Governor McAuliffe Announces Contracts Awarded for Treatment Services and Juvenile Correction Center Alternatives

Statement

Governor McAuliffe today announced that the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) has awarded contracts to two experienced service coordination agencies to develop a statewide continuum of evidence-based treatment services and alternatives to placement in state operated juvenile correctional centers. The two agencies awarded the contracts are AMIkids (AMI) and Evidence Based Associates (EBA), and will assist in the transformation of Virginia's juvenile justice system.

"Transforming Virginia's juvenile justice system toward community support networks and positive behavior reform has been a top priority of this administration since it began," said Governor McAuliffe. "Far too often, a young person's opportunity for treatment and rehabilitation depends on where they live or where they go to court. The award of these contracts and the development of a statewide system of services will help us tackle this problem of "justice by geography' and ensure that, when young people get in trouble, they have access to the right kind of help and resources. I commend the Department of Juvenile Justice for their hard work on this issue and appreciate the strong bi-partisan support for reinvesting savings from facility downsizing toward developing these services and interventions."

The initial work of the contracts will involve identifying existing treatment capacity, developing new treatment capacity, and building the infrastructure necessary for referrals, coordination, billing, and performance measurement. AMI will coordinate services in the southern and eastern regions of Virginia, while EBA will coordinate services in the northern, central, and western regions of Virginia. Service delivery will begin in 2017.

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