Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe sponsored a conference for mental health professionals, probation officers, community workers, school administrators and teachers that examined how trauma and violence shapes the behaviors of young people.

The one-day training was developed in partnership with the Probation Department, Department of Mental Health, Los Angeles Unified School District and the Children’s Council of Los Angeles County, and focused on those engaged in delinquent behavior and under the supervision of the Probation Department.

For far too long, we have viewed kids involved in the juvenile justice system, over 27,000 in Los Angeles County alone, from primarily a prosecutorial standpoint, and that really impairs our ability to help them move past their delinquent behaviors and overcome the significant obstacles they face, said Supervisor Knabe. The goal of the conference is to impart upon staff who work with these young people everyday specific, concrete practices that take into account the trauma and violence these kids grew up with and are continually exposed to. I hope that these new groundbreaking practices will be a positive and significant step towards improving their lives and ultimately eliminating violence and the pervasive influence of gangs in their communities.