IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION Miami-Dade County Public Schools 305-995-1000 School Operations/ Special Programs 305-995-2710 305-995-7655 Fax Juvenile Justice Support Office (JJSO) 305-633-4950 305-633-5812 Fax JuvenileJusticeSupportOffice@dadeschools.net District Department Chairperson Ms. Sylvia Godoy District Court Liaisons

Ms. Doree Benson Mr. David Ferrer Ms. Arely Hernandez Alvarez Ms. Donzaleigh McKinney Ms. Veronica Wade

Support Personnel

Mr. Edgar Monteagudo, Community Liaison Specialist

Ms. Kathy Davis, Data Input Specialist Education Dependency Action Team (EDAT) 305-634-0315 305-635-1871 Fax District Court Liaison

Mr. Nicholas Pinchinat

The School Board of

Miami-Dade County Florida

Mr. Agustin J. Barrera, Chair

Ms. Perla Tabares Hantman, Vice Chair

Mr. Renier Diaz de la Portilla

Ms. Evelyn Langlieb Greer

Dr. Wilbert “Tee” Holloway

Dr. Martin Karp

Ms. Ana Rivas Logan

Dr. Marta Pérez

Dr. Solomon C. Stinson

Ms. Angelique Gayle Student Advisor

Mr. Alberto M. Carvalho Superintendent

Mark E. Zaher, Director School Operations/ Special Programs

MISSION STATEMENT

As a major component of the School Operations/Special Programs, the mission of the Juvenile Justice Support Office (JJSO) is to provide assistance to students and their families who are involved with the juvenile court system and to provide a link between the court system and the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS). The assistance provided to the students and their families by the court liaisons at the JJSO may be in the area of personal/social, educational, or career development.

HISTORY In response to State legislation requiring school districts to be proactively involved in addressing the special needs of juveniles who have been arrested, M-DCPS

established the JJSO in 1981. When the Juvenile Services Department (JSD) was opened, JJSO began to provide services there as well. In 1999, JJSO extended services to students under Department of Children and Families (DCF) supervision. Most recently, the Education Dependency Action Team (EDAT) was formed to facilitate communication between DCF and M-DCPS.

SERVICES PROVIDED

Over 25,000 juveniles are arrested or brought under the supervision of the DCF in this county each year. The court liaisons at JJSO endeavor to address the educational, personal/social, and career development needs of children as follows:

• Conduct educational reviews of students at the request of the Court.

• Assist juveniles with selecting and enrolling in vocational or technical programs.

• Conduct conferences with the students and their parent(s)/guardian(s).

• Facilitate the transfer of students under DCF supervision within the school district.

• Provide home addresses and school information to DCF’s Protective Investigators.

• Convey information from the Courts, including psychological evaluations conducted by Court Order, to the appropriate school staff.

• Assist students involved with the Juvenile Justice System in obtaining additional student services, as needed.

The Juvenile Justice Center

Juvenile Justice Support Office 3300 N.W. 27th Avenue, Suite 1144

Miami, Florida 33142

The Juvenile Services Department