The Assessment Center Outcome and Reporting Network (ACORN) initiative was established to create a more consistent performance and outcome measures for Assessment Centers (AC) nationwide. The National Assessment Center Association (NAC) in collaboration with the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ) and Dr. Jeff Kretschmar, worked to support a cohort of six ACs (listed below) to assess data capacities and capabilities to identify opportunities to align AC performance and outcomes to the AC Framework. The development of more consistent performance and outcome measures allows us to assess AC impact on prevention, diversion, and early intervention and is a necessary step prior to broad scale assessment of the AC Framework.
This project first conducted a wide-scale assessment of Assessment Center’s (AC) information systems and data capacity. It then identified six ACs with varying capacities to participate in trainings and technical assistance, identify gaps in data collection, and create an “action plan” that identifies enhancement and improvement goals. The TTA Team worked with the cohort to complete mock ACORN reports. Following the completion of each section, the cohort convened to discuss challenges, successes, and actionable ways to improve data collection. With the cohort ending September 2024, plans are being made to continue the use of ACORN and scale it’s use to other ACs across the country.
ACORN Cohort:
“The most helpful for me was being able to look at what type of information was important for us to capture. It also was a great opportunity to be able to organize some things that we hadn’t organized before with data collection specifically. Being new to the Assessment Center, it gave me an opportunity to learn more about what other AC’s do which was very helpful.” – Sara Miller; Director, Delaware County Assessment Center, Ohio
“Sustaining support for the emerging peer network the SJI-funded demonstration assembled is a wise investment in juvenile justice system improvement, particularly as research supports the effectiveness of robust diversion and the national network of AC expands.” – Hunter Hurst, Director, National Center for Juvenile Justice
March 1, 2023
To improve guardianship case management, the National Center for State Courts is leading two SJI-funded projects to help guide courts through guardianship monitoring. Developing a Judicial Response Protocol to Address Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in Guardianship Cases features an interactive tool designed to help judges respond to allegations of harm to individuals subject to guardianship. …
February 1, 2023
DV AWARE stands for Domestic Violence Analysis, Warning, Action, Recovery, and Engagement. Perpetrators of domestic violence can threaten the safety and well-being not only of their intimate partners and children, but also courts and communities. Beginning with a grant from SJI in 2021, the DV AWARE Project sought to support juvenile and family court systems …
January 1, 2023
On March 30, 2020, the Boards of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators took action to establish National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts Response to Mental Illness to assist state courts in their efforts to more effectively respond to the needs of court-involved individuals with serious mental illness. …
December 1, 2022
During the pandemic, the Puerto Rico Office of Courts Administration (OCA) created an email account through which self-represented litigants (SRLs) seeking an emergency restraining order, a temporary detention or an involuntary admission order related to the Mental Health Code could file their petition to the Municipal Court. SRLs could download, complete, and submit the applicable …
November 1, 2022
In January 2022, the National Association of Counties, Rulo Strategies, and Praxis Consulting launched a new initiative to support justice-oriented strategic planning co-led by judges and elected county leaders. This timely project leveraged the renewed interest many courts have, coming out of the pandemic, in partnering with local stakeholders to expand the resources available to …
October 1, 2022
In 2020, the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) received a SJI grant to assess the court’s access to and use of mental health and substance use recovery services within the community. Funding allowed the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) to conduct an assessment of strengths, opportunities and challenges that judges, court personnel and …