Programs and Initiatives

Art Therapy: The Lawrence Arts Center classes are taught for both youth in detention and youth in Day School. These classes are funded by USD 497.

Music Therapy: Music Therapy is taught by under graduate and graduate students from the University of Kansas, and are supervised by a board-certified music therapist. Music is used to teach detention youth non-musical goals, such as social skills, team work and leadership skills.

For more information, see the KU Music Therapy website.

Religious Services: A Pastor volunteers by request to offer detention residents the opportunity to attend a personal meeting with a pastor. Juveniles also have the option to request their own religious figure to represent their individual beliefs. The staff will also make it possible to have religious meetings on various days if the differing belief should require that.

Volunteer Opportunities: If you would like to Volunteer at Douglas County Youth Services, please contact Casey Crane, Detention Operations Manager at 785-331-1300 for more information. You can also email Casey at ccrane@dgcoks.gov .

The One Heart Project: Providing incarcerated and at-risk youth a second chance. We have a volunteer that comes in once a week to meet with incarcerated juveniles to offer them guidance and be a positive mentor. One Heart Project pilot programs have produced significant attitudinal and behavioral change, and dramatically reduced recidivism rates. https://oneheart.com/

Cognitive skills classes are provided by both Adult and Juvenile Services Officers of Douglas County Criminal Justice Services.

• Cognitive Skills classes are designed to help participants develop a personal plan to achieve their potential and become positive, law abiding, and contributing citizens in society.
• In addition, the classes allow participants to learn and practice life-skills, by increasing their self-confidence, and by identifying and cultivating lifetime patterns for self-improvement resulting in law-abiding behaviors.
• Lastly, the classes help participants realize that their values, attitudes, and behaviors can affect other citizens and help them think through the choices they make turning them into positives.

Classes include: 

Decision Points: Decision Points is an open-entry cognitive behavior intervention program designed for delivery with youth and adult populations in contact with the justice system. The program is built on the principle of the “Strategy of Choices”, and equips participants with alternative ways to examine their thinking and the related actions that lead them into trouble. The program can be delivered as both a brief intervention and a more intensive intervention with extended program length.  Decision Points (decisionpointsprogram.com)

Parent Project: Our mission is to develop parent-training programs for parents raising difficult or out-of-control children. We are committed to providing highly effective programs that are affordable for every parent. At the Parent Project®, we believe that parents are the answer. In our 30 plus years, we have worked with over ½ million parents raising difficult or out-of-control children. Our programs are based on their experiences and successes. No matter how difficult the situation may be, we can help. "Little miracles." It's what we do! Parent Project – Help for parents raising difficult children

Crossroads: Youth Crossroads is a cognitive behavioral evidence‐based program that offers an extensive library of juvenile curricula. The curricula consists of a variety of offense-specific titles that target specific interventions that address criminogenic risk factors that help reduce the risk of re offending. A Leader in Behavior Change - NCTI

SMART Recovery: SMART Recovery, is a science-based addiction support group where clients learn self-empowering skills and support each other in their recovery. SMART Recovery

Decision Points: Decision Points is an open-entry cognitive behavior intervention program designed for delivery with youth and adult populations in contact with the justice system. The program is built on the principle of the “Strategy of Choices”, and equips participants with alternative ways to examine their thinking and the related actions that lead them into trouble. The program can be delivered as both a brief intervention and a more intensive intervention with extended program length.  Decision Points (decisionpointsprogram.com)