Resources Library

The National Center for Youth Law shares its learning and experience to assist people in our efforts to support and empower youth. Browse our research and resources.

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Supporting the Mental Health of Youth in Juvenile Court – Resource Guide and Bench Cards

Supporting the Mental Health of Youth in Juvenile Court – Resource Guide and Bench Cards

Up to 80 percent of youth in foster care have significant mental health issues as compared to approximately 22 percent of youth in the general population. Up to 70 percent of youth who touch the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health issue.
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Senate Bill 439 (2018) Implementation Guide

Senate Bill 439 (2018) Implementation Guide

Under SB 439, counties must develop a process for determining the least restrictive responses that may be used instead of or in addition to the release of the child to their parent, guardian, or caregiver.
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Antelope Valley Community Resource Guide

Antelope Valley Community Resource Guide

The National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) has compiled a Community Resource Guide of available programming and services for young people in the Antelope Valley region of Los Angeles County.
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Primer for Juvenile Court Judges: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Judicial Decision-Making for Newcomer Immigrant Youth in Juvenile Justice Proceedings

Primer for Juvenile Court Judges: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Judicial Decision-Making for Newcomer Immigrant Youth in Juvenile Justice Proceedings

This primer and accompanying benchcard for juvenile court judges presents a trauma-informed approach to judicial decision-making for newcomer immigrant youth in juvenile justice proceedings.
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Commercially Sexually Exploited Girls and Young Women Involved in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice in Los Angeles County: An Exploration and Evaluation of Placement Experiences and Services Received

Commercially Sexually Exploited Girls and Young Women Involved in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice in Los Angeles County: An Exploration and Evaluation of Placement Experiences and Services Received

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Trauma-Informed Legal Advocacy: A Resource for Juvenile Defense Attorneys

This resource is intended to provide juvenile defense attorneys with an increased understanding of what trauma-informed legal advocacy entails, how trauma impacts child development, the attorney-client relationship, family and caregivers, and attorneys themselves.
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Youth Prosecuted As Adults In California: Addressing Racial, Ethnic, And Geographic Disparities After the Repeal of Direct File

Youth Prosecuted As Adults In California: Addressing Racial, Ethnic, And Geographic Disparities After the Repeal of Direct File

In 2016, Californians voted overwhelmingly in support of Proposition 57, a ballot initiative that abolished the practice of “direct file,” wherein prosecutors could file charges against youth as young as 14 years old directly in adult criminal court.
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Championing the Potential of Youth on Probation: Critical Education Advocacy for Justice-Involved Youth

Championing the Potential of Youth on Probation: Critical Education Advocacy for Justice-Involved Youth

This issue brief explores how NCYL’s FosterEd initiative has worked with partners to advocate for policy change and direct services for probation-supervised youth, and what steps other organizations can take to join the movement to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for these youth.
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