Assessment Unit Manager
Matthew Pack
Mpack@mcjcohio.org
937-225-4260

Assessment Specialist Supervisor
Richard Doran Jr.
RDoranJr@mcjcohio.org
937-224-3853

Assessment Specialist Supervisor
Rachel Fitzgerald
rfitzgerald@mcjcohio.org
937 225-4141 ext.2

Assessment Specialist Supervisor
Julia Echols
julia.echols@mcjcohio.org
937 225-4141 ext.2

 The Assessment Unit also provides 24-hour, 7 days a week assessment of all referrals that are sent to the Court. There are three different ways in which Assessment staff comes into contact with a youth:

Secure Receiving

Youth who are brought to the Intervention Center by law enforcement meet with Assessment staff, who administers several screenings, such as the Detention Screening Instrument, Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS), Alcohol or Other Drug (AOD) questionnaire, and Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) questionnaire. After assessing the totality of information and court history, the Assessment staff ultimately makes a placement determination and follows the appropriate steps to see it through.

Walk-in

The public are free to report to the Intervention Center at any time to receive assistance. The Assessment staff offer crisis intervention to families dealing with unruliness; meet with and initiate the process for families who wish to pursue a Deinstitutionalized Status Offender (DSO) Warrant, Sealing/Expungement of Records, Juvenile Civil Protection Order, and many other services.

Mail-in Referrals

Not every youth who is referred to the Court for a delinquency or status offense is physically arrested and brought to Secure Receiving. The majority of police referrals are mailed into the Court. The Assessment staff screen the mail-in cases based off of specific criteria, and determine the route in which they will be handled by the Court.

Those cases that will be handled unofficially are set for an unofficial Administrative Hearing with Assessment staff.  During the hearing, the Assessment staff covers the referring situation, utilizes motivational interviewing and explores all aspects of the youth’s life, including but not limited to family dynamics, school performance, and peer relationships. Youth are linked with services and their cases are monitored. Services can include, but are not limited to, mental health assessments, in-home family therapy, community service, and educational classes. If the youth is successful, the case is closed out without official court action, and the charge is sealed.

For those cases that are not eligible for unofficial handling, the Assessment staff sends them to the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for consideration of official charges. Charges that are filed officially are scheduled for a hearing before a Judge or Magistrate. In those cases, the Assessment staff completes the social background interview. The interview assists the Court in preparing a report that provides a holistic picture of each youth, including his/her personal strengths and weaknesses. If adjudicated, the report can be used by the court to create an individualized plan for success.