Jefferson County approves out-of-state placement for juvenile at Desert Lily Academy

The Jefferson County Commissioners Court on an unspecified date approved an out-of-state placement for a juvenile at Desert Lily Academy in Queen Creek, Arizona, and authorized juvenile probation staff member Kesha Duplikshan to transport the youth.

Court records show the placement was approved after staff said in-state facilities had declined to accept the youth. "We haven't placed a kid outside the state in a long time. However, we've tried all of the places that are eligible for her in the state of Texas. They all declined her," a juvenile probation staff member told the court.

The court’s motion, made by Commissioner Steenninger and seconded by Commissioner Carrie Erickson, passed unanimously. According to the record, Desert Lily Academy will pay all expenses related to the placement, including airline tickets, housing, meals and the facility payment. The court noted the county will retain responsibility for periodic in-person visits; the transcript states staff will visit the youth once every three months and that regional diversion funds are being routed through the Texas Juvenile Justice Department to cover related payments to the facility.

Court discussion emphasized that the decision followed attempts to place the youth at eligible Texas facilities, and that the out-of-state placement was recommended by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department when in-state options were not available. The court recorded no opposition and the motion carried unanimously.

The order approves transportation by Kesha Duplikshan, with all listed travel and placement expenses to be paid by Desert Lily Academy. No additional conditions or a return date for the youth were specified in the meeting record.