Shalet is a native of South Jamaica Queens. It is there where she developed her love for community and obliged herself to serve the youth, especially those at-risk. Youth of color are overrepresented and treated differently within the juvenile justice system when compared to their White peers. In effort to respond to these disparities, recent policies seeking to enact change include developing more community-based diversion pathways.
In 2019, she moved to Albany to complete her degree. Shalet graduated from the University of Albany with a cum laude bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Africana Studies in 2021. Shalet also earned her associate degree in Criminal Justice.
Shalet joined LaSalle and its mission in November 2021 as a Youth Development Specialist. Shortly thereafter, an opportunity for a Clinical Case Manager opened and she was offered the position. Shalet worked as a Case Manager for over a year serving youth and families transition to and from residential care. In June of 2023, she was promoted to the Associate Director of Diversion and Prevention Services.
The Juvenile Reporting Family Center (JRFC) is a year-round after-school and evening program, at LaSalle, for adolescent children aged 12-17. All attending youth are by some means involved in the Juvenile Justice System ranging from PINS (Person in Need of Supervision), Alternative to Detention or, reintegration after detention. Our referring agencies include Albany County Probation, Albany County Family Court, Department of Children, Youth, and Families and Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). JFRC serves Albany County and recently, has expanded and are a part of a step-down or early release pilot program for OCFS. OCFS youth may live in neighboring counties of Schenectady and Rensselaer. Eligible youth in OCFS custody must report to the JRFC Monday-Saturday and attend counseling through LaSalle's counseling services.
