Transition Center

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

The Transition Center (TC) was founded in 2009 and is a resource and referral center located at the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center (JJC) that provides resource and referral support services to youth released from detention. The TC is a multi-disciplinary team comprised of the Alameda County Probation Department, Alameda County Department of Public Health, Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services, Alameda County Office of Education and Oakland Unified School District. The mission is to empower youth to lead healthy, safe, and successful lives by connecting them and their caregivers to community based organizations which provide alternatives and supportive environments. The vision is that all Alameda County juvenile justice system involved youth and their caregivers will thrive through receiving community supports at release from detention to be healthier, safer, and successful in their community. Approximately seven youth are seen daily upon release at the TC with each receiving a 90 minute discharge interview. As a result, a discharge protocol from juvenile detention is developed and provides a window of opportunity to connect families with service referrals as they wait for youth to be released. The TC has an estimated budget of $1.2 million, co-funded by TC partners. Staff from these public agencies are co-located at the Juvenile Justice Center.