Youth Services

The Rutherford County Youth Services Office is comprised of a professional staff that is committed to providing youth and families with the skills and knowledge necessary to promote family stability and ensure community safety.

 

 Mission

The Rutherford County Youth Services’ primary objective is to carry out orders and directives handed down by the Juvenile Court Judge and Magistrates. Those orders include: supervising youth placed on probation, coordinating public service work, implementing crisis intervention, and making referrals to various community agencies to provide services needed for unruly and delinquent youth. It is the mission of the Rutherford County Youth Services to utilize every resource available in Rutherford County to aid youth who are in need of services to secure a more functional environment for their psychological growth and development.

 Services

Preventative Consultations: Youth Services Officers provide intervention and conflict resolutions for families that are experiencing difficulty with a child who is at least 10 years old and under the age of eighteen. Officers are responsible for screening and investigating the circumstance, determining the appropriate course of intervention, and making referrals to other agencies when appropriate.

Informal Diversion: Informal diversion is a program offered by Youth Services for children who are Rutherford County residents and who have been cited for status offenses or nonviolent misdemeanors. Referrals may be made by parents, attendance officers, or law enforcement. To be eligible for the program a child must be at least 12 years of age. This program is designed to offer probation supervision without the involvement of the Juvenile Court, thus allowing a child to avoid having a juvenile court record. Additionally, the informal diversion program offers assistance in finding other community programs which will benefit the child and family.

Probation: Youth Services Officers/Probation Officers are responsible for the guidance and supervision of juveniles who are placed on court probation by Juvenile Court. These youth have been found guilty or pled guilty to a delinquent or status offense. Probation officers ensure that juveniles abide by probation rules, court orders, and make referrals to outside agencies that will enhance the juvenile’s success. A juvenile may be placed on supervised court probation or unsupervised court probation.

Special Boards: Rutherford County Youth Services Officers serve on: Foster Care Review Board, Child Fatality Review Team, United Way Agency Advocates, Rutherford County Coalition against Child Abuse, Child Protective Investigative Team, Truancy Intervention Review Board, and Tennessee Juvenile Court Services Association.