Coconino juvenile services highlights Hope Receiving Center, high diversion rates and expansion plans for facility dogs

Juvenile court leaders told the Coconino County Board of Supervisors on May 7 that the Hope Receiving Center and other diversion programs have markedly limited youths’ deeper entry into the juvenile justice system, while detention alternatives and in‑county schooling have reduced days out of home.

The juvenile team summarized 2024 outcomes and ongoing plans as the board continued its multi‑day budget review of criminal justice departments. Casey, representing juvenile services, said the Hope Receiving Center served 282 youth in 2024 and that 92% of those youth did not “penetrate further into the system.” Since the program began in 2021, staff reported they served 510 children and families and that roughly 95–96% of those never required further court involvement.

Why it matters: Supervisors and juvenile staff framed the Hope Center and related work—school‑based prevention, wraparound services, and alternative education—as upstream efforts that reduce downstream incarceration and long‑term involvement in corrections, outcomes supervisors repeatedly cited as priorities when weighing budget tradeoffs.

Juvenile staff described the program mix and results. The department said its accessory programs include in‑house therapy (IOP, EMDR), family‑strengthening services, a Friday acupuncture clinic open to the public, and an alternative school that served 20 students, who earned 43 credits and produced five graduations last year. Treatment and placement data were presented: 13 of 21 youth with out‑of‑home placements had only one placement, while a small number had repeated placements that together totaled roughly 1,600 out‑of‑home days across the cohort described.

Probation and diversion performance: Juvenile staff highlighted a very high diversion success rate—95% of diversion cases were handled without formal petitions and were reported as successful—plus zero commitments to the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections in the reporting year. The department said the majority of referrals are beyond staff control but emphasized that interventions and diversion practices are the levers it uses to reduce further system involvement.

Detention and alternatives: Detention average daily population was reported at about 2.8 with an average length of stay that decreased by roughly one day; staff said shorter stays are desirable because local detention is meant to be short‑term stabilization rather than long‑term placement. The department also described ARPA‑funded “Hope beds” that served 38 youth with 256 bed nights last year as a detention alternative, in partnership with Northland Family Help Center.

Dependency work and CASA volunteers: The dependency unit reported 94 children served by 46 volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) who together logged 1,674 hours and drove roughly 17,000 miles to visit children. Staff said involvement with dependency services and in‑house mediation has increased reunification rates and sped reunifications—families that used services were reported to reunify 227 days sooner on average.

Facility dog program and school outreach: Juvenile staff described facility dogs (named Franklin and Blue) used in courts and schools for calming and de‑escalation. Staff proposed expanding the facility‑dog program by one or two additional dogs to extend school and courtroom regulation support; supervisors welcomed the idea but asked staff to quantify operating costs and funding sources when seeking expansion.

Funding outlook and federal grants: Juvenile leaders said the department has relied on federal grants and ARPA funding for some programs and that uncertainty about future federal funds (and the statewide grant landscape) could force “plan B/C” adjustments to maintain service levels. Staff told supervisors they had worked to convert some positions and using general‑fund capacity where possible, but noted continued fiscal uncertainty.

Supervisor questions and next steps: Supervisors praised the department’s retention and innovation, asked about outlying area services for Page, Williams and Grand Canyon communities (staff said they do serve outlying locations and are trying to expand outreach), and pressed for demographic and socioeconomic analysis underlying youth overrepresentation (staff said Native males—specifically Navajo young men—and socioeconomic factors are drivers, and that the department is working with Georgetown University research partners to adapt culturally appropriate practices).

Staff said they would return with more financial detail if the board wants to consider expansion of the facility‑dog program or to sustain specific ARPA‑funded alternatives if federal grant lines lapse.

Closing note: Juvenile presenters thanked the board and community partners and noted awards and recognitions the department received in 2024, including United Way recognition for the Hope Receiving Center and state awards for innovation and court administration. The department urged continued partnership to sustain prevention and diversion services that staff say keep children connected to families and out of deeper court involvement.