The Minnesota Continuum of Care for Girls & Gender-Expansive Young People is a regional planning initiative focused on building a more coordinated and responsive system of care across the Twin Cities metro region. Through partnership with Ramsey County, metro county partners, community-based organizations, and individuals with lived experience, this work aims to strengthen how systems support girls and gender-expansive young people impacted by the juvenile justice system.
The initiative is grounded in research conducted in partnership with Justice + Joy National Collaborative, including qualitative and quantitative analysis examining girls’ experiences across child welfare, juvenile justice, and community systems. Findings highlighted significant gaps in services, instability across systems, challenges navigating referrals and supports, and the need for more gender-responsive and trauma-informed approaches.
The planning process is structured around several phases focused on regional alignment, asset mapping, workforce development, and framework design. Current priorities include:
- Developing a metro-wide service inventory and continuum map
- Identifying referral pathways and gaps in coordination across counties
- Strengthening trauma-informed and gender-responsive approaches
- Supporting workforce development through Train-the-Trainer opportunities
- Engaging partners around the rollout and dissemination of the Girls Report
- Building a draft regional Continuum of Care framework and implementation roadmap
This work is rooted in collaboration, shared learning, and the belief that girls and gender-expansive young people deserve coordinated, healing-centered, and community-based systems of support that can be sustained across counties and agencies.
Grant Leadership & Oversight Information
Organizational Leadership
Jeannette Pai-Espinosa, M.Ed
President, Justice + Joy National Collaborative
Email: [email protected]
Grant Management & Oversight
Dr. K. Shakira Washington (Continuum of Care Project Lead)
Vice President, Collaborative, Research and Innovation Thought
Email: [email protected]
Michelle A. Diaz, MPA (Continuum of Care Project Manager)
Sr. Director, Transformational Technical Assistance
Email: [email protected]
