County juvenile court awarded for school threat program

County juvenile court awarded for school threat program

"This is incredibly difficultand sensitive work.

But itdoesn't mean that we can't tryand we shouldn't try."JUDGEJOHN WILLIAMS WITH HAMILTONCOUNTY JUVENILE COURT KNOWSEVERY CHILD WHO SITS IN THECHAIRS IN HIS COURTROOM HASHIS OR HER OWN STORY.JudgeJohn Williams/Hamilton CountyJuvenileCourt"May be substance abuse.They maybe be in a home withdomestic violence.

They may bebullied at school.

There maybe many, many differentproblems that they're having.""We want to try to get to thecore of the problem.

We wantto effect change in thebehavioral thinking on thekid.

If we don't do that wereally haven't done any good."AND THAT'S NO DIFFERENT WHENIT COMES TO STUDENTS WHO MAKETHREATS AGAINST THEIR SCHOOL,BUT THE COURT KNOWS EVERYTHREAT NEEDS TO BE TAKENSERIOUSLY.Dr. NicoleLeisgang/Chief ConsultingPsychologist for HamiltonCounty JuvenileCourt"There is no checklistfor whether or not a kid isgoing to act on these threats.It takes so much moreinformation."DR. NICOLELEISGANG DEVELOPED HER OWNSCHOOL THREAT ASSESSMENT TOOLFOR HAMILTON COUNTY JUVENILECOURT.

SHE TALKS TO STUDENTS,FAMILIES AND SCHOOL STAFF.

SHEALSO USES PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTSAND OTHER DATA TO DETERMINEHOW SERIOUS A THREAT IS ANDWHAT FACTORS IN A STUDENT'SLIFE MIGHT HAVE LED TO HIM ORHER MAKING THE THREAT.

THENDR. LEISGANG HELPS CONNECT THESTUDENT WITH SERVICES TO HELPOUT."Whatever issues that increasethat kids risk, we developindividualized interventionsto help reduce oreliminate.""If they're as upset the daythey walk out we have donenothing to change that child'sbehavior.

We haven't made thecommunity safe.

We haven'tmade the school safe."AND NOWTHE COURT WANTS SCHOOLS TO USETHIS THREAT ASSESSMENT TOOL TOIDENTIFY KIDS EARLY AND KEEPTHEM OUT OF THE COURTROOMALTOGETHER.

DustinGehring/Administrator incharge of student services atNorthwest Local SchoolDistrict"So we can take thoseproactive stances.

So we canget involved as kids arehaving trouble so we can lookfor those barriers and ways toweed through it."NORTHWESTLOCAL SCHOOLS IS ONE DISTRICTWORKING WITH HAMILTON COUNTYJUVENILE COURT IN THISPROGRAM.

BUT THE DISTRICT SAYSASSESSING SCHOOL THREATS ISJUST ONE PIECE TO THE LARGERPUZZLE OF STUDENT SAFETY ANDWELLNESS.

NORTHWEST HAS ASOCIAL WORKER ON STAFF ANDPARTNERS WITH SEVERAL OUTSIDEAGENCIES TO SUPPORT KIDSSTRUGGLING WITH ALL SORTS OFTHINGS.Darrell Yater/AssistantSuperintendent at NorthwestLocal SchoolDistrict"That all those piecescome together to form a mosaicthat actually paints a pictureof student support andwellness from a holisticperspective."EXPERTS SAY THECOURT'S PROGRAM HAS NOT ONLYPREVENTED STUDENTS FROM ACTINGOUT THESE THREATS, BUT HASHELPED TURN THEIR LIVES AROUND.Angie Lloyd/Executive Directorof the Ohio Access to JusticeFoundation and Chair of theJudicial Administration andInnovation Committee"You're putting those kidsback in school.

They'resuccessful.

They're with theirfamilies and they becomecontributing members ofsociety.

It'swonderful.""Judicial experts like Lloydhope to see counties acrossOhio try to replicate thisschool threat assessmentmodel.

At Hamilton CountyJuvenile Court, JB WCPO 9 News.