Massachusetts Youth Diversion Program (MYDP)

This page provides information about the Massachusetts Youth Diversion Program.

Based on the recommendations in the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data (JJPAD) Board’s 2019 report on diversion, and modeled after the Board’s Model Program Guide, the OCA partnered with the Department of Youth Services to launch the Diversion Learning Lab project in FY22. The Diversion Learning Lab is a state-level youth diversion initiative that provides high-quality, evidence-based youth programming that can serve as an alternative to arresting youth or prosecuting them through the Juvenile Court.

The pilot initially launched in three counties in fall 2021: Worcester (with diversion services provided by Advocates), Middlesex (with diversion services provided by NFI), and Essex (with diversion services provided by Family Services of the Merrimack Valley). 

In fall 2022, the program expanded to two additional sites: Plymouth County (with diversion services provided by Old Colony YMCA) and Hampden County (with diversion services provided by the Gandara Center). In 2023 the program expanded further to the Cape Cod and the Islands (with diversion services provided by Advocates) and Bristol County (with diversion services provided by Child & Family Services, Inc.).

Each provider has a Diversion Coordinator dedicated to accepting referred youth to the program, conducting necessary assessments and intake, developing a diversion agreement, matching services, and providing case management. Additionally, DYS hired a Diversion Manager to act as the central coordinator across all five sites. The OCA works closely with our partners at DYS to monitor implementation, including monthly reviews of program data.

Beginning in FY25, funding for the program has been transferred from OCA to DYS, marking the end of the pilot and initial evaluation phase of this program and the formal establishment of the MYDP as a line item in the state budget and ongoing state service.