Barberton
Ohio
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Barberton Youth Division
Mission Statement
The Barberton Youth Division was established in 1999 under the authority of the Summit County Juvenile Court, and is a voluntary community-based diversionary program for juvenile law offenders. The main purpose of the Youth Division is to conduct hearings on cases involving juveniles on a local level as an alternative to a referral to Juvenile Court. Hearings are conducted by the Juvenile Diversion Specialist.
Services
Sharing of information with the school the participant attends. This means we would discuss behavior at school, grade, absences, tardies, in or out of school suspensions, drug or alcohol use and any other issues that may arise with teachers, counselors, and administrators at our discretion. We may also require that the participant bring in a weekly progress report from his/her teachers, in order to follow grades closely and offer help when needed.
Random drug screens could be administered by an outside agency. If we believe the participant to have a drug or alcohol problem or participant was arrested because of a drug or alcohol offense, random drug screens would be required at the request of the Diversion Specialist or Juvenile Officer. The screen would be at the parent's/guardian's expense. If we believe the participant to have a drug or alcohol problem, we may at that time make a referral for an assessment. If the assessment shows an ongoing use of drugs or alcohol, we would notify the parents, who would be responsible for obtaining treatment. Treatment would also be at the parent’s expense. We would be able to assist in finding an appropriate treatment facility.
Sharing of information with outside agencies. A release of information will be signed by parents/guardians and participants. This will allow us to share information with other agencies such as counselors, drug and alcohol treatment centers and any other agency we make a referral.
In Diversion, there is a three-strike policy established by the Summit County Juvenile Court. If a participant is arrested while in diversion, the arrest will be reviewed and may result in the original arrest and the subsequent offense being sent to Juvenile Court. A third arrest will result in a transfer to the Juvenile Court.
The success of the Diversion Program is contingent upon the cooperation of the Juvenile Officer, Diversion Specialist, and the parents/guardians. Lack of cooperation may be defined as missing scheduled appointments, refusing to follow referrals, persistent calls or letters that are never answered. If we, as a team, agree that the participant no longer wants to participate in diversion, the case will be sent to Juvenile Court and will no longer be able to participate in the Diversion Program.
If the community service hours are given at the hearing, they must be completed before the case can be closed. A proof of hours is required. At the hearing, a description of what is appropriate for service will be given.
One of the rules of Diversion is obeying all laws set at home. Please feel free to contact us if anything inappropriate is happening at home. If we hear nothing, we assume that everything is going well. If we have concerns regarding your child, we will notify you.
The Barberton Youth Division was established in 1999 under the authority of the Summit County Juvenile Court, and is a voluntary community-based diversionary program for juvenile law offenders. The main purpose of the Youth Division is to conduct hearings on cases involving juveniles on a local level as an alternative to a referral to Juvenile Court. Hearings are conducted by the Juvenile Diversion Specialist.
Services
Sharing of information with the school the participant attends. This means we would discuss behavior at school, grade, absences, tardies, in or out of school suspensions, drug or alcohol use and any other issues that may arise with teachers, counselors, and administrators at our discretion. We may also require that the participant bring in a weekly progress report from his/her teachers, in order to follow grades closely and offer help when needed.
Random drug screens could be administered by an outside agency. If we believe the participant to have a drug or alcohol problem or participant was arrested because of a drug or alcohol offense, random drug screens would be required at the request of the Diversion Specialist or Juvenile Officer. The screen would be at the parent's/guardian's expense. If we believe the participant to have a drug or alcohol problem, we may at that time make a referral for an assessment. If the assessment shows an ongoing use of drugs or alcohol, we would notify the parents, who would be responsible for obtaining treatment. Treatment would also be at the parent’s expense. We would be able to assist in finding an appropriate treatment facility.
Sharing of information with outside agencies. A release of information will be signed by parents/guardians and participants. This will allow us to share information with other agencies such as counselors, drug and alcohol treatment centers and any other agency we make a referral.
In Diversion, there is a three-strike policy established by the Summit County Juvenile Court. If a participant is arrested while in diversion, the arrest will be reviewed and may result in the original arrest and the subsequent offense being sent to Juvenile Court. A third arrest will result in a transfer to the Juvenile Court.
The success of the Diversion Program is contingent upon the cooperation of the Juvenile Officer, Diversion Specialist, and the parents/guardians. Lack of cooperation may be defined as missing scheduled appointments, refusing to follow referrals, persistent calls or letters that are never answered. If we, as a team, agree that the participant no longer wants to participate in diversion, the case will be sent to Juvenile Court and will no longer be able to participate in the Diversion Program.
If the community service hours are given at the hearing, they must be completed before the case can be closed. A proof of hours is required. At the hearing, a description of what is appropriate for service will be given.
One of the rules of Diversion is obeying all laws set at home. Please feel free to contact us if anything inappropriate is happening at home. If we hear nothing, we assume that everything is going well. If we have concerns regarding your child, we will notify you.