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It's been a decade since we launched Stepping Up. Read about the initiative's impact—and future.
Take Action » Launch Stepping Up for Youth

Launch Stepping Up for Youth

Nationally, an estimated 7 out of 10 youth in detention have a diagnosable mental health condition.

States that launch a Stepping Up for Youth initiative will receive technical assistance (TA) from The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center to identify, implement, and expand best practices for safely reducing the use of detention and increasing connections to care for young people with serious behavioral health needs who are at risk of being or are currently involved in the juvenile justice system. 

Outcomes

Stepping Up for Youth initiatives will culminate in the development of:

  • A statewide juvenile justice and behavioral health action plan
  • Tools, resources, and guidance to implement the Stepping Up for Youth initiative in counties across the state
  • A statewide Stepping Up for Youth TA center to support the implementation and sustainability of the statewide action plan and local efforts

To learn about launching a Stepping Up for Youth initiative in your state, email steppingup@csg.org.

Kansas Youth Initiative

In 2024, Governor Laura Kelly launched the nation’s first Stepping Up for Youth initiative in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Corrections, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Kansas Department for Children and Families, and the CSG Justice Center.

In Kansas, the work is building upon existing efforts, including the adult-focused Kansas Stepping Up TA Center, the funding of youth crisis centers, and the implementation of Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) sites. Through this initiative, the CSG Justice Center is partnering with state and local leaders in youth-serving systems to implement data-driven systems change to reduce the unnecessary use of detention and increase connections to care for young Kansans with serious behavioral health needs who are at risk of being or currently involved in the juvenile justice system.

Kansas has two main objectives:

1. Adapt and implement the Stepping Up model for the juvenile justice system, including developing a youth-centered framework, creating key metrics to track performance, and designing localized solutions in collaboration with counties.

2. Align the state’s policies, practices, and resource allocation decisions with what research shows works to improve community safety and outcomes for youth, with a particular focus on safely diverting youth with behavioral health needs from secure detention and more effectively serving these youth in the community.

Pilot Sites

Seven counties across Kansas have been selected to pilot the Stepping Up for Youth framework: Barton, Bourbon, Franklin, Johnson, Seward, Sedgwick, and Shawnee.

To inform lasting reforms, the participating counties receive dedicated staff support, individualized technical assistance, access to national experts and resources, peer learning opportunities, strategic policy guidance, and direct collaboration with state leaders.

View resources related to the Kansas Stepping Up for Youth initiative.