Kansas Counties Pilot New “Stepping Up for Youth” Framework to Reduce Detention, Improve Behavioral Health Care

For the past year, seven counties in Kansas—Barton, Bourbon, Franklin, Johnson, Sedgwick, Seward, and Shawnee—worked closely with the CSG Justice Center to pilot a framework designed to improve outcomes for youth with behavioral health needs who come into contact with the juvenile justice system. The counties gained clearer insight into where systems are working, where gaps remain, and what is needed for sustainable change for youth across Kansas. 

This work is part of Stepping Up for Youth (SU-Y), the CSG Justice Center’s initiative that helps state and local governments identify, implement, and expand best practices to safely reduce detention and increase connections to care for young people with serious mental health and substance use needs who are in the juvenile justice system or at risk of becoming involved.  

The framework piloted in Kansas is an adaptation of the Stepping Up framework that has been implemented in over 500 counties across the country.  

Testing a New Framework

The pilot involved recurring group meetings and individualized technical assistance from the CSG Justice Center. As one Barton County participant noted, “Being able to collaborate with local stakeholders for a common purpose has been a positive experience. It has also helped identify barriers, room for improvement, and cross-system collaboration.”  

Participating counties engaged with four key questions to shape their local priorities: 

1. Do we have cross‑system buy-in and consensus?

Coordinators examined who was engaged in the SU-Y initiative, how decisions were made about the goals for the initiative, and whether partners shared a common vision.

In Practice: Several counties are pursuing formal SU-Y charters to create a durable structure for collaboration. One county used its technical assistance to host a kickoff meeting that strengthened stakeholder recruitment and built a shared understanding of the initiative.

2. How do current juvenile justice processes and strategies align with best practices?

Counties compared their existing policies and processes with evidence-based approaches, identifying where practice changes could move them closer to their goals. This comparison surfaced areas of alignment and opportunities to refine or redesign processes.

In Practice: Several counties held multiple system-mapping sessions that helped them identify which key partners were missing from the table and inform targeted outreach. One county’s mapping focused on an important distinction: whether youth and families were accessing existing programs—not just whether programs were available.

3. What juvenile justice data tracking and reporting infrastructure is needed to measure and achieve shared goals?

Counties reviewed how information is collected, shared, and used across agencies. They explored what structures would allow them to track outcomes, monitor progress, and make informed adjustments over time.

In Practice: A couple of counties identified continuity of care as a central challenge and recognized the need for clearer memorandums of understanding to support information sharing across agencies. Some counties also uncovered overlapping screening and assessment tools and the need for better coordination and shared expectations across electronic data systems from partnering agencies to effectively track outcomes and guide decisions for system improvements.

4. How are juvenile justice policies and practices monitored and adapted over time?

Counties laid the groundwork for continuous improvement by identifying key youth outcomes, clarifying data metrics and data reporting responsibilities, and considering how their SU-Y Council will regularly review results to adjust their strategies. This infrastructure will support the next phase of implementation that continues beyond the pilot.

Statewide Efforts

Alongside the local SU-Y pilot, Kansas is also implementing a Statewide Juvenile Justice and Behavioral Health Action Plan. This parallel effort is the result of a statewide assessment that included listening sessions with more than 120 people and system mapping across 4 state agencies: the Kansas Departments of Corrections, Aging and Disability Services, and Children and Families, as well as the Office of Judicial Administration. The action plan is centered on two large-scale changes: developing an early intervention system for youth and establishing statewide detention standards.  

To support these local and state efforts, Kansas has established a statewide SU-Y Technical Assistance Center. This center will support the long-term implementation of SU-Y by providing guidance, training, and peer support for all participating counties to help strengthen coordination across systems, expand access to care, and advance research-driven approaches to safely reduce youth detention. Pilot counties will continue to receive specialized support through peer connections, quarterly meetings, and guidance from the CSG Justice Center. 

For leaders in Kansas: Learn how to get involved in the Kansas SU-Y Technical Assistance Center. 

For leaders in other states: Learn how to launch SU-Y in your state.