Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County
Community Outreach
Our Community Outreach Team oversees the planning and implementation of outreach strategies with surrounding communities to share Juvenile Court’s mission, vision and goals. This dynamic team is primarily responsible for connecting people in the broader community by creating partnership agreements and cultivating relationships with businesses, individuals, and other relevant organizations. They also manage court related tours and court community outreach events.
Foster Care Review Board Team
Our Foster Care Review Board Team manages eighteen review boards. There are approximately 650 children in the custody of the Department of Children’s Services in Davidson County on any given day, and each of these children must have periodic foster care reviews conducted pursuant to state and federal law. Due to this volume and the belief that citizens are a vital community resource, a significant portion of these reviews are conducted by citizen volunteer boards with technical assistance provided by the Administrative Offices of the Court (AOC).
Contact the Foster Care Review Board
Family Recovery Court
Our Family Recovery Court is a 12 month program designed to address child abuse and neglect cases that resulted from a parent’s drug use or abuse. Treatment is personalized to best address individual recovery needs. The Family Recovery Court team consists of a Magistrate, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADAC), Department of Children’s Services representative, alcohol and drug treatment providers, defense counsel, and a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL).
Gang Resistance and Intervention Program
Our Gang Resistance Intervention (GRIP) Program was created to assist Davidson County youth engaging in high-risk, gang related behaviors by addressing the needs of these youth and involving them in positive community activities. The GRIP program teaches our youth a more positive approach of belonging and a productive way of life.
Contact the Gang Resistance and Intervention Program Team
Information Systems and Technology Team
Our Information Systems Technology Team supports the technological needs of the Juvenile Court, including its majority significantly mobile workforce, by providing help desk level support and supporting the use of Juvenile Court – specific applications. The team provides data maintenance of our Juvenile Case Management database (JCM) and serves as the technical point of contact between Juvenile Court end users and Justice Integration Services (JIS), which operates the JIS network domain.
Contact the Information Systems and Technology Team
Intake Team
Our Intake team provides community residents an equitable, affordable, simple and clear process to access the Court system. Intake Specialists process delinquent, neglect/dependent, and unruly complaints. They also assist pro-se litigants with court filings. Delinquency complaints are staffed collaboratively with the Chief Probation Officer, District Attorney, Public Defender, and Victim Services Coordinator.
Interpreter Services
Interpreter Services manages interpreter requests and provides interpreter services for Juvenile Court. Interpreters limit themselves to interpreting or translating, and do not give legal advice, express personal opinions to individuals for whom they are interpreting, or engage in any other activities which may be construed to constitute a service other than interpreting or translating while serving as an interpreter.
Parentage Team
Our three Parentage Courts are federally funded by Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. Upon establishment of parentage, the court will issue an order for parentage which includes the following: Establishment of paternity and parenting responsibilities, current child support and retroactive support, assurance of medical insurance, birth expenses, visitation schedule, name change (under certain circumstances), and provisions for custody. The Parentage Team also hears modification or enforcement of payment on child support and assurance of medical insurance, visitation, and custody. Child Support Services provides DNA testing and legal services to both custodial and non-custodial parents.
Support Intervention Accountability Team
Our Support Intervention Accountability (SIA) team members mentor youth who are recommended to participate in our Supervised Probation program. SIA officers develop customized plans of care for youth based on individualized assessments. They also collaborate with community partners to provide strategic case management and implement resources to strengthen family dynamics.
Contact the Support Intervention Accountability Team
Metro Student Attendance Center
The Metro Student Attendance Center (MSAC) is operated by Juvenile Court in collaboration with the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD). MSAC primarily focuses on loitering during school hours, truancy, and educational neglect cases. MSAC team members closely work with families to identify appropriate services to make a positive impact on the student. If a child is in violation of the Metro Loitering Ordinance 11.28.080, MSAC case managers personally meet with the family and child to determine if the child needs intervention services. The child may receive a court-ordered consequence for their behavior, if inappropriate. The parent/guardian and child will go before the Magistrate prior to release. All truancy cases are either assigned to an early intervention case manager or a long term case manager. Services are implemented to assist the child with improving his or her attendance.
Contact the Metro Student Attendance Center
Parental Assistance Court
Our Parental Assistance Court (PAC) Specialists work with non-custodial parents to obtain legal custody, parenting time, and establish child support. Our program works with various government agencies and community partners to support our Court families. All team members are certified through Rule 31 training to provide mediation services.
Contact Parental Assistance Court
Safe Babies Court
Our Safe Babies Court is a trauma informed program that focuses on healing intergenerational trauma to improve parenting capacity and child well-being. Programing is aligned with Building Strong Families and Healthy Communities Zero to Three curricula. This program works collaboratively with the Department of Children’s Services, Vanderbilt University, the Zero to Three National Community Coordinator as well as many other local resource agencies.
Victim Services
Our Victim Services Coordinator advocates for victims of juvenile offenses with a compassionate understanding of the impact of trauma. Our coordinator also oversees the Therapy Dog Program, which provides emotional support to both court staff and our young visitors.
Youth Court
Our Youth Courts operate in collaboration with Juvenile Court, Tennessee Youth Courts, Inc, and the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. We currently have seven Youth Courts in Davidson County, Tennessee. Youth are trained in court structure, etiquette, case preparation, witness questioning, and fair case outcome determination by members of their community, including the Juvenile Court Judge, Youth Court Team, attorneys, law students, and teachers.
Warrants Team
The Warrants Team is vested with the responsibility for service of process on all civil and criminal actions in Juvenile Court. Service of process includes serving subpoenas, summons, attachments and warrants. This team is also responsible with maintaining court house security, and providing inmate transport.