Platte County Juvenile Office

Area Served: Platte County

Program Description: Community service program is structured so that youth learn accountability for behavior and responsibility for self and the community. Youth learn basic workplace expectations, gain employment skills and provide services to not-for-profit agencies. The program also provides the Juvenile Officer an opportunity to assess the youth and the need for further intervention. The Juvenile Restitution Repayment Program requires youth to compensate their victims by working community service sites and receiving credit at the rate of the current minimum wage.The amount earned is paid to the victim to reimburse their verified losses.

Area Served: Platte County

Program Description: Educational program that teaches young people how to resolve conflict without violence. Program focuses on teaching skills that enables the youth to choose alternatives to violence. Parent participation is required.

Additional Program Information

Program Description: Custody/Visitation Mediation provides mediation services to parents to help them resolve problems relating to custody and visitation, that when left unresolved often lead to difficulty in establishing or paying child support and/or visitations that are not conducive for the child's welfare.

Additional Program Information

Area Served: Platte County

Program Description: In-Home Detention/Electronic Monitoring is an alternative to secure detention. Electronic monitoring provides 24 hour monitoring of youth; an ankle bracelet is worn. The youth may attend school unsupervised, but cannot leave home without adult supervision. In-home detention is Court ordered and provides an opportunity for the Juvenile Officer to assess the youth's attitude and ability to adhere to rules of probation.

A locked, secure detention facility does not exist in Platte County. Such services are provided by agreement with the Clay County Juvenile Detention Center. Youth are placed in a secure facility under court order because they have allegedly violated the law, are a danger to the community, or may flee the jurisdiction of the Court.
Detention Location - Map

Area Served: Platte County

Program Description: Program services include education to K-12 graders and the community on the consequences of choosing crime. Educational booklets, flyers, a video on the juvenile justice system and Puey the “Crime Stinks” skunk are utilized at school and community events to increase participation in crime prevention.

ONE CHANCE MANY CHOICES - PROGRAM VIDEO

Area Served: Platte County

Program Description: Drug screens and educational services are provided to youth age 12-17 that are referred for drug or alcohol related offenses or have been assessed as at risk for substance abuse. Youth are required to attend a 2 hour education class plus a 6 hour teen baseline training program. Parents of the youth are required to attend a 2 hour parent education class. The youth and parents receive information on drugs and alcohol as well as participate in a self-assessment of their attitudes toward illegal substances.

Program Description: Drug Screens are available on-site for youth referred to the juvenile office.

Area Served: Platte County

Program Description: Community based diversion program for first time offenders. The 120-150 day diversion program allows intervention as an alternative to court adjudication. Services include monetary restitution, community service, required parent/youth participation in an adolescent/parent education program, drug prevention program, anger control program and other services as needed.

Additional Program Information

Area Served: Platte County

Program Description: Parents who are divorced or who were never married to each other and are separated are offered up to four hours of free mediation services with a trained mediator for the purpose of resolving disputes about visitation, custody, child support and other issues related to their children.

Additional Program Information

Area Served: Platte County

Program Description: Area mental health and/or substance abuse professionals provide assessments to determine the course of treatment services that would be conducive for the youth’s successful completion of supervision; either formal or informal probation. As deemed necessary based upon the assessments, the youth and their family receive the necessary out patient treatment services by an appropriate specialized professional.

Additional Program Information

Area Served: Platte County

Program Description: Parent/Adolescent Mediation program is a voluntary method of dispute resolution that involves the use of a trained mediator to assist offenders and their parents in reaching a mutually satisfying agreement. The agenda for mediation is determined by the needs of the adolescent and parent.

Additional Program Information

Formal probation occurs when a juvenile is placed on court ordered probation subject to conditions that the judge deems reasonable.

Reports By Youth

Informal probation/Informal Adjustment is the care and treatment of a juvenile without formal court action. This is a voluntary proceeding requiring the consent of the juvenile officer, the juvenile, and the juvenile’s custodian. Informal handling can include supervision, community service, monetary restitution, referrals to appropriate treatment/behavior programs and other programs as needed.

Area Served: Clay, Platte & Ray Counties

Program Description: Program funded by the Clay/Platte/Ray Mental Health Board and administered by the Clay County Juvenile Office. Program offers crisis residential services (up to 90 days) for children referred to the juvenile office. Youth must be assessed to be emotionally disturbed or have other severe behavioral problems. Service allows intervention as an alternative to court adjudication.

Area Served: Platte County

Program Description: Program seeks to address the problems of shoplifting. Youth receive comprehensive and accurate information about all aspects of shoplifting. Education provides the framework for behavior changes to occur.

It has been a practice to encourage education within the Platte County Juvenile Office. To further that practice, this agency has been utilized as an internship setting for students over the past years. Students from Central Missouri State University, Missouri Western State College, Park University, University of Kansas School of Social Welfare, and Truman University, have completed internships in the past. This service to the various institutions of higher learning provides an opportunity to enhance the education of their students, as well as an opportunity for this agency to provide more services to youth.

The Supervised Visitation and Exchange Program helps ensure protection and safety for children while providing the benefits of contact with parents by supervising access with the non-custodial parent. Families who have experienced family conflict associated with separation and divorce may qualify for the program. Additionally families dealing with abuse allegations may also qualify for the program. Volunteers help monitor and document visits.

The supervised exchange program provides a neutral place where parents can drop off and pick up their children.

The parents of the children have little or no contact with one another and the children are supervised during transition.

Additional Program Information

Area Served: Platte County

Program Description: The Truancy Program is designed to improve the attendance of students that fail to attend school on a regular basis. Once placed in the program, attendance is monitored daily. Additional resources and other programs within the juvenile office are utilized based upon the need of the individual student.

Additional Program Information

Program Description: Victim/Offender Mediation helps the adolescents in their accountability for their behaviors as well as offers an avenue for the victim’s understanding and participation in the juvenile justice system. A trained mediator is utilized to meet with the victim and the offender. If the victim is another juvenile, parent’s participation may be included.

It is the philosophy of Platte County Juvenile Office to provide services to victims of the youth referred for delinquent offenses. It is a part of the accountability by the offender that restitution be made to the victim, when appropriate through monetary payment and/or community service hours. The statutory basis for restitution is found in Section 211.185 RSMo.