Six States Commit to Improving Statewide Strategies to Address Youth Crime, Violence and Behavioral Health

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center has launched the Collaborating for Youth and Public Safety Initiative (CYPSI) in partnership with six states: California, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island. The initiative will help states develop, fund, and effectively implement a research-based service continuum to improve public safety and behavioral health, education, and other outcomes for youth.

Adolescents nationwide are in crisis, increasingly experiencing mental health, school, and community violence challenges. Public systems and service providers are struggling to address youth and families’ needs due to service gaps, workforce shortages, and fragmented approaches. Without coordinated, cross-system solutions, many states lack the tools to implement cost-effective policies that promote positive youth outcomes and enhance public safety.

“While New Mexico has made significant strides to improve outcomes for youth and families over the last several years, challenges remain, including gaps in services, a workforce shortage, increasing adolescent behavioral health issues, and youth violence issues.” said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. “New Mexico is eager to participate in CYPSI with other states and develop innovative approaches to these challenges that will keep our communities safer and help our youth transition to a safe and healthy adulthood.”

“With years of experience working across systems and supporting young people, I know how important it is to connect families with the right services,” said Jeffrey Cartmell, director of Oklahoma Human Services. “Oklahoma’s participation in CYPSI reflects our commitment to build a coordinated, research-based system that will strengthen our communities and enhance public safety throughout our great state.”

Through CYPSI, states will develop and implement coordinated, multisystem strategies to strengthen a statewide, research-based continuum of services for youth and families, including the following:

• Early Intervention: Providing support to youth in crisis to keep them out of the justice system with mobile crisis, assessment centers, and alternative responders.
• Recidivism Reduction: Connecting youth with cost-effective community-based services, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, that reduce reoffending for youth in the system.
• Violence Prevention: Supporting programs and practices that address the cycle of violence, including victim supports, such as street outreach teams that employ credible messengers.

With support from the CSG Justice Center, states will assess their policies, financing strategies, service implementation approaches, and workforce challenges. State leaders will collaborate to ultimately implement a concrete set of legislative, financial, service improvement, and workforce strategies to help youth and families thrive while protecting public safety.

“As a participating state in CYPSI, Rhode Island is committed to developing a new vision and interconnected strategies for supporting youth and families, improving public safety and using resources more efficiently” said Larome Myrick, executive director of the Rhode Island Division of Youth Development in the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

The CSG Justice Center is proud to support states in creating a future where every young person has access to the services and supports they need to transition to safe and healthy adulthoods.

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