SJP Introduces New Staff Trainings for Community-Based Organizations and Agencies 02.24.25

SJP has recently grown our Community Outreach and Legal Training (COLT) Program by offering training for staff of community-based organizations and agencies who serve DC's young people. The 75-minute training, which was designed by Staff Attorney/Equal Justice Works Fellow Katie Martinez, provides a practical overview of special education law and how it impacts young people in DC. Using a fictional case as an example, the training follows the path of a court-involved young person with disabilities with a focus on how a lack of appropriate special education services often drives the young person away from school and into the juvenile and criminal legal systems. The training also highlights steps that staff can take to intervene and facilitate better outcomes for the young people they serve.

Katie presented the first training in late January for staff at Sasha Bruce Youthwork, an organization that serves young people experiencing homelessness. Last week, she delivered the training for staff members of Court Services & Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), and next month, she will deliver the training to staff at Latin American Youth Center (LAYC).  

We are energized by the interest other organizations have expressed in these trainings and look forward to expanding our training offerings!