A Nationally Recognized Beacon for Youth Diversion
For decades, Huckleberry Youth Programs has operated the Community Assessment and Referral Center (CARC) as a community-based juvenile justice diversion program managed for the City and County of San Francisco. Serving as a single point of entry for crisis intervention, assessment, service integration, and justice system navigation and referrals, CARC has supported thousands of youth arrested in San Francisco. Providing immediate trauma-informed care and connection to individualized community services, CARC replaces punitive measures with restorative paths forward.
Inspiring Peer Systems
Because of CARC’s national reputation, system leaders across the country look to San Francisco to learn how to build similar infrastructure. Recently, a multidisciplinary delegation from Philadelphia, with representatives from the Office of Public Safety, the Police Department, the Department of Human Services, the District Attorney’s Office, and Juvenile Probation, traveled to San Francisco for a peer-to-peer site visit. The Philadelphia delegation sought to learn how San Francisco established an early, centralized process at the point of law enforcement contact to connect youth to wraparound services and dedicated Justice Navigators from the start.
Why Institutional Partnerships Matter
Scaling innovative models like CARC requires strong, sustained partnerships to go beyond basic operational baselines:
- Single-Point Navigation & Care Continuity: Dedicated Case Managers and Navigators walk alongside youth and families throughout their journey, eliminating the need to re-tell trauma at every agency handoff.
- Comprehensive Trauma Screening & Service Matching: Specialized tools to match youth to tailored community interventions.
- Interagency & Cross-System Collaboration: Data sharing and multi-agency infrastructure are necessary for smooth coordination among law enforcement, the District Attorney’s office, public defenders, and community-based providers.
- National Knowledge Sharing: A proven blueprint to inform and guide peer cities nationwide toward systemic reform.
Partner with Us to Advance Youth Equity
When we invest in community-based diversion and restorative justice, we transform intergenerational trajectories and strengthen whole communities. Institutional partners have a unique opportunity to help expand CARC’s reach, deepen provider networks, and ensure every young person has access to the support, safety, and opportunities they need to thrive.
