Most Popular Juvenile Justice Blog Posts | November 2012

Here are the top ten most read blog posts from November 2012. Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.
10. Real-World Solutions for Crossover Youth: Coordinating Care in Practice and Policy
Georgetown Public Policy Review speaks with Shay Bilchik about a multi-systems approach to care for crossover youth and reform options.
9. How to Use Language in Court that Youth Understand: Get the New Models for Change Guide 
A new guide from TeamChild, helps courts implement colloquies to bridge the gap between what is said in court and what kids understand.
8. Why Missing School Matters
Research shows that missing school lowers outcomes for youth, says the Media Awareness Project. But why do kids miss school in the first place?
7. Crossover Youth: Intersection of Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice 
The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice looks at how best to meet the needs of crossover youth, those who are in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

6. New York City, Massachusetts Launching First Social Impact Bond Programs in United States
Now that the election is over, we should turn our attention to social impact bonds (SIB) as a way to direct government funds toward smart initiatives that deliver real-world results, says the Center for American Progress.
5. Drug Guide for Parents, Youth Workers 
The Partnership at Drugfree.org shares a useful guide to the 13 drugs commonly abused by teens.
4. Why I'm a Reclaiming Futures Advocate: Evidence-Based Practices and Community Engagement in North Carolina
Violent crimes committed by youth dropped nearly 37% in North Carolina. North Carolina Department of Public Safety's Director of Juvenile Justice explains the drop is due to the state's focus on prevention and treatment.
3. Kid Courts Should Use Kid Friendly Language 
There is often a disconnect between the language in juvenile courts and what is comprehended by justice-involved youth, says the Center for Children, Law & Policy.
2. Juvenile Justice Reforms Should Consider Adolescent Development 
The juvenile justice system should be overhauled to incorporate an emerging body of knowledge about adolescent development and effective interventions, asserts a new report from a University of Virginia Law School Professor. Doing so will improve outcomes for young offenders and society as a whole.
1. Stop the Trauma. Start the Healing: A Latino Health Context
Being "trauma informed" is not enough, says the National Compadres Network. Youth workers must incorporate healing informed approaches when working with Latinos and other populations of color.

Liz Wu is a Digital Accounts Manager at Prichard Communications, where she oversees digital outreach for Reclaiming Futures and edits Reclaiming Futures Every Day. Before joining the Prichard team, Liz established the West Coast communications presence for the New America Foundation, where she managed all media relations, event planning and social media outreach for their 6 domestic policy programs. Liz received a B.A. in both Peace and Conflict Studies and German from the University of California at Berkeley. She tweets from @LizSF.