“Providing a space for youth to be heard- and know that their ideas and knowledge can impact change- is incredibly powerful.”
Kate Krukemeier has been a Juvenile Probation Officer at the Johnson County Juvenile Probation Department for 14 years. She is one of the newest member of Empower Johnson County, having joined in August 2021.
Kate graduated from Franklin College in 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She originally intended to pursue a career as a teacher. After completing an internship with the Johnson County Juvenile Probation Department her senior year, however, she changed her career path.
Kate spent a year working as an Emergency Dispatcher for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department until a Probation Officer position opened in the spring of 2008. Over the past 14 years, Kate has enjoyed working alongside other agencies who are as passionate as she is about serving the youth and families of Johnson County. We sat down with Kate to learn more about her role and how joining Empower Johnson County has helped enhance her work with the Juvenile Probation Department.
How did you get involved with Empower?
“I was invited to join the Coalition by [Community Coordinator] Michelle McMahon after sitting with her on Drug Free Johnson County. It quickly became evident that the population we both serve are the same and finding ways to support each other would be a vital step in ensuring that the youth and families in Johnson County are getting the best preventative tools to live a healthy and sober lifestyle. Utilizing the data that my department provides gives Empower valuable information to continue to provide and improve the educational and preventative resources they give to the community.”
Do you have a favorite activity that Empower has done or is currently doing?
“My favorite thing that Empower is doing is the Empowered Youth Coalition. It is so important that we are involving the youth in Johnson County with the mission to reduce and prevent substance abuse. Often we forget that what seems like a good idea to an adult, might not resonate with a child. So, providing a space for youth to be heard and to know that their ideas and knowledge can impact change, is incredibly powerful.”
Why is Empower’s mission important and how does it align with the work you are doing?
“By the time I am seeing a child and family in my office, many of them, unfortunately, have already been exposed to substance use. At this point, we provide them with intervention services to stop the use and connect them to services to help address the underlying issues of their use. That could be mental health issues, peer pressure, or some other catalyst to use. The mission of Empower Johnson County is so important, because without the programs and preventative education they provide, I wholeheartedly believe, that the number of youth that come into the doors of the Juvenile Justice Department, and the number of youth who turn to substance use, would be much higher.”
Can you tell us more about what you are seeing in the community through your role at Juvenile Probation?
“Empower’s mission weaves so seamlessly with the mission of the Juvenile Justice System that it impossible to separate them. We all have the same goals for the youth and families of Johnson County. The services, education, and resources that Empower makes so accessible, to children of all ages and their families, is instrumental. It provides the best chance for children to receive early mental health treatment, substance abuse prevention and life skills which will hopefully prevent them from ever becoming involved with the Juvenile Justice System.”
What do you want to see Empower accomplish in the next five years?
“I hope to see Empower continue to grow and see more organizations and youth join the Coalition. The amount of services and agencies that are available in Johnson County is incredible and I am constantly learning about new and existing organizations that I never we had. The wealth of information and networking is incredible and so useful when trying to figure out what works and what we can do better.”
How can people make a difference in our community?
“I would encourage them to reach out and see what this organization is all about and understand the wonderful work that [we] are doing. There is always some way to become involved, even if it is volunteering at an event or showing support by talking about Empower to someone who has never heard of them. I think people sometimes forget that even something they think is small can start the ripple of something huge.”
More About Johnson County Juvenile Probation
The Johnson County Probation Department provides a balanced approach to prevention, community supervision and rehabilitation. The juvenile justice system in Johnson county practices trauma informed care from the point of intake throughout the court process. In order to rehabilitate and promote change among juveniles and their families, Johnson County Probation Department realizes they have to address the underlying trauma. They do this carefully through evidenced based practices, assessments, evaluations and programming. The department collaborates daily with the detention center, juvenile community corrections, Department of Child Services, law enforcement and other community and service providers, to ensure the juvenile and family receive the help and support they need.