New Massachusetts Group PPAL Helping Families With Justice-involved Youth During Pandemic

 In mid-March, everything changed because of COVID-19. One mom said her life changed in 24 hours. Her teenage son had been arraigned for his first offense. He was in detention, though not found guilty, with no option to be heard in court. The schools had closed, daycare closed and the juvenile courts were closed. She found it hard to work, even from home, since her son was the one who took care of his younger siblings. It would be four weeks until her son returned home and in the meantime she lost her job. 

When Massachusetts issued an emergency stay-at-home order, everyone scrambled to ensure that youth were not held waiting for bail or on overnight arrests. If a youth were near the end of their time in detention, they were quickly sent home to avoid the health risks of congregate care. When a justice-involved youth returns home in “normal” times, the family can anticipate and plan. But these aren’t normal times. 

For families, it has been particularly stressful. They’ve had to cope with the unexpected: their child’s sudden return to the community, remote learning for school and, when their child is in a secure setting, all their visits have become virtual.

Lisa Lambert

One aunt took custody of her nephew upon release. She said, “He came to my home. He has no bedroom and I wasn’t expecting this release. I wish he had some bed to sleep on.” Some parents reported that siblings found themselves living with a brother they hadn’t seen for months and felt anxious around. Households were jumpy and unsettled. 

For a youth who needed clinical services such as therapy, the rapid move to telehealth was unfamiliar and difficult to adjust to. Many families, suddenly out of work, found themselves trying to access food and basic supplies. Parents also needed help explaining the new rules around masks to their teens. One mom of a 17-year old girl said, “Wearing them is hard and she doesn’t want to stay inside. How do I keep us safe? How do I keep her safe? Teenagers have their own way of thinking.” A family support specialist was able to help.

PPAL helps families advocate, get support

The Massachusetts juvenile justice agency, Department of Youth Services, has partnered with the Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PPAL) to create the JJ Family Voice Project. PPAL is a family-run organization, led by families to help other families understand and navigate children’s services. Family support specialists (FSS) are parents who have personal experience and specialized knowledge of the juvenile justice system. When COVID-19 hit, they plunged in, concerned for families.

Meri Viano

Besides looking for resources and adjusting to a child returning home, school halted and families were told they were in charge of remote learning. Each city or town in Massachusetts has its own school district, unlike other states that are organized by county. 

Each school district had different requirements and responded to the needs of their students in dissimilar ways. While some students received modified work, others were given schoolwork they were unable to do. Some parents found it difficult to contact teachers and for many, their ability to advocate was minimal. They were also coping with the impact of school closing for the remainder of the year. 

One grandmother of a 16-year old said, “My grandson has no reason to get up. He knows that school doesn’t matter and he said nothing’s new anyway.” She received a call from an FSS who could help her with school advocacy. In a 2019 study, PPAL found that 71% of families found that a knowledgeable family support specialist increased their ability to find resources and 52% said they became a better advocate for their child. This grandmother wasn’t alone; the FSS was her coach and backup.

Dawn CHristie

Other parents found their visits with a child in a secure setting were changed from an in-person visit to a televisit because of new public health regulations. Many parents struggled with the technology. The mother of a 14-year old said, “I was excited and happy to see my son but I found it hard to use the site to get to see him. I had to have two other people help me to make it work.” Some also reported problems with access to the internet or only one phone or tablet in their family.

Another parent remarked, “I see how everyone has to visit the elderly and many people can’t go into the hospitals for visits. I am thankful that this is available.” While the newness of the technology was a challenge, families understood the necessity. FSS helped families with technology resources supplied by the state and private companies. 

While families were overwhelmed, two things helped them enormously. One was working with a family support specialist who had the time and know-how to problem solve. Second, communication between juvenile justice staff and families was initiated early on and families were able to anticipate what might happen over the next weeks. 

This was highly valued by families. One youth in detention called home and reassured his mom that things were going to be OK. He felt things had been explained well to him and he wasn’t as fearful. When his mom heard that, she felt better too.

Lisa Lambert is the executive director of the Parent/Professional Advocacy League, a statewide, family-run, grassroots organization based in Massachusetts. Besides direct work with families, she has authored several studies which collect data from families and youth, promoted family stories in the media and advocates for policies which improve the lives of children, youth and families. 

Meri Viano is the associate director of Parent/Professional Advocacy League and leads its JJ Family Voice Project. She supports families through leadership, training and advocacy as well as working with many local police departments. She promotes family voice on committees focused on juvenile justice, child welfare, trauma and youth voice.

Dawn Christie is a project coordinator for the JJ Family Voice Project. She is an advocate for families whose youth are justice involved and has worked in Boston communities for many years where she is part of the broad network working on behalf of families and justice involved youth.