Murray State University partners with Kentucky Court Designated Workers to support juvenile diversion through mentoring course

MURRAY, Ky. — Murray State University’s Criminal Justice program has launched a unique partnership with Kentucky Court Designated Workers (CDWs) to support youth participating in juvenile diversion through structured, supervised mentoring. The collaboration is grounded in CRJ 405: Mentoring Essential Skills, a course designed to prepare students to work ethically and effectively with justice-involved youth before formal court involvement occurs.

The CDW program is a statutorily authorized diversion system that promotes fairness, due process and early intervention for juveniles. Court-designated workers assess complaints, determine eligibility for diversion and provide case management and monitoring throughout the diversion period.

Through CRJ 405, students serve in a mentoring role that supports diversion goals by encouraging positive decision-making, accountability, skill development and education. 

Students learn and apply evidence-based mentoring strategies such as active listening, rapport-building, effective communication, confidentiality, goal setting and boundary setting—helping them translate classroom learning into real-world practice.

Dr. Alaina Steele, assistant professor of criminal justice and social work, said Murray State is currently the only university in Kentucky offering a mentoring program in partnership with CDW.

“As the program has developed, CDW offices in other regions have reached out to express interest in Murray State’s model, and conversations are underway about adapting similar approaches based on the structure of CRJ 405,” Steele said.

The partnership began after Shanna Sullivan, program coordinator with Family and Juvenile Services, reached out to Dr. Daniel Hepworth, director of Murray State’s Criminal Justice program, to revisit earlier discussions about launching a mentoring initiative. Once the team examined the CDW diversion framework and the needs of justice-involved youth, CRJ 405 was intentionally developed to meet a clear community need while strengthening student preparation.

CRJ 405 emphasizes experiential learning and professional readiness by integrating supervised mentoring with structured training and reflection. In addition to direct mentoring, students complete coursework that mirrors real-world expectations in criminal justice and helping professions, including mentoring case plans, professional documentation and supervision-based learning.

One innovative element of the course allows students to develop a de-identified, AI-based profile of their mentee to practice simulated mentoring conversations. These simulations allow students to respond to realistic scenarios, sharpen decision-making and receive feedback in a low-risk environment—building confidence and judgment alongside their work with youth.

“This partnership gives students direct exposure to how the juvenile justice system operates on the front end, before court involvement,” Steele said. “They see how eligibility is determined, how accountability and support are balanced and how community-based services play a critical role in shaping outcomes.”

The collaboration also helps students better understand the complex realities youth and families may face during diversion, including stress, uncertainty and barriers to support. As the semester progresses, early student reflections have highlighted growth in patience, consistency, ethical engagement and relationship-building—skills essential for long-term success in justice-related careers.

By the end of the semester, students are expected to demonstrate stronger professional competence and confidence, along with a deeper understanding of diversion-focused approaches that prioritize early intervention and community partnership.

To learn more about Murray State’s Criminal Justice program, please visit bit.ly/MurrayStateCriminalJustice.