Tools on Devices, or TOD, is a digital platform used by juvenile justice agencies to assign cognitive behavioral intervention tools electronically. Staff can send Carey Guides Brief Intervention Tools (BITS), and Driver Workbook assignments directly to youth through a phone, tablet, or computer. Youth complete the tools both during, in-between, and outside scheduled meetings, and staff can track completion, review responses, and use the assignments to guide follow-up conversations that support case planning and behavior change.
In juvenile justice settings, structured intervention work often has to continue across different environments. A youth may complete assignments while in a detention facility, continue that work during transition, and carry it forward while on probation or parole. Staff may be working in secure facilities, community supervision offices, or a combination of both. Maintaining continuity across those settings is not always easy.
Paper tools and in-person conversations can be effective in the moment, but they do not always carry forward between contacts. Assignments may not follow the youth across placements. Time with staff can be limited. Follow-through can become inconsistent as supervision conditions change.
Digital tools for juvenile justice help address that gap. TOD allows staff to assign fillable cognitive behavioral tools that stay with the youth across settings. Whether a youth is completing work in detention, in the community, or during a transition between the two, the assignment remains accessible. That continuity supports a more stable approach to case planning and behavior change over time.
How TOD Helps Agencies Deliver Structured Interventions Across Caseloads
Juvenile justice professionals often manage complex caseloads that include youth in detention, placement, under community supervision, and youth moving between both environments. Delivering consistent intervention work across those situations can be difficult, even when staff are committed to structured case planning.
Electronic assignments create a more flexible way to maintain that consistency. With TOD, staff can assign tools that youth can complete in a facility setting using available devices or in the community using a personal phone or computer. This flexibility allows intervention work to continue regardless of where the youth is located.
That matters because meaningful intervention work requires more than a single interaction. Structured cognitive behavioral work needs repetition, reflection, and reinforcement over time. When youth can complete assignments between meetings or outside formal programming blocks, agencies can extend intervention work beyond scheduled contact. This increases hours addressing their needs that are linked to problematic thinking and behavior.
TOD reduces barriers that often interrupt that process, including lost paper assignments, printing requirements, and the need to physically transfer materials between settings. Instead, assignments remain accessible and trackable, which helps staff maintain continuity even when supervision environments change.
Assigning the Right Juvenile Justice Intervention Tools With TOD
Effective intervention work depends on matching the right tool to the youth’s current needs. In juvenile justice settings, those needs may shift based on placement, supervision level, or recent behavior. A youth in detention may be working on immediate decision-making and emotional control, while a youth on probation may be focused on peer influence, goal setting, or long-term thinking.
TOD supports that level of targeted assignment through Tool Navigator, which helps staff quickly identify tools that align with specific needs and responsivity factors. This allows staff to remain intentional about what they assign rather than relying on general or repetitive activities.
That kind of alignment is essential in environments where time is limited and intervention opportunities need to be used effectively. When staff assign tools that connect directly to case planning priorities, youth are more likely to engage with the material and apply it to real situations.
TOD provides access to fillable Carey eGuides, BITS, and the Driver Workbook in both English and Spanish. This range allows staff to select cognitive behavioral tools for youth that match both the intervention goal and the setting in which the youth is completing the work. Whether the assignment is completed in a secure facility or at home, the content remains consistent and connected to the case plan.
Tracking Intervention Progress and Case Planning With Digital Tools
Maintaining visibility into intervention work is especially important when youth are moving between detention and community supervision. Without a clear system, it can be difficult to track what has been assigned, what has been completed, and how that work connects to the case plan.
TOD provides assignment tracking that shows whether tools are pending, completed, not started, or past due. This allows staff to quickly understand where each youth stands, regardless of whether they are currently in a facility or in the community.
Automatic reminders and manual follow-up options help staff maintain engagement across different supervision settings. A youth in the community can receive reminders before a due date, while staff working in facilities can monitor completion during programming time. This flexibility supports more consistent follow-through.
At the agency level, dashboards and reporting tools provide a broader view of how intervention work is being used. This can help supervisors and program managers understand whether structured programming is being delivered consistently across units, locations, or supervision types. This can also provide perspective to youth as they can track their own progress and see how far they come.
TOD’s Dosage Meter adds another layer by tracking the amount of structured programming youth receive over time. This is particularly useful in juvenile justice systems where agencies are working to ensure that intervention work is not only assigned but completed at a level that supports behavior change.
Using Completed Digital Assignments to Guide Meaningful Youth Conversations
Completed assignments provide a strong foundation for meaningful conversations, whether those conversations take place in a detention unit, a probation office, or during a check-in in the community. Instead of relying on general questions, staff can use the youth’s written responses to guide a more focused discussion.
This approach allows staff to explore how the youth is thinking about situations, where they are struggling, and where progress is beginning to take shape. It also helps connect intervention work across settings. A tool completed in detention can be reviewed later during community supervision, creating continuity in both the content and the conversation.
TOD includes Tool Insight, an AI-supported feature that reviews completed assignments and highlights patterns such as strengths, risk indicators, and areas that may need further attention. This can help staff prepare conversations more efficiently while still relying on their professional judgment to guide the discussion. It also provides the youth with insight into their thinking and behaviors.
The value of this process comes from how the assignment is used after completion. When staff consistently review and discuss completed tools, intervention work becomes part of an ongoing process rather than a one-time activity. Youth have repeated opportunities to reflect, practice, and apply new thinking across different environments.
Integrating TOD Into Everyday Juvenile Justice Casework
Juvenile justice casework often spans multiple environments, shifting supervision levels, and changing needs. Tools that support this work must be flexible enough to function across detention, probation, and community settings while still maintaining structure and purpose.
TOD helps agencies integrate cognitive behavioral intervention work into daily practice by making assignments accessible, trackable, and connected to case planning. It allows staff to assign tools that follow the youth across settings, monitor engagement, and use completed work to guide meaningful conversations.
That integration supports a more consistent approach to intervention delivery. Youth can continue working on the same skill areas as they move through the system, and staff can maintain continuity in how they support behavior change.
Digital tools for juvenile justice are most effective when they are used as part of a structured supervision process. TOD supports that process by helping agencies extend intervention work beyond individual appointments, maintain visibility into progress, and keep case planning connected to real, ongoing activity.
If you’re working to strengthen intervention delivery across detention and community supervision, TOD can help. Contact us today to learn more.
Carey Group's evidence-based training and consulting services address the needs of the justice system and behavioral health professionals. Training is an essential tool for keeping staff, supervisors, leadership, and stakeholders up to date with emerging knowledge and expectations for improved outcomes. Working closely with Carey Group professionals, agencies are better able to offer a mixture of in-person, online, and self-directed courses on evidence-based practices, motivational interviewing, core professional competencies, case planning and management, continuous quality improvement, coaching, and the use of behavior-change tools and supervisor resources. Talk to a Carey Group consultant today to get started!