What is an Assessment Center?

Assessment Centers are designed to prevent and divert youth from deeper involvement in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. They provide a single point of contact that identifies the root causes of concerning behavior and connects youth and families to individualized services and supports.

Serving as neutral conveners, Assessment Centers create a trusted space where youth, families, and system partners can work toward shared goals. By operating outside of law enforcement, courts, child welfare agencies, schools, and healthcare systems, they build trust, foster communication, and coordinate services.

Assessment Centers are not direct service providers—their role is to connect youth and families with the most appropriate community-based supports while collaborating with stakeholders to address service gaps and strengthen the local continuum of care.

Referral Pathways

Centers engage youth through multiple entry points, including:

  • Referrals from parents, caregivers, or other trusted adults
  • Interventions in schools
  • At or after the point of arrest
  • Partnerships with community stakeholders

Using in-depth interviews and validated screening and assessment tools, Assessment Centers work to understand the barriers youth face at home, in school, or in the community. Staff then collaborate with youth and families to develop a plan and connect them to services—such as counseling, mentoring, basic needs support, or educational advocacy—that promote safety, stability, and long-term success.

Domains of Operation

Assessment Centers are responsive to local context and typically operate across one or more of the following domains:

Juvenile Justice

When youth come into contact with law enforcement—through arrest, a court summons, or a status offense—Assessment Centers often serve as the first point of contact.

  • Conduct interviews and use validated tools to identify needs, strengths, and safety concerns
  • Recommend diversion options to avoid deeper system involvement
  • Coordinate with courts, probation, and pretrial services
  • Connect youth and families to appropriate community supports

Child Welfare

Assessment Centers partner with child welfare systems to provide early intervention and coordinated support when behavior may stem from trauma or instability at home.

  • Identify risk and protective factors through evidence-based screening
  • Support family stabilization with coordinated services
  • Strengthen connections between families and community providers
  • Focus on safety, well-being, and family connection whenever possible

Prevention

Many youth are referred before any formal system involvement. Assessment Centers play a critical early intervention role, supporting families, schools, and community partners.

  • Accept referrals from caregivers, educators, and youth-serving professionals
  • Provide assessment and service coordination as alternatives to school discipline
  • Respond to concerns such as truancy, behavior at home, or signs of unmet needs
  • Build partnerships to address concerns early and prevent system involvement

Watch: What Are Assessment Centers?