Module 2: Efforts to Avoid Court Involvement

Module 2 of this curriculum, which corresponds to Section 2 of the National Standards, discusses key principles and practices that shape how education, social service, community-based, child welfare, runaway and homeless youth, mental health, law enforcement, and juvenile justice systems should first respond to youth and families at risk and in need of immediate assistance. They offer guidance to professionals on how to identify the reason(s) the child and family have been referred to them and select and deliver the best early intervention services to help avoid court involvement.

Module 2 is divided into five parts, based on the systems or type of professionals addressed:

  • Education, social service, community-based, child welfare, runaway and homeless youth, mental health, law enforcement, and juvenile justice systems
  • Law enforcement systems
  • Education systems         
  • Child welfare, juvenile justice, and runaway and homeless youth systems
  • Court intake personnel


Instructors should target their training to the audience, focusing more or less on each of these sections depending on whether the targeted system is represented. No matter who is in the audience, all of these recommendations should be touched on at least briefly, since all of these systems must work together to serve status offenders.

Module 2 Materials