The Berrien County Trial Court’s Family Division has launched a new online tool to help teens at risk of getting into trouble find the help they need.
Court Family Division Administrator Elvin Gonzalez tells us as the court put together its strategic plan, it saw a need to help prevent young people from getting caught up in the courts because, often, a teen will show signs of trouble before getting into real trouble. That’s why the court has teamed up with the Berrien Community Foundation for Teens in Need, a way for a young person or their parents to find help.
“Parents can access it, teens can access it, and what it does is it links teens and or their parents to resource information, which addresses some of the underlying factors that could put them at risk of getting involved in the court system,” Gonzalez said. “So it connects them to agencies and providers that can help them get on the right track.”
Gonzalez says this goes back a few years as the court looked for prevention tools.
“We see kids that are struggling at home, in their relationships with their family members. It could be kids struggling at school or in their community with their peers. And we really wanted to have a resource for those teens to be able to be connected to services.”
Gonzalez says the court is meeting with school superintendents and principals, the Department of Health and Human Services, and others who work with young people to spread the word about Teens in Need. He says teachers, coaches, and even cafeteria staff often see the first signs a young person may need a helping hand.