
Educational Services
To ensure that the children detained at the Detention Center receive minimal interruption in their education the
Detention Center has contracted with the Warren County Educational Services Center to provide two state licensed teachers. The detention centers educational program provides structured classes 6.5 hours per day,
Monday through Friday throughout the school year. The class work completed allows the child to obtain an
excused absence from school unless he/she is suspended or expelled. While in the classroom teachers ensure that the children are continuing their schoolwork assigned by their residential school district or by the JDC
teacher. All assignments from their home school are returned to the parents upon request or the release of the
child and should be returned to the school district for grading. JDC also facilitates a summer school program to ensure the educational programming continues year round.
Medical Services
Wellpath provides comprehensive medical and pharmacy services at the Warren County Juvenile Detention Center. Wellpath’s physician and nursing staff provide intake screening and comprehensive medical assessments,
sick call, dental care, medication administration and management, laboratory and diagnostic services and
confidential medical records.
Mental Health Services
The Detention Center provides a variety of services to address the needs of the children who are detained at the facility. Each child receives an assessment prior to their detention hearing to assess his/her risk and unique
needs. We routinely provide referrals of various community resources to parents, so that families can obtain
assistance for their children once they return home. We also provide suicide risk assessments and counseling for
juveniles at JDC.
The above information, the daily tasks that the correction officers perform, and the noteworthy items all define
our mission statement:
The mission of the corrections and detention system is to provide leadership for changes for the youth, family units, and communities. It operates by creating legitimate, alternative pathways to
adulthood through equal access to services that are least intrusive, culturally sensitive, and
consistent with the highest professional standards. The youth, while being detained at the Warren County Juvenile Detention Center, will be controlled, and supported, and protected with these
standards in mind.
26
Mary Haven Youth Center
2019 Annual Report
Residential Treatment: Behavior Modification Program
Within behavior modification program, residents will be evaluated on a “real -life” scale, that is individualized for their behavior/treatment
needs. The Response Ability Pathways (RAP) program was determined to be well-suited to our population. The Response Ability Pathways (RAP)
is grounded in research and has been rated as highly useful by professionals in education, treatment, and juvenile justice. The RAP program
helps youth join in an alliance with adults to solve problems and develop respectful lives. RAP has been shown to help youth move beyond prob-
lems to strengths and solutions.
RAP encourages an individualized treatment program for each resident, rather than relying on a standard set of points to measure progress. The
resident’s progress will be based on their stage of development (progress) within the program.
The stages of development for the residents are called their Circle of Courage. The program is divided into four stages of progress:
1. Belonging – The beginning stage where they will gain a sense of their place in the world around them (family, school, community, Mary Ha-
ven)
2. Mastery – The second stage where they will learn new skills and ways to be successful in the world (changing behavior, following rules, doing
well in school)
3. Independence – The third stage where they will practice new skills in all areas of their lives (substance free, non-offending behaviors,
getting along with family.)
4. Generosity – The final stage where they will master their new skills and begin to give something in return to others. (victim empathy, im-
portance of family, effects of behavior, relapse prevention.) In this stage they will begin their transition to home, school and community.
Each of the four stages of development at Mary Haven will take a minimum of 35 days to complete. Therefore a resident will begin the program
on “Belonging, Day 1,” and progress through each stage to completion of the program on “Generosity, Day 35.”
Juvenile Sex Offender Program
Those youth adjudicated on a sex offense charge will also participate in the program, in addition to their sex offender treatment. These youth
will be required to participate in an initial, full-disclosure treatment polygraph. Six months after the initial polygraph, the resident will be
required to pass a maintenance polygraph to determine their level of honesty, non-offending behavior, and progress in treatment. At that time,
they may be eligible for review by the Court.
Trauma-Focused Treatment
In order to address the high occurrence of residents with trauma-related issues, treatment will include Trauma and Grief Compo-
nent Therapy for Adolescents. This treatment model is designed to address not only symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress disorder,
but the emotional and behavioral problems that generally coincide with that diagnosis. TGCTA is a group derivative of TF-CBT
which has been recognized as evidence-based and can be found on SAMHSA’s National
Registry.
We anticipate that by combining TGCTA and trauma-informed individual mental health therapy with a strengths-based residential
model (RAP), Mary Haven will see a decrease in negative behaviors and trauma-related symptoms that can interfere with a resi-
dent’s ability to be successful. By better addressing individualized needs, a higher success rate within the program and in transi-
tion back into the community is also expected.
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S.O.S (Support. Opportunity. Success)
S.O.S. is a day program designed as a partnership between Warren County Juvenile Court and schools throughout Warren County. The SOS school program in Mary Haven Youth Center will SUPPORT court involved students by providing an OPPORTUNITY to continue their education, and stay on track towards a SUCCESSful graduation. Alongside their school curriculum, youth in the program receive group treatment designed to address independent living skills, anger management and drug and alcohol concerns. Youth’s education and treatment participation all occur within a token economy, which allows for a reward structure built on achievement and positive interactions. Time in the program is dependent on the youth’s ability to successfully transition back into their home school.
2019 Statistical Report Residential
Number of total Youth in the Program = 50
First Step: 14
Full Program: 34
Revocation: 2
Number of new admits to the program = 36
By GENDER By RACE
Male = 33 White = 34
Female = 3 African American = 0
Other = 2
Intake charges: Felony: 28 Misdemeanor: 22 Number of Youth released from the program = 39 Successfully completing the program = 37
Unsuccessful = 2
Neutral = 0
Recidivism: 2016 – 2019
New Delinquency Charges: 11%
Technical Violations/Status Offenses: 18%
No New Charges: 71%
S.O.S (Day Program)
Number of total new admits to the program = 35
By GENDER By RACE
Male = 28 White = 34
Female = 7 African American = 0
Other = 1
Number of Youth released from the program = 32
Successfully completing the program = 31
Unsuccessful = 0
Neutral = 1
Recidivism (2017-2019):
New Delinquency Charges: 10%
Technical Violations/Status Offenses: 19%
No New Charges: 71%
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2019 In Review
The total number of youth served this year was 85, which includes those youth in placement in residential treatment and those youth ordered into the day report program (SOS). The average daily population was 19 youth. There were 71 new intakes for the year across both programs. The average age for youth at Mary Haven in 2019 was 15.9
years old. The average length of stay was 6.5 months for full-program residential youth and 54 days for SOS students.
The number of youth released from the program was 71. Of the 71 youth released 68 were successful this year, 1 neutral and 2 were unsuccessful.
Of the new intakes in residential placement, 28 were in placement on a delinquency that would be a felony if committed by an adult, compared to 22 youth on misdemeanor charges. Mary Haven hosted five out-of-county placements in 2019.
Statistical Comparison
2010 – 2019
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
# Youth 56 60 63 58 55 64 53 64 88 85
Male 56 60 63 58 55 52 48 56 72 75
Female 0 0 0 0 0 12 5 8 16 10
Admits 38 44 47 41 38 49 27 57 81 71
Releases 40 44 46 42 37 44 37 58 84 71
Success 40 41 43 42 35 39 33 48 73 68
Neutral 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 1 3 1
Unsuccessful 0 2 3 0 2 2 5 9 8 2
Felony MHYC 21 21 18 13 19 15 26 15 24 28
Misd MHYC 35 35 27 29 36 34 23 9 12 22
Avg Stay (mth) 6 7 6.5 6.4 5.8 5.3 6 6.33 8.75 4.5 (6.5)
SOS stay (days) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 42.0 54
Avg Age 15 15.5 15.5 15.5 16 15.3 15.5 16.4 16.1 15.9
Daily pop 18 14.4 17 17 15 22 14.5 14.6 19.55 19.19
Grad 100% 93% 93% 100% 95% 88% 85% 83% 84% 96%
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The Advisory Board for the Mary Haven Youth Center has continued to be a great support for the program. The board members actively seek out projects to assist the residents and the program. Their genuine concern for the youth placed in the program and appreciation of the staff members is felt throughout the year.
It is a tribute to the individuals involved that they would give of their time, energy and resources on a volunteer basis to help the youth of Warren County. Their continued support of the program is needed and greatly appreciated.
Mary Haven Youth Center Advisory Board
2019
Don Williams, President Cynthia Brown Jeff Ward, Vice President Danny Carter Debbie Stevens, Secretary Carolyn Duvelius Michael Nusbaum, Treasurer Diane Harrelson
Pat Coomer Wendell Terrill Randy Wheeler Robbi Magley
Much of the success of the Mary Haven Youth Center is due to the generosity of individuals and organizations that have been willing to donate their money, resources and time. These individuals make a great impact of the youth placed at Mary Haven.
2019 MHYC Activities
Mason Bowl sponsored by Don Williams
Cincinnati Reds Game – Mason Kiwanis
2019 Board Meetings
January 8, 2019
April 9, 2019
July 9, 2019 (Cookout)
October 8, 2019 (Houston Restaurant)
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2019 COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS
Lebanon Food Pantry (Monthly) Lebanon Public Library/Lebanon Garden Club (Seasonal) Caesar’s Creek LifeHouse Church Otterbein Gardens
2019 FACILITY EVENTS
Art and Garden Show Little Miami Conservancy/River’s Edge Rafting Trip Independence Day Softball Game Real Money, Real World
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Mary Haven Youth Center Staff
Mike Goodlett, Program Supervisor Christine Charlton, Clinical Director
Youthcare Supervisors Intervention Specialists
Elton Frauenknecht Eric Huber Mike Box Jason Steele Barri Pfister Molly Fielder Mike Mason Joel Jacobs Katie Shay
Youth Care Specialists Secretary
Allyson Ashdown Donna Meade Alyssa Barr Kimberly Barton Meghan Baltzell Eric Coulter Elisa Dennis James Deters Ethan Green Nicole Herzog Peter Highley
S. Gordon Lewis Teachers Harry Lyons Scott Noll Mike Mason Aaron Clark Zach McCormick Chris Specht Kimberly Ryan Heather Neff Vicki Shaw-Hoskins Nicole Stover
Looking Ahead
Mary Haven Youth Center is dedicated to enhancing community relationships and fostering successful resident transitions, as they prepare to graduate the program and return to their home, school and community supports. Mary Haven continues to expand their role in providing detention alternatives to the youth in the court system, through various programs that allow young people to stay in their family home. As we work toward addressing individual needs of each youth, day treatment and evening report programs are being established and enhanced to best serve each family.
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COURT CLINIC
The Court Clinic provides assessments and services as ordered by the court or recommended
through probation. Assessment types include mental health, drug and alcohol, juvenile sex
offender, risk and placement assessments. The Court Clinic also provides several programs
including drug/alcohol intervention, wrap-around services, out-patient sex offender
treatment certified through the Department of Youth Services, and services to unruly youths.
Transition services are available to facilitate a youth’s return to school and home following
placement. Court Clinic staff provides treatment and case management services to the
residents of MHYC. The Court Clinic directs the treatment of all youth ordered to MHYC
whether in Day Treatment during school hours or after hour groups in the facility.
Day Treatment participants were ordered through the court or recommended by probation.
In addition to providing services through the Court Clinic and Day Treatment program, the
court recommends and orders services provided by the county and outside agencies such as:
a litter collection program; alcohol and drug urine screening; assessments; intervention;
education and therapy; counseling; anger management groups; parenting education groups;
victim impact reporting; sex offender group; theft classes; Car-Teen driving school;
detention center; residential treatment; out-of-home placements; guardian ad litem services
and indigent legal representation among other things.
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Court Clinic Groups
Residential
Circle of Courage (Behavior Modification Treatment Groups)
Sex Offender Specific
Substance Abuse (education and treatment)
Trauma Treatment
Anger Management
PREP (Life Skills)
ProTeen (Life Skills)
Outpatient:
Sex Offender Specific
MHYC Aftercare (for those youth successfully released from placement)
Parent Project
YES (Shoplifting Program)
Substance Abuse (Education)
Additionally, the Court Clinic uses the Ohio Youth Assessment System on youth in
detention and those transitioning out of Mary Haven Youth Center.
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