Graduate School
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Undergraduate School
New York University Steinhardt School of Education
Mentor
Brian Doherty, General Agent/Secretary Treasurer of the Building and Construction Trades Council of the Metropolitan District and Rappaport Advisory Board Member and Chrystal Lopez Haynes, former Rappaport Public Policy Fellow
Agency
Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate
Supervisor
Melissa Threadgill, Director of Juvenile Justice Initiatives and former Rappaport Public Policy Fellow
Description of Fellowship
Judy worked with the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA)’s Juvenile Justice Policy and Data (JJPAD) Board to study the Child Requiring Assistance (CRA) system. Specifically, she explored the relationship between schools, courts, and local Family Resource Centers (FRCs) to identify ways they might collaborate to help reduce the filing of truancy based CRA petitions.
Judy concluded her fellowship by presenting to the Community Based Intervention (CBI) subcommittee and drafting a final report summarizing preliminary findings and recommendations on ways the system can be improved.