Apr 05, 2013

Dear DJJ team members:

Welcome to my weekly letter. I am pleased to share the following news and announcements.

DJJ YOUTH SUCCESS DAY: On April 9 at noon, the 2013 Youth Success Ambassadors will join me on the courtyard steps of the Historical Capitol in Tallahassee to celebrate DJJ Youth Success Day. The event focuses on the success of the juvenile justice system in helping youth to turn their lives around and will highlight programs from around the state that are working to reduce juvenile crime. The 2013 Youth Success Ambassadors are Danny Lugo and Kiara Warren form from Prodigy Cultural Arts Program, Dennis Patton of Eckerd Youth Alternatives and Christopher Casanovas of the Home Builders Institute. Please join us, if your schedule allows. You can learn more about the ambassadors -- their dreams, hopes and the stony path they took to success. I also encourage you to join DJJ offices, partners and providers as they host celebrations and activities throughout the state this week. Our DJJ Youth Success Day motto reminds us that we are all “Part of the Community, Part of the Solution” to juvenile delinquency.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: This week, marks the halfway point in the legislative session. HB 4019, Youth Custody Officers and Jail Tours, by Rep. Gayle Harrell was unanimously passed by the full body of the House and was sent over to the Senate. HB 7103, Cross-over youth, by Rep. Harrell passed the House’s Health and Human Services Committee. This bill creates a pilot project to provide specialized services to youth being served by both DJJ and DCF. HB 617, Boards and Councils, by Rep. Pilon passed its final committee of reference, the House’s Judiciary Committee unanimously. HB 441, Juvenile Justice Education, by Rep. Adkins passed the House’s Education Committee. Thank you to Representatives Harrell, Pilon and Adkins for their leadership on these important issues.

The House and the Senate Appropriations Committees voted on their respected versions of the 2013-2014 General Appropriations Act. Both versions included important DJJ initiatives, including shifting funding for unused residential treatment beds to CINS/FINS (Children/Families in Need of Services) and PACE girls’ program.

GOV. SCOTT HONORS STATE EMPLOYEES: On April 3, Gov. Rick Scott honored state employees responsible for substantial cost savings to Florida with a breakfast at the Governor’s Mansion. Gov. Scott’s emphasis on increasing fiscal responsibility galvanized our agency to achieve a total of more than $2.8 million in cost savings.

Following is a re-cap of DJJ’s accomplishments, which show that our agency is pursuing every opportunity to work smarter and put Florida’s families first.

From left: David Kerr, Stephanie Sanford, Amy Johnson, Delanah Gebhart, Gov. Scott and Laura Moneyham

CONTRACT RE-NEGOTIATIONS: Total Savings-- $2,838,192

The Department has begun strategically reviewing each of its contracts, focusing first on contracts held by providers with the largest amount of funding. Providers with a good performance record who have offered the Department concessions have been offered contract renewals. So far, DJJ has successfully renegotiated 19 contracts to reduce overall costs and to increase services at no cost to the State. In December, DJJ re-negotiated seven residential contracts involving the provision of services to delinquent youth. As a result, youth will receive enhanced services at a cost savings of $2,838,192 over the next three to four years. Thanks to Alex Kelly, Chief of Staff; Amy Johnson, Director of Program Accountability; Laura Moneyham, Asst. Secretary of Residential Services; Stephanie Sanford, Chief of Residential Contracts; Delanah Gebhart, Chief of Contracts, Paul Hatcher, Senior Management Analyst II; Barbara Manakas, Contract Manager; David Kerr, Chief Probation Officer; Edward Harrison, Senior Management Analyst II; Timothy Niermann, Central Regional Director; Gloria Perez, Contract Manager; Nick LeFrancois, Contract Manager Supervisor; Stephen Brown, Contract Manager Supervisor; Kay Bozeman, Contract Supervisor; Sylvonia Banks, Contract Manager; Stacey Kakarigi, Senior Management Analyst II; and Rosemary Haynes, Nursing Services.

LEASE COST SAVINGS: Total -- $1.7 million

As a result of the careful use of leased space, Director of Administration Fred Schuknecht and his teamhave produced the 10^th largest savings of the 29 participating agencies. For fiscal years (FY) 2011-12 and 2012-13, DJJ saved the state more than $892,000. With the savings projected for FY 2013-14, the state is expected to save a total of more than $1.7 million.

CONTRACTS KUDOS: DJJ is one of only four among the 30 participating agencies that consistently achieve high usage of MyFloridaMarketPlace for procurement of goods and services. The MyFloridaMarketPlace streamlines interactions between vendors and state government entities, providing a centralized source of procurement information for the Florida business community. Vendors are able to reach a wider market using a single point of registration and e-commerce tools for greater efficiency, and small businesses have an opportunity to access the state marketplace. As a result, state agencies have less overhead, paperwork and processing costs, more choice in procurement options, and faster processing time.

WORKING WITH COUNTIES: On April 4, Deputy Secretary Christy Daly participated in a panel discussion coordinated by the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) as part of their 2013 Legislative Day. The goal of the discussion was to find ways to more effectively work together and solve problems. Christy shared updates on the progress of the DJJ Roadmap to System Excellence; the decline in delinquency; the focus on working with families and front-end services; and efforts to reduce disproportionate minority contact with approximately 200 high-level county officials. Secretary David Wilkins of the Department of Children and Families, Secretary Elizabeth Dudek of the Agency for Health Care Administration and Florida’s Surgeon General John H. Armstrong also participated in this important opportunity to enhance collaboration and cooperation between counties and the state.

MORE COST SAVINGS: Kudos goes to telecommunications administrators Michael Endicott and Roy McCall for saving the state money while upgrading the telephone and data network systems at DJJ headquarters. Michael suggested re-purposing newer VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) telephone equipment from a closed facility along with purchasing an upgraded data network system to replace headquarters’ old landline system. Roy found that the upgraded system has the added benefit of providing better network security and management capabilities for DJJ computers throughout the state. DJJ set the project for competitive bid and managed to get better services for less money. The monthly phone bill for headquarters is estimated to decrease approximately $1,500 per month at the outset. Once the new system is paid for in five years, the phone bill for DJJ headquarters is expected to drop even more – the new monthly bill is expected to cost less than 20 percent of the one for the old system. Good work, Michael and Roy!

HUMAN TRAFFICKING UPDATE: On March 29, Tyson Elliott presented a training course about the scope of Florida’s human trafficking problem during a March 29 statewide webinar for members of Florida’s Interagency Farmworker Focus Group. While farmworkers and troubled youth may seem to be disparate populations, they are alike in their vulnerability to human traffickers. Collaboration and communication among authorities and organizations that serve populations targeted by human traffickers is the key to combating human trafficking. Sharing information enables local-level task forces and coalitions to identify the warning signs and help victims with appropriate services and treatment. (To read the press release, click here.)

Next week, the Volunteer Human Trafficking Advocate appointed by Gov. Rick Scott, Deborah Polston, will visit Central Florida as part of her statewide campaign to raise awareness on human trafficking. Mrs. Polston is holding community meetings targeted to specific groups. These meetings engage community leaders; "Shining the Light," meetings present information to advocacy and faith-based groups; and "Locking Arms" meetings are designed for local service providers.

On April 10, 2013, DJJ Human Trafficking Director Tyson Elliott will be presenting at the “Shining a Light” meeting in Leesburg, Florida at Southpointe, 25900 U.S. Highway 27. Other speakers include Mrs. Polston, William D'Aiuto of the Department of Children and Families, Dr. Anthony Davis with the Space Coast Rescue and Restore, and the Lake County Human Trafficking Task Force. The Leesburg “Shining a Light” meeting will last from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. To register for this free event, please e-mail your contact information to Kimberly_Grabert@dcf.state.fl.us no later than April 5, 2013.

DJJ will host Florida’s second statewide Human Trafficking Summit on September 30, 2013, at the University of South Florida in Tampa. The Summit will focus on both labor and sex trafficking and will offer law enforcement, legal professionals, service providers and first responders training sessions on victim identification and treatment.

If you suspect a child is a victim of human trafficking, please call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873. To report adult victims, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888.

STATE ADVISORY GROUP (SAG) MEMBER VISITS DETENTION: On April 3, Juvenile Justice SAG member Michael Long made a presentation titled “Dream Big” to several youth groups at Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center. Michael encouraged and challenged the youth to recognize their goals and dreams, and to constructively use their skills and talents to accomplish them. He also spoke about the goal and purpose of the SAG and candidly shared his personal journey from a DJJ detention center to success as a college student and entrepreneur. I am proud to watch Michael continue to build on his success and contribute so meaningfully to youth in the juvenile justice system. I met him soon after I joined DJJ, when he agreed to serve as the 2011 DJJ Youth Success Ambassador, and he continues to impress me with his accomplishments and continued commitment to help other DJJ youth. Co-presenter Tina Levene, DJJ Central Region delinquency prevention specialist, shared her own journey from an early life of abuse and gave teens a copy of her book, "Let Your Lessons Become Your Blessings." The presentation was well received by the youth.

SAG member Michael Long and Prevention Specialist Tina Levene offer motivational remarks to a group of girls at Hillsborough RJDC on April 3, 2013.

DETENTION CONGRATULATIONS: I am pleased to announce that Joseph Seeber was appointed superintendent of Southwest RJDC on March 29. Joseph has more than 20 years of management experience in corrections and treatment facilities in both juvenile and adult settings in New York, North Carolina and Florida. He worked for 12 years at the Orange County Corrections Department in Orlando, Florida. He joined DJJ as Superintendent of Falkenburg Juvenile Correctional Facility-Mental Health in Tampa in October 2012. Joseph has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the State University of New York (SUNY) Potsdam and an associate degree in Criminal Justice from SUNY Canton. Please join me in congratulating Joseph on his new position.

PREVENTION KUDOS: Congratulations to Juliet Westmoreland, federal grants coordinator in the Office of Prevention and Victim Services for her service as a Florida Guardian ad Litem (GAL). The March/April 2013 issue of The Guardian, the Circuit 2 GAL newsletter, praises the new volunteer, saying “Juliet Westmoreland is currently working on her very first GAL case and could not be doing a better job of advocacy! She was EXTREMLY instrumental in getting a much needed dental surgery completed for the child she works with. Juliet is a valuable asset to the GAL team because of her passion and dedication for the children in the GAL program.” Thank you for your service to youth, Juliet!

As we enter Children’s Week and look forward to Juvenile Justice Youth Success Day, I am proud of the progress we have made with reform efforts to put Florida’s families first. Thanks to all employees, providers and stakeholders for your commitment and service to Florida’s kids.

Sincerely,

Wansley Walters

Secretary

PS: Please send any noteworthy or newsworthy items for consideration in my weekly letter to the Communications Office at News@djj.state.fl.us or call 850.921.5900. Submissions are considered on a space-available basis and may be edited for clarity and length. Thank you for your cooperation.