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The Justice Journal

The Voice of Pinal County Juvenile Court Services

May 2019

What is EFFECTIVE leadership? How do we, as leaders in this organization, encourage and motivate staff to be the best they

can be? “Open minded, role modeling, good-listener, servant, etc…..”

People know effective leaders when they see them. What are the qualities in a highly effective leader? How about we

“INSPIRE ACTION”? We can do this by working to clear away the roadblocks that hold staff back and inspire creativity and

initiative which can unleash a tremendous amount of energy in the process. OR, let’s be OPTIMISTIC. We all want to work

with and for people who lift us up into the clouds instead of

dragging us down.

If we seek out the positives in people and help them overcome

feelings of self-doubt, we can spread optimism throughout the

organization.

INTEGRITY, being honest, fair, candid and forthright.

SUPPORT OUR TEAMS – provide an organizational environ-

ment that makes it safe for folks to take risk, tell the truth and

feel comfortable speaking up.

Be CONFIDENT within ourselves and our team. Confident

that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. If

we are confident, our staff will be to.

How about COMMUNICATION? – Knowledge is power. This means two way communication between managers and employ-

ees, actively soliciting their ideas for improvement and rewarding employees.

One last thing … be DECISIVE. Making decisions quickly when circumstances require it or making informed decisions.

It is possible for all of us to be effective leaders in this organization. Inspire employees to give their very best every day of the

week. Let’s challenge ourselves and make it a point of practicing these leadership traits!

Michelle Lunn has joined our department as the Probation Division Manager. Michelle has over 25 years of experience in the Juvenile Justice field. Her experience includes managing community super-vision, juvenile detention and staff development. She is well versed in Evidence Based Practices and Juvenile Justice improvement. Michelle has been honored with various awards during her career in Maricopa County. Most notably and more recently, Michelle was Supervisor of the Year award in both 2011 and 2017.

Michelle was recently selected by The Carey Group (TCG) to represent that organization as a training consultant. While this is an excellent opportunity for Michelle as she strengthens her career in the Juve-nile Justice field, I see her role with TCG as advantageous for this organization in some fashion.

In Michelle’s spare time she enjoys travelling (her favorite place is Colorado), working out and she enjoys eating good food! She is looking forward to meeting everyone and learning all about Pinal County Juvenile Court! Please stop by Michelle’s office and introduce yourself.

New Division Manager Joins Team

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Staff from Pinal County Juvenile Court Services recently toured Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections (Abode Mountain School). Currently Pinal County has seven juveniles at Adobe Mountain School, all of whom seemed actively engaged in daily pro-gramming. Staff was able to observe daily operations which effectively ties in education, behavioral management and treatment in preparation for future success. A total of 14 staff took part in this educational opportunity.

Education: Adobe Mountain School is accredited and offers the standard high school curriculum. All youth are enrolled in the high school program, leading to a high school diploma. As part of the high school program, youth are assigned classes based upon their readiness for that grade-level work and their credit needs. Classes include academic education, Career Technical Education (CTE), and credit recovery. Each student is screened and assessed and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is created or updated for qualify-ing students. Special education students are placed in classes designed to meet their needs and are team taught by a classroom teacher and special education teacher. Adobe Mountain School is also a designated GED test site.

Behavioral management: Youth behavior management is a process that ensures the safety and security of youth, staff, and other persons at Adobe Mountain School. In addition, it ensures an undisrupted environ-ment in which all youth services can be effectively provided. Each day is operated through a highly struc-tured, disciplined, and organized program schedule. Throughout the day, correctional staff monitor and manage youth movement within the complex and a wide variety of work sites. In addition, ADJC utilizes Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) as a framework for providing behavioral support for youth socially, emotionally, and academically. PBIS is evidence-based, with multiple and varied approaches.

Treatment programs: Offered are evidence-based and proven effective with delinquent juveniles including aggression replace-ment training (anger management), dialectical behavior therapy (emotional regulation), seven challenges (substance abuse), stages of accomplishment (sexual maladaptive therapy), sex trafficking awareness and recovery, victim offender dialogue, and temporary stabilization unit (safety).

Abode Mountain was helpful in answering all staff questions, provided an opportunity to engage with Pinal County kids during the tour, and provided a sample of the delicious food that’s cooked on site. This author toured Adobe Mountain Five years prior and found tremendous efforts have been made to prepare juveniles for future success.

By Thomas Russell

CORE Event in San Tan Valley Draws Crowd

Juvenile Court Services and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department hosted the 2nd

CORE event in the San Tan Valley area in early May. Hundreds of families showed

up to visit lots of booths, have some free food and enjoy activities.

In between bouncy houses and free hot

dogs, the kids got to put their

“chalking” skills to use by decorating

the sidewalks.

CASA staff (Pam Burke, Jodi Wheeler, Donna

McBride & John Fuery) enjoyed the day. Director

Denise Smith stopped by to meet some of our

“youngest” volunteers.

Sheriff Mark Lamb and Director Denise

Smith take time to do some quick interviews

on social media during the event.

Thanks to the organizational skills of our own

Lorraine Hart, the event was a huge success!

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CASA OF PINAL COUNTY CELEBRATES 30 YEARS

CASA celebrated their 30th Anniversary on April 14th at Robson Ranch. There were approximately 200 people throughout the evening that honored our advocates for their thousands of hours of volunteer effort on behalf of abused and neglected children

Arizona Supreme Court JusticeScott Bales provided a welcome with Keynote Speaker Judge William “Bill” O’Neil following. Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Families Director Maria Fuentes also honored our advocates.

It was great to have retired Juvenile Judge Gilbert Figueroa along with Judge Daniel Washburn and Judge Kevin White supporting the CASA advocates. Past employees, like Greg Clark, was even on hand. This event was a year in the making, with our CASA

staff working extra hours, in addition to their regular duties, to make this a special celebration.

It could not have been done without the sponsorships of our Community Advisory Board (CAB), along with several local groups and businesses who funded the entire event. What a way to celebrate 30 years of advocacy and National Volunteer Month!

*A special welcome to Roseanna Jacobson and Emily Belloc who have joined the CASA team recently!*

The Justice Journal

A quarterly publication of

Pinal County Juvenile Court Services.

Editor: Donna McBride

Ideas for Stories?

Submit to Donna McBride DMcBride@courts.az.gov

Grand Canyon University student Luis Garcia recently completed his intern-

ship with Juvenile Court Services. He had the opportunity to spend quality

time with a number of staff who gave him a great overview of our department

and the many avenues of the juvenile justice system. Thanks to everyone who

took time to share your knowledge, passion and insight with him. Luis shared:

“The internship was a very positive and fruitful learning experience that I will

carry with me as I move forward to other endeavors. I saw a bigger and

brighter future of the men and women of the Pinal County Juvenile Court Ser-

vices. I say this because I saw first-hand their deep concern for the safety and

welfare of children.

To that end, their focus is centered on community

safety and the wellbeing of the children who live

there. Many of the individuals I came in contact with

during my internship demonstrated a style of servant

-leadership beneficial to their charges in their own

special way.”

By Donna McBride

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Each newsletter we will be giving staff the opportunity to acknowledge each other for going the “extra” mile to help out, do something nice and show teamwork. This first request brought in some great ones. Keep them coming!

Kudos to two intake staff; Brianna Smith and Oscar Peace. Brianna and Oscar identified a past potential victim of sex traffick-

ing and emailed information to me to ensure there was follow through. Brianna completed the checklist assessment form thor-

oughly to ensure the child did not fall through the cracks, Oscar identified further red flags. I appreciate their continued diligence

in ensuring juveniles at risk, confirmed or suspected victims of potential sex trafficking are followed up on when they enter the

door of intake. By Stacie Blackburn

Kudos to Lorraine Hart for all of the hard work she put into making the second San Tan Valley Community Outreach Event

(CORE) a success! Lorraine did an incredible job reaching out to organizations in the community to increase engagement and

participation. We received many compliments about how organized and well-run the events have been and that is in large

part due to Lorraine's efforts. She did a tremendous job collaborating with and supporting PCSO to bring the San Tan Valley

community together for another fantastic event. Well done, Lorraine! By Cory Jacobs

Kudos to John Fuery who shows true teamwork. He rolls up his sleeves to help CASA move boxes, furniture, gets the cars

fixed—all while doing administrative “stuff” that needs to get done. You are appreciated! By Donna McBride

Kudos to Kathy Barrientos for stepping up to cover front desk. In addition to her regular duties, she was available to help peo-

ple in person and on the phone. Kathy also caught up the filing in central all while completing her regular duties, and mostly with

a smile. By Beverly Smith

Kudos to Jodi Wheeler who is always ready to lend a hand and help out without complaint. By Cristy Martinez

Kudos to Laura Bedell who developed processes and instructions to easily assist any position in purchasing supplies using E1,

recruiting new employees and any payroll need. Laura goes above and beyond for every employee and takes the time to make

sure she is assisting to the fullest, she without hesitation took the initiative to help me prepare over 100 “Identifying Drivers”

cards when she noticed I needed assistance. As the front line and face of JCS to future employees for recruitment she is always

going the extra mile researching any questions. By Cayla Gonzales

Kudos to June Wilson for helping organize the Salsa Competition. You are the “go to” organizer for office potlucks and while

some of us can’t always join the fun, I want you to know you are appreciated! By Donna McBride

Kudos to the CASA staff who worked so hard to provide a wonderful evening in recognition of 30 years of CASA. The longer I am involved, I am even more convinced of the importance of a CASA in a child’s life. By Sande Hamberg, Advocate

For the last 2 months, Kathy Barrientos left her regular stations in YJC and AJ in order to fill in at the Florence front desk 3-4 days per week. She was a great help, as we were short-staffed during that time. We appreciate her willingness to assist us! Thanks Kathy! By Sheley Beck

Kudos to Cayla Gonzales for her dedication in efforts on Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking. Cayla assisted in building a database

to track information for probation, AOC, trainings, DCS and Law Enforcement regarding information on potential victims of

sex trafficking. The database provides probation officers, who are part of the Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking Team, a place to

log ongoing information on a case, the information can then be used to assist Law Enforcement and to share information. Thank

you Cayla! By Stacie Blackburn

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Please join us in welcoming our newest Juvenile Detention Officers at the Youth Justice Center!

David Flores, Detention Officer

David joins us from the Superior Court of Pinal County, where he served as a Bailiff for the past 4 yrs. A

native of California, he enjoys spending his free time working out and with his kids. For David, the best

part of his job is “being able to interact with the youth daily and being a positive role model”.

Jaime Cota, Detention Officer Jaime returns to the YJC team. Jaime comes back to us with great experience, having worked both Pima and Pinal Juvenile Detention Centers. Jaime is an Arizona native and a huge U of A fan! Go CATS! He enjoys spending his free time working out, and competing in CrossFit competitions, traveling and spending time with his wife and kids. For Jaime, the best part of his job and reason for coming back is “getting to work with the kids again and his detention team”.

Shontia Rushing, Detention Officer Shontia is returning to Pinal County after serving 13 yrs., of active duty with the United States Navy. She is now active with the US Navy Reserve and is an Arizona native. She enjoys spending her free time with her two kids, traveling around the world, attending sporting events and playing basketball. For Shontia, the best part of her job is “working with the youth and offering the guidance some of them lack”.

Valerie Grosl, Detention Officer Valerie joins the YJC team after working as a detention officer, both adult/juvenile, with the Gila River Indi-an Community since 2008. Valerie is not an Arizona native but calls Arizona her home. She enjoys spend-ing her free time with her “Adult” kids, and especially her two grandkids. She also enjoys gardening, riding her motorcycle, snowboarding, traveling and working out. For Valerie, the best part of her job is “the kids and telling them they can be anything they want to BE”.

Congrats to Viky Mares on her recent graduation!

Kids at Hope Poster Winner

Tomy S. recently was selected

with the winning entry.

Congratulations!

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Pinal County Juvenile Court Services, in cooperation with the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), hosted a statewide De-tention Screening Instrument (DSI) training event on March 6, 2019. Fifty-three officers and administrators from twelve of Arizo-na’s fifteen counties were present.

It was an honor for Pinal County to be a small part of this large collaborative effort. The counties represented included: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mojave, Navajo, Pima, Santa Cruz and Yavapai. Nine of the counties in at-tendance had yet to implement the state DSI tool, while others had been utilizing the tool since its initial implementation in 2015 (Cochise, Gila and Pima).

The goal of the training was twofold; first to get the counties not currently utilizing the DSI trained so they can start using the tool to replace the various local detention admission screening instruments that existed previously, and second, for those counties cur-rently utilizing the tool to be consistent in their application/usage.

The content of the training addressed: the DSI’s implementation, how to properly score and assess youth, use of overrides and ex-amination of DSI scores through hands-on exercises associated with new delinquent referrals and technical violations of probation. The day was filled with thoughtful content, questions and discussions by all in attendance. Counties are embracing the values and core principles of reducing conditions of confinement and have begun developing alternatives to detention and evaluating probation and detention practices.

Special thanks go out to the AOC who co-sponsored the event and provided lunch. We would also like to express gratitude to Jen-nifer Ortiz and Cayla Gonzales for coordinating the logistics of the event. Lastly, we would like to convey a great deal of gratitude for the “voluntold” presenters Louis Bedoya, Andy Silvas, Mike Faust and Celena Angstead!

By Mike Faust

Pinal County Juvenile Court Services Hosts Statewide DDSI Training

Department Happenings

Elizabeth Demge, Ashley Flores, Mark Amado, and Karen Shogren attended the Law Related Education Training for Juvenile Pro-bation in April. Sponsored by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education in association with the Arizona Bar Founda-tion, training participants were able to develop an understanding of Law-Related Education and the LRE’s Best Practices. By using this knowledge, officers will be able to create lesson plans following the LRE’s best practices, actively engage youth in those lessons and activities and ultimately have a more positive impact on the community and the youth of Pinal County.

On April 13th Cristy Martinez and Karen Shogren represented JCS at the Florence Eggs-travaganza Resource Fair. Approximately 1500 community members came out to enjoy a beautiful day and learn about resources that are available to them while celebrating Easter with the kids! Cristy and Karen were on hand to spread the word about all the services JCS has to offer including Victim Ser-vices, CASA, and our new Mentoring program currently in development. The kids loved the Easter eggs filled with candy and the coloring books!

By Elaine Bridschge

The Community Advisory Board

(CAB) held their Mock Trial Com-

petition with 16 middle school and

high school teams in March. Compe-

tition was fierce with Casa Grande

Middle School taking top honors in

the Varsity Division.

The CAB recently held their annual Character Counts Essay Contest with over 2,600 entries being submitted from students (K-12). Judge Daniel Washburn addressed nearly 100 teachers and family members at the Award Ceremony at the Pinal County Superior Courthouse on May 14th.

Community Advisory Board (CAB) Has Successful Events

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