Please see this message from TJ Bohl, Pierce County Juvenile Court Administrator regarding the JR intake freeze.
From: TJ Bohl <tj.bohl@piercecountywa.gov>Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2024 3:52 PMTo: JUV_Employees <JUV_Employees@piercecountywa.gov>Subject: JR intake freeze
Good afternoon,
I wanted to send an update in regards to the media from the weekend with DCYF announcing that Echo Glen and Green Hill are suspending intakes (Washington suspends intake at 2 juvenile rehab facilities | king5.com).
Court Administrators across the state, along with other stakeholders, found out about this decision at the same time many of you did. They sent formal notice to us after business hours on Friday, with media reports starting over the weekend. We are frustrated and disappointed at this sudden decision that was made without any collaboration with stakeholders.
While we are working through the impacts this decision has here locally at PCJC with our judges and legal counsel, I am also heavily invested in this in my role as President of WAJCA (Washington Association of Juvenile Court Administrators). I have been working around the clock this week with the Superior Court Judges’ Association, as well as my WAJCA colleagues and other impacted stakeholders. We are finalizing a formal response to Secretary Hunter, on behalf of SCJA and WAJCA. I will share as much as I can throughout this process, as I know many of you meet with other stakeholders who may ask questions, but at this time, we are operating on very limited information that we have received from DCYF. This is a very complex issue we are working through, to ensure the varying needs of young people across the state are met.
I encourage you to please share any concerns, or questions you may have around impacts of this decision, with your Supervisor or Manager. This is a very fluid topic and one that unfortunately I foresee will take a bit of time to come to resolution. I appreciate your grace and understanding as you work with colleagues who may be under additional pressures and stress as we navigate this, especially our teams in Detention and Probation.
Thank you,