Goals: To ensure the safety of youth by removing them from the Cook County Detention Center within 24 hours of referral; To increase family reunification/preserve and stabilize families; and to divert or minimize involvement in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice system.
Outcome: Youth will be removed from detention; Youth will be safe; Youth will be a unified family; Youth will receive a long term living assessment.
Program Description: The Release Upon Request (RUR) program serves youth 12-17 years of age who have been ordered released from the Cook County Temporary Juvenile Detention Center, but who remain there because a parent, guardian or custodian has failed to accept custody. This program is available only in Cook County. The purpose of the RUR program is to ensure that youth are removed from detention within 24 hours of referral. Once that is accomplished, the focus of the program turns to efforts to reunify the family.
Target Population: Youth 12-17 years of age who have been ordered released from the Cook County Temporary Juvenile Detention Center.
Activities:
- Ensure the safety of youth
- Individual and family crisis intervention
- Develop and implement crisis stabilization plan
- Placement services - Shelter, foster care, etc.
- YASI assessments, Re-Assessments and Closing Assessments
- Additional assessments as needed (mental health, substance abuse; trauma, etc.)
- Develop and implement an individualized case plan
- Develop and implement a discharge/after-care plan
- Appropriate referral and follow-up
Performance Measures/Outcomes
- Pursuant to an Order for Temporary Service, will be removed from the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center within 24 hours of referral
- Youth served will be in a family/long-term living arrangement at case closure
- Youth served (not referred/returned to court) will achieve goals in their case closure
The Release upon Request (RUR) is a small but significant program that is operated in Cook County only.
It provides services to youth (13-17) who have been released by the court after a detention hearing with a court order that the youth be released to his/her parent, guardian, or custodian but who remain in detention because no one has appeared to take responsibility for the youth within 24 hours of his/her release.
Who can receive these services?
Youth (13-17) who have been released from a detention center or a jail to return home to their family and still remain in the detention center or jail because a parent or legal guardian has not picked them up.
What services are offered?
- Help with a crisis
- Bringing families together
- Counseling for youth and family
- Finding youth a place to stay
How to apply?
Release Upon Request (RUR) is only offered in cook County.
Contact a Release Upon Request (RUR) Provider if you live in Cook County and are:
- The Youth,
- The Youth's Parents or Guardian,
- Court Staff,
- Probation Staff,
- The Judge
