Organizational structure

The office of youth services shall be composed of such divisions and sections as are deemed necessary by the director to: (1) Provide diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation services for all youths referred to services provided by the office or placed in the office's custody by the family court; (2) Provide supervision and counseling services for youth in shelter or correctional facilities under the office's jurisdiction, including community-based facilities; (3) Provide educational, vocational-educational, and other programs to effectively occupy the time of the youth placed in a facility under the office's jurisdiction which promote the development of self-esteem and useful skills to prepare youths in becoming productive members of the community; (4) Provide continuous program planning, development, and coordination of youth services, including the coordination with other government and private social service agencies that work with youths to ensure that a full-range of programs is available and that such programs are consistent with the policy of this chapter and are not unnecessarily duplicative or conflicting; (5) Provide prevention services to include a comprehensive intake/assessment and information/referral system throughout the State which shall access services to youth and their families; (6) Provide a case management system based on the individual needs of youth which shall provide for in-depth client assessment, appropriate service planning, and client advocacy; (7) Provide for the implementation of chapter 352, youth correctional facilities and other needed correctional services, including ensuring that these facilities and services meet the present and future needs of youth under the jurisdiction of the youth correctional facilities; (8) Facilitate the development of and, when appropriate, provide for training programs for persons offering services to youth at risk; (9) Provide for technical assistance and consultation to providers and potential providers; (10) Seek, apply for, and encourage the use of all federal funds for youth services and facilitate the coordination of federal, state, and local policies concerning services for youth; (11) Prepare and submit an annual report to the governor and the legislature. This report shall include, but not be limited to, a review of the status of youth services within the State, recommendations for priorities for the development and coordination of youth services; and (12) Monitor, evaluate, and audit all grants under chapter 42F, and purchase of services under chapter 103F which relate to the office of youth services.