Launch Stepping Up for Youth in Your State
Nationally, 7 out of 10 youth in detention have a diagnosable mental health condition, compared to only 2 out of 10 youth in the general population. This disparity highlights the role that unmet behavioral health needs play in juvenile justice involvement and signals an urgent need for systems to act.
States or counties that launch a Stepping Up for Youth initiative will receive technical assistance (TA) from The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center that helps leaders identify, implement, and expand policies and best practices to safely reduce detention and increase connections to care for young people with serious behavioral health needs who are at risk of being or are in the juvenile justice system.
Benefits of Launching
By launching a Stepping Up for Youth initiative, you will receive access to our national experts, evidence‑informed insights and solutions, and high‑impact strategies to drive lasting policy and practice improvements.
Our experts will help you develop any combination of the following at the state and/or local level(s):
- A juvenile justice and behavioral health action plan that addresses policy, practice, funding, and quality assurance across key agencies
- A statewide Stepping Up for Youth TA center to support the implementation and sustainability of juvenile justice and behavioral health efforts
- Tools, resources, and guidance to support implementation of the initiative
- Tailored support to strengthen infrastructure and system responses
- Peer connections and shared learning opportunities that build capacity and promote consistent, effective practice
- Stronger communication between county and state leaders to inform policy reform and guide strategic resource allocation
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 (SU-Y) initiative in collaboration with the CSG Justice Center and the state’s Departments of Corrections, Aging and Disability Services, and Children and Families. To implement the initiative, Kansas also launched a Stepping Up for Youth Technical Assistance Center.
In Kansas, the work is building on existing efforts, including the funding of youth crisis centers and the implementation of Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative sites.
Through this initiative, the CSG Justice Center is partnering with state and local leaders to implement data-driven strategies and strengthen coordination across youth-serving systems.
Kansas SU-Y Objectives
1. Adapt and implement the Stepping Up model for the juvenile justice system.
This includes developing a youth-centered framework, key performance metrics, and localized solutions in collaboration with counties. In 2025, seven counties across Kansas were selected to pilot the Stepping Up for Youth framework: Barton, Bourbon, Franklin, Johnson, Sedgwick, Seward, and Shawnee. To inform lasting reforms, the CSG Justice Center provided the participating counties with:
- Dedicated staff support
- Individualized technical assistance
- Access to national experts and resources
- Peer learning opportunities
- Strategic policy guidance
- Opportunities for direct collaboration with state leaders
2. Align state policies, practices, and resources with research.
This work focuses on improving community safety and youth outcomes by safely diverting youth with behavioral health needs from secure detention and serving them in the community.
The CSG Justice Center conducted a yearlong assessment of state policies, practices, funding, and quality assurance mechanisms across corrections, courts, behavioral health, child welfare, and other youth-serving agencies. This led to two large-scale statewide recommendations and action plans: developing a youth early intervention system and establishing statewide detention standards.
Want to launch a Stepping Up for Youth initiative? Email steppingup@csg.org.