1. (1) The office shall contract with a technical assistance provider to support implementation of the grant program and to build grantee capacity to deliver deflection program services. Prior to developing and disseminating grant program application materials, the office shall solicit and receive input from the contracted technical assistance provider in developing the grant program application materials. In selecting a technical assistance provider, the office shall prioritize organizations that employ people who have lived experience as a youth in the justice system.

2. (2) The technical assistance provider shall demonstrate experience in all the following areas:

   1. (a) Developmental research and identifying best practices for serving youth involved in, and youth at risk of involvement in, the justice system, including children who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and youth in the dependency system;
   2. (b) Research on systems that refer youth to the justice system, including the education, immigration, and child welfare systems, and research on best practices for referrals;
   3. (c) Presenting and disseminating best practices on alternatives to incarceration and justice system involvement;
   4. (d) Working with and supporting community-based organizations serving youth involved in, and youth at risk of involvement in, the justice system in Colorado;
   5. (e) Collaborating with justice system stakeholders;
   6. (f) Working with and supporting Native American organizations and communities; and
   7. (g) Working with justice-system-involved youth and communities and elevating youth leadership.

3. (3) The technical assistance provider shall:

   1. (a) Provide input to the office regarding the development of the grant program's grant application materials;
   2. (b) Support grantees in establishing and maintaining relationships with justice system and community stakeholders, including public agencies, tribal governments and communities, nonprofit organizations, and youth and families most impacted by the justice system;
   3. (c) Provide grantees with training and support in implementing best practices and trauma-informed, culturally relevant, gender-responsive, and developmentally appropriate approaches to serving youth;
   4. (d) Create peer learning opportunities for grantees to learn from and alongside one another;
   5. (e) In collaboration with the research and evaluation partner selected pursuant to section 24-33.5-2807, provide grantees with administrative and technical support to support compliance with applicable data reporting and program evaluation requirements, and with applicable laws, including laws around confidentiality and deflection eligibility; and
   6. (f) Provide the research and evaluation partner selected pursuant to section 24-33.5-2807 with input regarding the development of deflection program evaluation processes and metrics.

Source: L. 2025: Entire part added, (HB 25-1146), ch. 358, p. 1942, § 8, effective July 1.