Craig Daily Press

Craig — Everyone makes mistakes.

But, “Let’s be proactive with our kids instead of reactive,” said Kelly Patterson, director for the Moffat County Crisis Intervention Team and Community Evaluation Team.

With that in mind, Patterson is in the process of establishing the Moffat County Youth Services Department, which will combine her offices with the Juvenile Diversion Program currently run out of the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

She said she hopes to have the department established by July 1.

Patterson’s offices work with juvenile offenders while they are on probation or parole.

Crisis Intervention and Com­munity Evaluation offer support services, such as calling in the morning to make sure a minor is going to school, or assisting a family to find help with other agencies such as Craig Mental Health.

“We want to hook up families with local services to keep kids in the home,” Patterson said.

The Juvenile Diversion Pro­gram offers juvenile offenders a chance to repay their debt to the community without entering the system.

Sometimes, “the system” isn’t a cure-all for a young person that “simply messed up,” said Tara Jenrich, Moffat County juvenile diversion officer.

Juveniles who commit a first offense — other than sex offenders and some violent assault crimes — are able to sign up for diversion. Jenrich coordinates with the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office on bringing minors into the program and how each participant progresses with the conditions of their program.

Conditions include, but are not limited to, regular meetings with Jenrich, submitting to and paying for drug and alcohol testing, attending special classes that relate a juvenile’s specific offense and participating in approved community service projects.

Patterson referred to the program as “restorative justice,” which not only punishes the offender, but also forces them to address the problems created by their crime.

For instance, a minor that shot livestock with paintball guns would perform their community service tending to animals at the Moffat County Fair so they learn how much people care about livestock.

“Otherwise, kids kind of go, ‘Ok, you’re an adult, what do you know?’” Patterson said. “It’s better for us to try to have them learn things on their own, and we can guide them through that.”

District Attorney’s Office representatives and members of the Moffat County Commission all said they approve of Jenrich’s and Patterson’s programs and think they work.

Bringing them together — thus bringing together one office that handles juveniles after their first offense and one office that handles juveniles on more serious probations — sounds like a good idea to better each one, they said.

Commissioner Tom Gray said he agrees with Jenrich’s philosophy about “the system.”

“We’re trying to not set them up to fail,” he said. “Once you get into the system, you have so many stipulations and conditions that even you or I wouldn’t be able to meet them all.”

Jenrich said she envisions a network that can bring mentoring back to the youth in Moffat County.

“I just think we can be more involved with the kids by working together and sharing resources,” she said. “I think Kelly’s goal is to provide the best services to kids in our community.”

Patterson said she believes that means having a one-stop-shop for families that may need support.

“Families can come here whether their need is a result of law enforcement action or not,” she said. “I don’t want to change either program. I want to enhance them.”