CAP/HHS/SAMHSA Help Prevent Youth of Color from Entering the Legal Justice Systems

Youth Representatives Kenneth El, Jamal Jackson and Cesario Williams present their vision of what would make the future better for youth of color. One of Cesario’s statements really resonated with everyone in attendance: “The problem is not the people, it is the game that’s being played.”
Youth Representatives Kenneth El, Jamal Jackson and Cesario Williams present their vision of what would make the future better for youth of color. One of Cesario’s statements really resonated with everyone in attendance: “The problem is not the people, it is the game that’s being played.”

Engaging & Educating the Community in Preventing Youth of Color with Behavioral Health Challenges from Entering the Legal Justice Systems” was both the topic and the goal of a Dialogue Meeting hosted by Chicago Area Project (CAP) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (HHS/SAMHSA) on September 11 - 12, 2013, at the University of Illinois/Student Center West, 828 S. Wolcott St. in Chicago. The two-day dialogue meeting is part of a series of meetings convened by HHS/SAMHSA in order to examine best practices in which the community can collaborate with the justice system to reduce the penetration of youth of color with behavioral health disorders into the justice system. The national dialogue meeting was held in Washington DC in April 2013.

Key stakeholders representing youth, community/faith-based, mental/behavioral health, substance abuse, law enforcement, judicial, education and justice systems joined together with youth representatives to begin the process of developing recommendations that will lead preventing this type of disproportionate minority contact. Youth involvement in the dialogue was extremely important. As Rashid Saafir, President/CEO of the Bobby Wright Comprehensive Behavior Health Center, pointed out during the meeting’s closing exercise: “The youth added a new dimension. They allowed us to truly think outside the box.”

An example of how impressed the adult participants were with the youth contributions is the invitation that was extended by Judge Patricia Martin from the Cook County Juvenile Center. Judge Martin invited the youth representatives to attend one of her monthly judges meeting so they could share their experiences and ideas with other Juvenile Center judges.

For additional information on the Chicago Area Project, contact 312-623-2091.

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