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1. Reprioritization of adolescents
2. Sealing of juvenile records
3. 8 hour notification law

1. Advocacy day planning
2. Advocacy training

1. Reprioritization of adolescents—Jim Theofelis reporting
   • Adolescents are being de-prioritized within the state system through both formal and informal ways of preventing them from accessing services.
   • Sarah Keating has a copy of the DSHS risk matrix that is used for assessing the urgency of CPS reports—reports of abuse of 12-16 year olds are ranked as moderate risk no matter what kind (or severity) of abuse is reported.
   • Family Reconciliation Services (a division of CPS most often used by adolescents) has been under-spending its yearly budget.
   • Jim has set up a meeting with Senator Hargrove, is playing phone tag with Representative Dickerson and has been contacted by Representative Bolt who is very interested in meeting.
   • The most important thing that coalition members, service providers, and others involved in the system can do is to collect stories from folks who are experiencing the backlash of adolescent de-prioritization. Stories can be emailed to Jim Theofelis (jim@mockingbirdsociety.org) and Casey Trupin (casey.trupin@columbialegal.org)
   • Alicia from PSKS affirmed how difficult it can be for adolescents to protect themselves from abuse.
2. Sealing of juvenile records—Casey Trupin reporting
   • Washington state has very punitive laws pertaining to the sealing of juvenile records.
   • Casey distributed a memo (not for general distribution) including legal information pertaining to juvenile records and a proposal by the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL)
   • The law ranks juvenile offenses on a scale of A to E with A being the most serious (homicide, some types of arson, rape, assault with a deadly weapon) and E being misdemeanors.
   • All records are public, even after the juvenile turns 18.
   • In order to seal juvenile records, the individual must spend a certain amount of time in the community (jail time doesn't count) without committing another offense and then may petition the court to get their records sealed. The time varies according to the severity of the offense:
     1. A—these records can never be sealed
     2. B—10 years
     3. C—4 years
     4. D—3 years
     5. E—2 years
   • This system can prevent young adults who may not have committed a crime in years from getting housing and employment. It turns homeless youth into homeless adults by closing off their options.
   • Important: Sealing juvenile records means that they are sealed for the public (landlords, employers etc.), not the courts. An 18 year old who offended as a juvenile and then re-offends as an adult will NOT be mistakenly treated as a first offender since the courts can re-open the records. This is a common misconception among lawmakers.
   • Issue of including sex offenders: the WACDL proposal included only sex offenders who had completed the SODA treatment program. Group discussed trying to pass the proposal w/o including sex offenders and then possibly add them in later. Casey felt that was unlikely to work since it would be much more difficult to find a legislative sponsor for a bill specifically to seal the juvenile records of sex offenders. Group did not know whether there was a marker other than SODA that would indicate rehabilitation. Rachel from PSKS suggested the language: "having completed an approved treatment program". Jim from Mockingbird suggested that we exclude sex offenders for the time being and let the SO treatment community speak to that issue.
   • Position statement: ASK-Y also supports sealing the records of sex offenders who are considered rehabilitated.
   • Jason from the UDYC will help Casey come up with a written proposal.
   • Johnny from the UDYC knows someone who's having trouble getting services because of her records—he will talk to her about writing her story and speaking.
   • This cannot be done without firsthand accounts and testimonies from young adults who are being affected by this law—everybody needs to be looking for stories and getting them to Jim and Casey as soon as possible.
   • Darius from Mockingbird brought up the issue of misinformation—many juveniles do not realize that their records won't automatically be sealed when they turn 18.
3. Eight hour notification
   • Two major options for addressing this issue: we can go after it in Olympia through the legislature (RCW) or we can go through DCFS (WAC).
   • In the legislature it will never pass without the support of Senator Hargrove who is very much opposed to it.
   • PSKS worked on this issue last year and is willing to work on it again as an organization.
   • Educating Senator Hargrove is an important task—we need under 18-ers to talk about how they would go to shelter if it weren't for the Becca bill (those kids are hard to come by).
   • Casey says that our best bet is to focus on decision-makers at DSHS and get the WAC changed so that reporting is required w/in 72 hours rather than 8.
   • Currently in the RCW there is a law which says that you can be sued (as an agency or individual) for harboring a runaway without reporting them to parents or police within 8 hours. In the WAC there is a law saying that shelters that don't report within 8 hours will lose their license. It would be easier and more effective to work on the WAC first and then petition the legislature to update the RCW according to the changes in the WAC.
4. Advocacy day planning—Curtis Knopf reporting
   • The advocacy day will be Friday Feb. 6—where and when to meet TBA.
   • Curtis from Youth Care brought maps of the capitol with reserved areas highlighted.
5. Advocacy training—Valerie Douglas reporting
   • Group from PSKS has lots of training ideas and materials and will be joining this committee.
   • So far, training will consist of:
   • 3 hours the day before the advocacy day going over themes, how to tell your story, do's and don'ts, role plays of talking with legislators and information about current bills.
   • Morning of "quickie" version including handouts and discussion.
   • Advocacy committee will be in charge of making appointments to meet with legislators.
   • All committees will come up with a draft for a one page info sheet concerning their issue.
   • Some other ideas:
     • Big, brightly colored nametags that say "youth advocacy day" so that we will be recognized by legislators and aids walking down the hall.
     • Postcards with our three issues on the front and room for a personal note on the back—should match our nametags.
     • Those who work with agencies should talk with the heads of their organizations about being represented by ASK-Y in Olympia.