**Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency**

**Prevention Quarterly Meeting**

**June 8, 2007**

**U.S. Department of Agriculture**

**Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service**

**800 Ninth Street SW, Washington, DC**

**Abstract**

At the June 2007 Quarterly Meeting of the Coordinating Council on
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Council members heard from
representatives of 4--H, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, and a
military youth about the 4--H/Military Partnerships to serve children
and youth whose parents are in the military. Presenters noted that
collaborating has allowed the partners to expand their resources to
better serve children and youth. They highlighted the accomplishments of
the partnerships and talked about key components of a successful
collaboration.

Council members then heard status reports from two Council working
groups, the Comprehensive Community Initiatives and Technical Assistance
Inventory Project and The Comprehensive Youth Development Pilot, and
discussed next steps for these projects.

Mr. Flores updated the Council on the federal response to the needs of
youth in New Orleans since the March Council meeting, and members
discussed how to provide assistance.

In addition, several attendees provided legislative and program updates
on behalf of their agencies.

Action items emanating from the June 2007 council meeting are as
follows:

-   The Council voted to proceed with the action items proposed in the
    Comprehensive Community Initiatives and Technical Assistance
    Inventory Project "Update on Progress."

-   The Council voted to direct the Comprehensive Youth Development
    Pilot Project Working Group to continue discussions, focusing on
    existing multi-agency, multi-sector project(s) that target or can be
    expanded to reach the highest-risk, neediest youth and to propose
    action steps to be voted on at the September meeting.

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-   Mr. Flores will investigate with the principals of Council member
    agencies their support for moving forward with the Comprehensive
    Youth Development Pilot Project.

-   Information collected from member agencies about federally funded
    youth-serving programs in Orleans Parish will be posted on a
    Council-funded Web site by July 1. This inventory will then be
    expanded to include other parishes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

-   Council members were asked to notify Robin Delany-Shabazz whether
    they or someone at their agency will provide any missing data on
    their agency's programs in Orleans Parish (particularly data on
    programs funded by formula and block grants) or whether they will
    empower the Council to collect the data through a contractor.

-   Council members will send Robin Delany-Shabazz the name of their
    agency's state contact person in Louisiana who can provide
    additional detailed budget information (particularly on annual
    appropriations).

-   Mr. Flores will continue to hold discussions with state and local
    authorities in Louisiana about the best ways to bring federal
    resources together to serve at-risk youth in New Orleans.

**Meeting Summary**

**Call to Order**

***J. Robert Flores, Vice Chair, Coordinating Council; Administrator,
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U.S.
Department of Justice (DOJ)***

Mr. Flores called the June 8 quarterly meeting of the Coordinating
Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (Council) to
order and welcomed members of the Council and the public. He thanked the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for hosting the meeting and
thanked Cathann Kress, Sherri Wright, and Suzanne LeMenestrel (USDA) and
Karen Morgan (U.S. Department of Defense \[DOD\]) for their work to
highlight 4--H partnerships with the U.S. military. He observed that
4--H has a huge impact on the lives of children and families around the
nation and is the largest youth membership organization in the world.

Mr. Flores provided a brief overview of the meeting agenda and invited
members of the audience to submit written questions and comments for
discussion following the presentations. He referred Council members to
the minutes of the March 2 Council meeting, and members voted to certify
the minutes as correct and official.

Mr. Flores announced two changes to the Council membership. John Pogash,
designee member for the U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and
Bray Barnes, practitioner member, will be leaving the Council because
they have both accepted new positions within DHS. He observed that they
both have rendered extraordinary service to the Council and presented
each a certificate of appreciation. Mr. Pogash will be replaced by
Yvonne Evans, Chief, Juvenile and Family Residential Management Unit,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS. Mr. Barnes's replacement has
not yet been appointed.

**Opening Remarks**

***Dale Moore, Chief of Staff, Office of the Secretary, USDA***

Mr. Moore welcomed Council members and said that USDA is proud to host
the meeting. USDA has a \$95 billion budget and has programs that assist
people in virtually every county in the United States. In addition to
its farming and ranching programs, USDA has a number of programs that
serve children and youth including food and nutrition programs, Public
Service Leaders Scholarship Program, internship programs, and 4--H.
4--H, which is run through USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education,
and Extension Service (CSREES) has approximately 6.5 million members
worldwide.

**4--H Partnerships with Army and Air Force: A Model of Federal
Collaboration**

***Cathann Kress, Moderator, Director, Youth Development, National 4--H
Headquarters, USDA***

Dr. Kress provided a brief overview of 4--H, which was started more than
100 years ago as a way for land grant universities to share knowledge
with youth to enhance the quality of life in the states. Throughout its
history, 4--H has emphasized "learning by doing" (kids applying what
they learn) and "leading by example" (young people changing their
communities). Today the organization, which focuses on educational and
youth development opportunities for youth ages 5 to 19, has three
mission areas: (1) science, engineering, and technology; (2) healthy
living; and (3) citizenship and leadership. 4--H has a presence in every
county in the nation and on military installations worldwide.

Dr. Kress introduced the panelists, whose presentations focused on
4--H/Military partnerships to provide opportunities for children and
youth living on military installations and children whose parents are in
the National Guard and Army Reserve.

**Research on Military Youth**

***Angela Huebner, Associate Professor, Department of Human Development,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University***

Dr. Huebner, whose research focuses on stressors facing adolescents in
military families, reported on the highlights of her recent work. She
and her colleagues conducted five focus groups with youth whose parents
were deployed, asking participants how their lives were affected by
their parents' deployment, how their families were affected, and whether
they took advantage of support systems. Deployment of a parent creates
an unstable family situation, and study participants talked about
changes in routines and responsibilities (sometimes positive, sometimes
negative), changes in behaviors (again, sometimes positive, sometimes
negative), and being attuned to the at-home parent (a predictor of how
well the youth copes is how well the at-home parent is coping). Some
respondents reported that they took advantage of supports that were
offered, and others chose not to. Further analysis of this issue
revealed that adolescents who were well-adjusted used the support
services, and those who weren't, did not. Dr. Huebner observed that this
finding points to the importance of getting adolescents involved in
social support networks (which 4--H is great at providing).

**Living in a Military Family**

***Brooke Borelli, youth, Bolling Air Force Base***

Ms. Borelli, a 12-year-old whose mother was recently deployed in Iraq,
talked about her experiences as a military child. She has moved seven
times, and has lived on and off base. She said that she looks at moving
as an adventure, but that it is difficult to leave friends behind and
change schools. During her mother's deployment, she participated in
activities at the base's community center and kept busy with her other
extracurricular activities. She observed that three key sources of
support while her mother was away were support from the base community,
support from the local community, and family communication and support.

**4--H Response**

***Sherri Wright, National Program Leader, 4--H Headquarters, USDA***

Ms. Wright reported that National 4--H partners with Army Child and
Youth Services and Air Force Family Member Programs so that they can
link the resources of the Land Grant Universities Extension System to
military youth programs. In pursuit of their common youth development
missions, they work together to support quality programs and to
introduce 4--H to military youth and families on installations around
the world. The partnerships, which started 12 years ago, have now
expanded to work with children of reservists and children of off-base
military families. Currently, there are more than 16,000 military 4--H
club members.

Ms. Wright observed that the keys to the success and sustainability of
the partnerships are: (1) the people (positive, hardworking, flexible,
creative, trusting, willing to share credit across agencies, and
patient); (2) training to build understanding of the different cultures
of the organizations involved; and (3) common organizational missions
(youth development). She concluded by observing that the 4--H/Military
partnerships are models of intergovernmental collaboration responding to
critical needs of youth with high-quality educational programs.

**The 4--H/Air Force Partnership**

***Eliza Nesmith, Chief, Community Programs, U.S. Air Force
Headquarters***

Ms. Nesmith said that Air Force Family Member Programs provide
programming in 35 states, seven foreign countries, the territories, and
the District of Columbia. Collaborating with 4--H has linked the Air
Force with the vast resources of USDA to better serve military kids.
Reflecting on the partnership, she shared six tips for the Coordinating
Council to consider:

1.  Find common ground with the right group. Identify the core
    competency that you are trying to accomplish.

2.  Develop and use personal contacts and relationships.

3.  Avoid bureaucracy and keep the management team small. Have people at
    the table who can make decisions but are close enough to the ground
    where decisions will be implemented.

4.  Paint a clear vision. Keep the goals manageable.

5.  Meet regularly. Evaluate and re-evaluate the project.

6.  Build in sustainability. (In the 4--H/Air Force partnership, people
    are doing the work at the local level.)

She observed that the partnerships have worked "like a spider web,"
starting off with 4--H and Air Force membership, expanding to include
National Guard and Reserve, and ultimately strengthening the Air Force's
partnership with the Army around youth programs. Recently, the U.S. Navy
has expressed an interest in joining. She concluded that collaboration
is an important way to expand resources to better serve children and
youth.

**The 4--H/Army Partnership**

***Nancy Campbell, Program Manager, Youth Education Support Services,
U.S. Army***

Ms. Campbell highlighted accomplishments of the Army's partnership with
4--H. More than 400 4--H clubs have been established that serve 11,000
children at Army bases worldwide. The partnership expands the population
that 4--H is able to reach, and 4--H clubs on and off post provide
military kids a welcoming environment when they move from place to
place. The partnership sponsors Youth Technology Labs and other
educational technology activities, afterschool programs, Character
Counts programs, a curriculum to train military staff on how to start a
4--H club, and a variety of youth development curriculums.

In 2004, the Army, 4--H, and several other partners launched Operation
Military Kids (OMK), a nationwide effort to reach out to children of
National Guard and Army Reserve parents who are deployed. Most of these
kids do not live near a military post and lack the supports that a post
would provide. In 34 states, OMK teams have trained community members
about the impact of deployment on families and implemented support
strategies in local settings. Activities include a speaker's bureau, in
which children are trained and speak to raise community awareness,
distribution of "hero packs" filled with cameras and stationery to help
kids stay in touch with their deployed parents, mobile technology labs
to help kids connect with their deployed parent, and summer camps for
young people whose parents are deployed. For more information, visit
www.operationmilitarykids.org.***\
***

**Conversation with the Panelists: Implications for Federal
Collaboration**

Dr. Kress invited Council members to make comments or ask questions to
the panelists.

Mr. Flores extended his thanks for the presentations. He remarked that
Brooke Borelli is a testament to the fact that so many of the nation's
children and youth are doing very well, in the midst of challenges and
difficult circumstances.

Gordon Martin remarked that, as a judge in Boston, he had learned about
the wide scope of 4--H's work. Fifteen years ago, 4--H provided his
court and probation officers with a valuable resource manual emphasizing
the importance of youth development and support services for delinquent
youth. Dr. Kress responded that the vast majority of young people that
4--H reaches today live in urban and suburban areas and are not rural,
farm kids.

Mr. Flores asked Dr. Huebner how the findings from her research on
military youth might apply to high-risk urban youth living in
high-stress environments. Dr. Huebner responded that we need to think
systemically about the supports that we provide. Helping parents and
families (e.g., food, housing, and transportation) helps young people,
and vice versa. Dr. Kress asked Dr. Huebner whether she believed her
research could be generalized beyond military families to other families
in high-stress situations, and Dr. Huebner said yes. Her research has
provided empirical evidence that kids' development depends on how well
their parents are doing.

Robin Delany-Shabazz requested examples of how Dr. Huebner's research
findings were used to inform programs. Ms. Wright replied that the
4--H/Military partnership used these findings as the basis for OMK. They
realized the need to take a holistic, systems approach to support young
people with a deployed parent. Under that program, Speak Out for
Military Kids trains young people to have the skills to help the
community understand the stresses these children and families are going
through.

A participant asked if there has been followup of how these youth are
doing in terms of social adjustment, risk for delinquency, substance
use, etc. Dr. Huebner said that Virginia Tech is conducting an
evaluation of OMK. At this point, they have received anecdotal
information but haven't done empirical research. The information
received thus far suggests that more connections are being made, more
kids are being exposed to the program, and more kids are being connected
to a deployed parent. Dr. Kress added that 4--H is looking more broadly
at this question. She commented that, in looking at positive youth
development, it is difficult to prove that something does not happen
later on. 4--H has been partnering with a number of land grant
universities and youth-serving organizations to begin to identify
indicators that would show the impact of youth development programs.

John Foster-Bey asked whether there are mechanisms in place to document
the process of partnership (such as feedback, best practices,
adjustments). Ms. Wright responded that there is no formal mechanism for
doing this, and the group is "learning by doing." What they have
documented so far is participation---the numbers of 4--H clubs
participating, young people participating, trainings provided. Ms.
Nesmith added that the Air Force Family Member Program uses
research-based programs, so they rely on the literature to determine if
desired positive outcomes will result from an activity. They have not
had an opportunity to measure youth development outcomes from programs
they offer.

Mr. Foster-Bey asked the panelists how they have managed to "cut through
the bureaucracy" in the 4--H/Military partnership.

-   Ms. Wright responded that the partnership has evolved based on
    lessons learned, but the group has not documented this process.

-   Ms. Campbell added that the partnership for OMK has also evolved
    since its inception, and they have developed new ways to overcome
    challenges.

-   Dr. Huebner observed that the management team communicates; partners
    all have a personal relationship and are truly committed to the
    partnership.

-   Ms. Nesmith remarked that, although she is relatively low down in
    DOD, in her functional area she has resources at her disposal and
    decisionmaking power. She reiterated that it is important to
    identify within the organization/agency an individual who has clout
    but is still close enough to the work that is being done.

-   Dr. Kress commented on the idiosyncratic nature of this partnership.
    The partners are all committed to young people, willing to give away
    their self-interests, and committed to a high-quality program. 4--H
    has tried to incorporate those lessons into its staff professional
    development programs.

-   Ms. Wright added that an important characteristic of this successful
    partnership is people who are willing to work hard. For example,
    when transferring funds from one agency to another presented a
    potential roadblock, Ms. Campbell physically delivered a check from
    Army Headquarters to 4--H's Budget Office.

A participant asked the panelists if they could identify gaps or things
that they needed to improve their partnership. Ms. Wright said that from
4--H's perspective, 4--H Headquarters is very short-staffed; they have
been asking universities to do more and more to support the
collaboration. The U.S. Navy is planning to start a partnership with
4--H, which is great, but it will add work. Ms. Nesmith observed that
she must be sensitive that any new programs and activities fit into the
overall Air Force's youth program direction; in addition, she is
sensitive that lack of staff may get in the way of developing robust new
partnerships. However, having said that, she is open to exploring new
partnerships to expand resources.

Mr. Flores asked Brooke Borelli if she had found opportunities to help
younger children or participate in other kinds of service on the base.
Ms. Borelli replied that there are activities for older kids to help
younger children or help others in the community. She is in a newsletter
club to encourage more community involvement. Colonel Elizabeth Borelli
(Brooke's mother) added that programs such as the newsletter give young
people on the base a sense of accomplishment and are important to the
kids. Often a program's success depends on the right constellation of
people (youth interested in the program and a parent or adult to lead
it).

Dr. Kress thanked the panelists for their presentations and thanked the
Council for its interest in this unique partnership.

Mr. Flores announced that OJJDP recently entered a partnership with the
Air Force to address underage drinking on Air Force bases and referred
participants to a handout in their meeting packet.

**Status Report from Council Working Groups and Discussion of Next
Steps**

**Comprehensive Community Initiatives and Technical Assistance Inventory
Project**

***John Foster-Bey, Senior Advisor, Corporation for National and
Community Service (CNCS)***

Mr. Foster-Bey said that the working group proposes to develop an
inventory of federal investments in comprehensive community initiatives
(CCIs). Members of the group include team leader Sarah Potter (U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services \[HHS\]), Reynaldo Decerega
(U.S. Department of Labor \[DOL\]), Sonia Klukas (DOJ), Gary Quinn
(HHS), Winnie Reed (DOJ), Pam Rodriguez (practitioner), Lisa Trivits
(HHS), Robin-Delaney-Shabazz (DOJ), Ramona Williams (HHS), Suzanne
LeMenestrel (USDA), and Mr. Foster-Bey (CNCS).

The inventory has three main purposes: (1) to identify the number of
current federal investments in CCIs, (2) to determine what technical
assistance (TA) is most useful in supporting CCIs and at what point in
time TA makes the most difference, and (3) to guide future federal
implementation and support of CCIs and TA.

At the March Council meeting, members were asked to nominate potential
CCIs for inclusion in the study. The working group received 45
submissions from the agencies and, based on screening criteria,
determined that 35 submissions should go forward (with 20 of these
subject to further review). The project will cost \$125,000 to \$150,000
to hire a contractor to complete the inventory and conduct the analysis.
Mr. Foster-Bey said that the working group is seeking approval of the
Council to move forward with the project.

Mr. Flores commented that the Council is looking for ways to use
resources more effectively and to document promising/best practices in
collaboration among federal agencies that can be passed on to future
Administrations. He observed that the working group has made tremendous
progress, and he believes their work should move forward.

He reminded the Council of the recommendation made by the White House
Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth to focus efforts on the highest-risk
youth. These are the kids who are most likely to end up in the justice
system, and many existing federal efforts and CCIs do not reach them. He
urged Council members to consider how to add to existing programs to
reach kids who are the neediest. He then opened the floor for discussion
of the working group's request.

Jerry Regier (HHS) said that his department would support this project.
He commented that the key challenge in any partnership is to bring the
partners, who all have their own interests, together in support of a
common interest. This inventory could be used to identify some of those
gaps pointed out by Mr. Flores and as a way to document what we can
learn and apply from the partnerships.

Deborah Price (U.S. Department of Education \[ED\]) asked what funds
will be used to pay for this project. Mr. Flores said that funds would
come from the Council budget, but agencies will be asked for in-kind
contributions. Mr. Foster-Bey added that the working group hopes that
each agency will identify a staff person to work with the contractor to
develop the inventory.

Greg Weltz (DOL) asked whether there would be ongoing upkeep of the
inventory. Ms. Delany-Shabazz said that the goal is to collect
information about how CCIs have been managed and what they have achieved
to elicit information on how the federal government needs to work with
CCIs in the future. The focus is not on maintaining an updated inventory
but on identifying what CCIs the federal government has supported in the
past and what kinds of TA have been provided in order to develop a tool
for the federal government. Mr. Weltz suggested that the group consider
tying the inventory with GIS mapping.

The Council voted to proceed with the action items proposed in the
Comprehensive Community Initiatives and Technical Assistance Inventory
Project "Update on Progress."

**Comprehensive Youth Development Pilot**

***Ron Ashford, Director, HOPE VI Community and Supportive Services,
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); Robin
Delany-Shabazz, Designated Federal Official, OJJDP, DOJ***

Mr. Ashford reported that The Partnership Project (TPP) grew out of the
Council retreat last fall. He thanked the working group members, who
include: Martha Moorehouse, Sarah Potter, Curtis Porter, Lisa Trivetts
(HHS); Ron Ashford and Maria Queen (HUD); Richard Morris, Gregg Weltz,
and Evan Rosenberg (DOL); John Foster-Bey (CNCS); Robin Delany-Shabazz
and Francesca Stern (DOJ); Suzanne LeMenestrel and Byron Garrett (USDA).

The goal of TPP is to build on the body of past and current work and
undertake targeted initiatives to enhance federal collaboration focusing
on at-risk youth. The project intends to elevate the practice of federal
partnership by establishing clear standards, expectations, measures, and
protocols for joint efforts. TPP consists of potentially three elements:
(1) Comprehensive Youth Development Pilot(s), (2) CCI and TA Inventory
Project, and (3) enhanced focus on and assessment of federal
collaboration projects including Shared Youth Vision (SYV), Federal
Mentoring Council, and Juvenile Justice Collaboration for Treatment
Improvement (a partnership led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration \[SAMHSA\]). TPP is intended to result in two
main products: coordination practice models and a coordination practice
guidebook that features a set of guiding principles and best practices
for federal coordination and collaboration practice---work designed to
ultimately improve youth outcomes.

Ms. Delany-Shabazz reported that the working group, which has been
meeting for months, requests guidance from the Council about whether to
move forward with the Comprehensive Youth Development Pilot. There may
be enough federal collaborations already in place (e.g., SYV, SAMHSA-led
project, 4--H/Military partnerships) from which the Council can learn
and develop the proposed TPP products. She said that many team members
believe that there are more efficient alternatives than going forward
with a pilot project; others believe that going ahead with the pilot in
conjunction with the other two TPP components would provide the best
opportunities for learning things that the existing collaborative
initiatives may not currently be structured to achieve. The question
before the Council is whether TPP should move forward with three
components or two. The working group proposed several options for the
Council to consider:

1.  Refer the matter back to the work team for further discussion and
    return of a consensus recommendation to the Council by the end of
    June.

2.  Direct the work team to implement the framework as articulated in
    the document (with three components) and continue with the selection
    and implementation of the Comprehensive Youth Development Pilot as
    part of TPP.

3.  Direct the work team to revise the framework to eliminate the
    Comprehensive Youth Development Pilot and to continue with the other
    two components.

4.  Develop more options.

Ms. Delany-Shabazz opened the floor for discussion.

Pam Rodriguez suggested taking what the agencies have already learned
from federal collaborative efforts, combining this wisdom with what is
learned from the CCI inventory and analysis, and using that information
to develop the practice model and practice guidebook. Once the model and
guidebook are developed, then the Council could implement the
Comprehensive Youth Development Pilot to test the model.

Ms. Delany-Shabazz responded that the idea was very interesting. She
then reminded Council members that the pilot project would not be
starting a new project at the local level. The Council would select a
site in which there is already a collaborative youth development effort
underway, and then Council agencies would work together to minimize
barriers for the local community to access federal resources.

Mr. Eisner said that he believes that, while studying and analyzing
partnerships is useful, the Council needs to go beyond this activity and
actually *practice* collaborative efforts that serve youth. He observed
that federal agencies tend to place a great deal of faith in best
practices and toolkits, when in fact what makes partnerships succeed is
having principals who have actually practiced *doing it.* He said that
the Council should be thinking of this project in terms of leadership
development, preparing agency staff to do partnerships in the future.

Jerry Regier asked whether SYV is already supported by the Council and
whether it would be an example of the Council's actually "doing
something." Ms. Delany-Shabazz responded that Council funds were
provided in 2005 to help start the project; since then there has been
continued staff involvement from all federal member agencies. Greg Weltz
added that SYV falls under an umbrella of activities in which the
Council has been intimately involved and has provided direct support.
The Council has played a significant role in staffing, financial
support, and leadership of SYV.

Mr. Regier asked whether SYV sites would address Mr. Eisner's concern
that the Council needs to be actively involved in "doing." Mr. Weltz
said that he believes that, through SYV activities, the federal partners
are "practicing the practice of collaboration" and "doing the work." In
addition, an outside third party will examine the collaborative models
implemented by the various states and identify best practices as well as
barriers to collaboration. The ultimate goal of this project is to learn
how the federal government can best support collaboration at the state
and local levels. Agency funds typically go to local sites in "silos,"
and the SYV partners are attempting coordinate these various funding
sources together under one vision.

Mr. Regier asked for a description of the three potential pilot sites
identified by the working group. Ms. Delany-Shabazz said that, while she
could not reveal the sites, she could say that they all meet certain
criteria including existing multiple-agency, multiple-sector
collaboration focused on at-risk youth. One of the sites probably
addresses Mr. Flores's request that projects serve youth who are at the
deepest end of the system and at the highest risk.

Mr. Regier commented that he likes the idea of working with SYV. The
Council has already put funds into it, the sites have been identified
through a competitive process, and they are already working together in
a collaborative way. He reminded Council members that he and some other
Council members are "time limited" in their ability to make an impact,
as there are 590 days until the end of this Administration. By working
with a project that has already gotten started, the Council will be able
to take advantage of this narrowing window of opportunity and to leave a
legacy.

Mr. Eisner asked if the pilot project must be one of the three sites
already identified or if the Council could build coordination around
something else. Ms. Delany-Shabazz responded that the purpose of this
project is to learn from previous and current comprehensive
collaborative efforts to document and establish a set of practices and
standards that will be shared across federal agencies. The working group
is looking at possible sources for that information, and there are
multiple sources: existing projects such as SYV, the SAMHSA
collaboration, Federal Mentoring Council, and 4--H/Military
partnerships; and information gleaned from the CCI and TA Inventory. The
question is whether to also move forward with the Comprehensive Youth
Development Pilot, which would serve as a new source of information.

Mr. Eisner reiterated that he believes the more the Council actually
does things rather than study things, the better. If the Council's goal
is to get something done, then the Council should actually do it.
However, if the long-term goal is to study things, then the Council
should probably study efforts that are already underway or efforts that
have been done in the past.

Mr. Ashford responded that the project has two purposes: (1) to look at
how the various Council agencies can work together effectively and (2)
to improve youth outcomes.

Judge Martin remarked that any new Administration, even one of the same
party, will want to make its own mark. The more that the Council can do
to institutionalize cooperation, the better.

Mr. Weltz observed that, as a career staff person and as part of the
leadership of one of the federal collaborative efforts, he too is
committed to institutionalizing collaboration. He gave credit to the
Bush Administration's emphasis on collaboration across the federal
government, going back to the White House Task Force's emphasis on
collaboration in support of the neediest youth. He said that some of the
federal collaborative efforts currently in place are moving in the
direction of institutionalizing collaboration, and he believes that the
agencies will continue to move in that direction.

Deborah Price observed that TPP has worthy goals, and she supports the
first two elements. She said that she is skeptical of moving forward
with the third element (the pilot project), because there are
significant collaborative youth development efforts already going on.
Rather than initiating new projects to review, she suggested looking at
existing projects and learning from those. In addition, she commented
that her agency is small and her staff has a high workload. She reminded
the Council of the need to be respectful of the workload of member
agency staffs when creating new projects.

Mr. Flores observed that Council members' comments suggest that, while
they are not opposed to doing a Comprehensive Youth Development Pilot,
they do not want to start a new one. He recommended that the Council
rule out considering a new pilot site. In addition, he observed that
work needs to be done to identify an existing site (the site could be
working perhaps with SVY, HUD, CNCS, HHS, or Justice) where youth
development efforts are positioned to reach the neediest youth. He
suggested directing staff to continue discussions, focusing on existing
multi-agency, multi-sector project(s) that target or can be expanded to
reach the highest-risk, neediest youth and to propose action steps to be
voted on at the September meeting. His hope is that the Council can take
concrete actions steps to improve outcomes---perhaps in job training,
providing alternative education, reducing truancy, etc.---beginning in
the last quarter of this calendar year.

Mr. Eisner concurred with the proposal and pointed out the need to shape
the initiative to meet the interests of all partners. He suggested that
one of the principals should contact other principals to find out what
is needed to get the support of all of member agencies. Mr. Flores said
that he would be happy to contact member agency principals to
investigate obstacles that might lie in the way of moving forward.

Mr. Regier said that he would support Mr. Flores's proposal. He remarked
that his comment about the timetable was not intended to separate
political appointees from career employees. His point was that some of
those at the table have only so many days left to work on this. Mr.
Flores said that he took Mr. Regier's comment as a reminder that the
Council needs to continue to build momentum and to provide sufficient
direction for senior career people to carry out the project. Ms.
Rodriguez observed that the personnel change that comes with a new
Administration is an important reality of partnering at the federal
level, particularly since relationships are how partnerships ultimately
succeed and are sustained.

Martha Moorehouse said that, from a staff perspective, Mr. Flores's
charge to ask the working group to clarify where the focus on the
neediest kids fits within the discussion of the various options is very
doable. In addition, she observed that, for many members of the working
group, the divide between "studying" and "doing" is bridged by SYV. SYV
is actively undertaking new collaborative activity, taking federal
collaboration to the state and now the local level.

The Council voted to direct the Comprehensive Youth Development Pilot
Project Working Group to continue discussions, focusing on existing
multi-agency, multi-sector project(s) that target or can be expanded to
reach the highest-risk, neediest youth and to propose action steps to be
voted on at the September meeting.

**Legislative, Program, and Council Activity Updates and Other
Business**

**Legislative Updates**

Mr. Flores referred attendees to the summary of pending legislation
distributed with the meeting materials. William Gibbons (practitioner
member) asked about the status of the Gang Abatement and Prevention Act.
Mr. Flores said that S. 456 may move forward during this legislative
session. Kathi Grasso, Senior Juvenile Justice Policy and Legal Advisor,
OJJDP, added that the Senate Judiciary Committee recently held hearings
on the bill. Mr. Flores said that DOJ will not take a position on the
bill until it is in more final form.

**HHS Updates**

Randy Muck (SAMHSA) reported on recent activities under the interagency
agreement between SAMHSA and OJJDP. He referred Council members to
documents in their meeting packets related to two activities under the
agreement: (1) Tribal Planning Forum on Juvenile Justice, Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Issues Report, and (2) Expert Panel on Juvenile
Justice and Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment.

Mr. Muck pointed out that SAMHSA and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
(RWJF) are collaborating with OJJDP to support OJJDP's 2007 Juvenile
Drug Courts solicitation. SAMHSA is contributing funds to support
treatment activities, RWJF will support technical assistance, and OJJDP
will support drug court formation and operation.

Maria Woolverton (Administration for Children and Families \[ACF\])
reported that ACF's Children's Bureau and Office of Planning, Research
and Evaluation are seeking partners interested in developing and
conducting an evaluation of a new supported housing program for youth
exiting foster care and juvenile justice in Philadelphia. She referred
attendees to a handout in the meeting packet for further information.

**Federal Mentoring Council**

David Eisner (CNCS) reported that a written update on activities of the
Federal Mentoring Council is included in the meeting packet.

**Report on Response to New Orleans**

***J. Robert Flores***

Mr. Flores reported on activities that have taken place since the March
2007 Council meeting. He has had ongoing discussions with agency
principals and staff about what the federal government is doing to serve
youth in New Orleans and how to enhance efforts. Mr. Flores sent a
letter to Judge David Bell (a presenter at the March meeting) on behalf
of the Council, offering TA on building a model detention space for
juveniles. To date, he has not received a response from Judge Bell. Mr.
Flores also met with Louisiana state officials about this issue.

He and staff determined that the most useful thing the Council can do is
to inform those living and working in New Orleans and other parishes
about existing federally funded youth-serving programs in these parishes
and how to access them.

Mr. Flores introduced Dan Vogel (Deputy Policy Director for Chairman Don
Powell, President Bush's appointee to oversee long-term building efforts
on the Gulf Coast), who previously asked Council agencies to identify
the dollars they have invested in New Orleans (annual appropriations as
well as special hurricane-relief dollars). OJJDP staff inventoried
Council agencies and identified 63 programs on the staging site. Agency
staff are collecting the following data on these programs to help
parents and professionals at the local level: federal agency, grantee,
service provider, program name, contact name and phone number, physical
address, service area. This information will be posted on a Web site
that will go live on July 1, and eventually the information will be
linked to a map. To date, efforts have focused on Orleans Parish, but
the goal is to expand the effort to include three other parishes in the
Gulf Coast region. For the foreseeable future, Council funds will be
used to maintain the site.

Mr. Flores asked Council members to notify Robin Delany-Shabazz whether
they will provide missing data from their agency on these programs
(particularly data on programs funded by formula and block grants
disbursed through the states) or whether they will empower the Council
to collect this data through contractors. In addition, the project is
collecting information for Chairman Powell about how much money each
agency is sending to New Orleans and in which programs. This information
will help the federal government understand where moneys are going,
identify gaps, and promote transparency. Mr. Flores asked Council
members to send Ms. Delany-Shabazz the name of their agency's state
contact person who can provide additional detailed budget information
(particularly on annual appropriations).

Judge Martin commented that transparency is important, and this effort
is a very useful undertaking.

Judge Martin referred Council members to the minutes of the March
Council meeting, which list Judge Bell's requests on behalf of Orleans
Parish. He asked about the status of agencies' responses to the various
requests. He asked whether the TA mentioned by Mr. Flores would be
sufficient to help rebuild the detention facility. Mr. Flores said that
the funds will come from block/formula grants, which pass through the
governor's office. He has met with state officials to review their
juvenile justice needs and has discussed with his staff what OJJDP can
provide. State and local officials have been discussing how to design
the detention center, and there is not unanimity on how to proceed. They
are looking at so many needs that their decisionmaking process has been
slowed. Judge Martin suggested that the Council might minimize criticism
regarding the slow federal response by giving New Orleans officials a
June 30 deadline to specify what they want, so that the issue could be
discussed during the Council's July conference call.

Mr. Eisner agreed. He observed that decisions are not being made. He
finally instructed his staff at CNCS to "hit the deployment button." He
observed that, if federal agencies continue to wait for local
decisionmaking, resources will not be deployed.

Mr. Vogel reminded Council members that the information that Mr. Flores
has requested from the agencies is very important to ensure that the
federal government is providing the most effective, appropriate response
to the needs. It is clear that a lot of federal money is not being well
spent (for example, much of it is sitting in Baton Rouge), so it is
important to analyze where the money is now and how to deploy it more
effectively.

Deborah Price said that ED has allocated pre-Katrina funds as well as
post-Katrina money to Louisiana and Orleans Parish. She asked Mr. Vogel
for clarification on the information that he is seeking. He said that
his office has a good accounting of the \$110 billion Katrina-specific
funds, and they are trying to learn more about ongoing federal
appropriations. Ms. Price said that it will be more difficult for her
agency to identify all of the discretionary grants in that area, whereas
formula grants are fairly straightforward. Mr. Flores asked Ms. Price to
identify the appropriate person in ED for him to contact about these
questions, and Ms. Price said that she would find out the answer to
this.

Mr. Gibbons echoed concerns previously voiced about slow decisionmaking.
He said that it is important for the Council to continue to move forward
on this. He expressed concern that no progress has been made on the top
priority identified at the March meeting (detention center) and said
that it is important to keep the pressure on everyone involved to move
this project forward. He suggested placing an item on the next Council
meeting agenda to report on (1) progress made on the detention center
and (2) juvenile crime trends in New Orleans.

Mr. Flores responded that legally OJJDP is not in the position to force
state and local officials to make a decision about how they want to
proceed. OJJDP will continue to press them, but at the same time it has
to be careful not to needlessly antagonize them. He said that he will
continue to report progress to the Council.

Ms. Rodriguez said that she agreed with Mr. Eisner's proactive approach.
She suggested finding strategies other than waiting for the people of
New Orleans to be whole enough to initiate the decisions themselves. For
example, "We'll come down and do this for you, unless you tell us no."

Ms. Rodriguez suggested reversing the order of the data elements
presented in the spreadsheet for posting on the Web. For community
members, it would be most helpful to list the community and program name
first and the federal agency last.

Judge Martin asked Ron Ashford whether HUD could implement the request
listed in the March minutes (transfer or lease of a HUD-controlled site
to the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court for emergency shelter and
transitional housing) without getting the permission of city and state
officials. Mr. Ashford said that HUD has had some discussions with Judge
Bell and he hopes to report back to the Council at the next meeting. Mr.
Vogel said that this is a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
issue.

Mr. Vogel then updated the Council on two issues. (1) The city does have
a temporary detention facility for youth for the summer. DOJ and FEMA
worked together to find the resources and the space. (2) FEMA will
provide funds to build a new juvenile detention facility. He said that,
now, the ball is in the court of city and state officials to move this
process forward.

Mr. Gibbons suggested inviting Judge Bell back to the next Council
meeting to get a progress report from his perspective.

Mr. Eisner observed that collaboration happens very successfully when
there is an urgent need to be met. It is clear that there is an urgent
need in New Orleans and a large population of disadvantaged, high-risk
youth. He suggested that the Council consider selecting New Orleans as a
site.

Mr. Flores responded to a written question from a member of the
audience, "How will the New Orleans database be integrated into the
Helping America's Youth (HAY) Community Guide and mapping tool?" He
responded that information gathered on New Orleans youth programs will
be forwarded to HHS, which manages the HAY tool, so that they can add
the appropriate pieces to the HAY Web site.

**Adjournment**

Mr. Flores thanked Council members for attending and thanked members of
his staff who helped prepare for the meeting. The meeting was adjourned
at 1:05 p.m.