BEGINNING IN MAY 1976, POLICE WERE URGED TO CHANNEL ALL STATUS OFFENSE COMPLAINTS TO A JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICER WHOSE SOLE RESONSIBILITY WAS TO EVALUATE AND SCREEN SUCH COMPLAINTS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE FILING OF PETITIONS WITH THE COURT. THE STATUS OFFENSE SPECIALIST'S GOALS WERE TO DIVERT STATUS OFFENDERS FROM THE COURTS AND TO WORK INTENSIVELY WITH THOSE YOUTHS WHO COULD NOT BE DIVERTED. FROM MAY 1976 THROUGH APRIL 1977, THE SPECIALIST RECEIVED 206 REFERRALS, MOST OF WHICH WERE REDIRECTED TO SUPPORTING COUNSELING TO THE COMMUNITY AND/OR TO A JUVENILE COURT-SUPPORTED FAMILY THERAPY PROGRAM. UNGOVERNABILITY AND CHRONIC RUNAWAY PETITIONS EVENTUALLY WERE FILED FOR 41 OF THE 206 REFERRALS, 24 WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND ENDORSEMENT OF THE SPECIALIST. DELINQUENCY PETITIONS WERE FILED AGAINST 34 OF THE 206 REFERRED YOUTHS WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF THEIR REFERRAL TO THE SPECIALIST. THE SPECIALIST WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR MINIMIZING THE DETENTION OF STATUS OFFENDERS. ALL STATUS OFFENDER DETENTIONS WERE TO BE AUTHORIZED BY THE SPECIALIST, WHO USED SPECIFIC CRITERIA IN CONSIDERING WHETHER A YOUTH SHOULD BE DETAINED. ONE PROBLEM WAS THAT MANY CLIENTS CONNECTED WITH THE STATUS OFFENDER PROJECT ENTERED DETENTION WITHOUT THE SPECIALIST'S KNOWLEDGE ON DELINQUENCY CHARGES THAT WERE IN REALITY DISGUISED STATUS OFFENSE COMPLAINTS. OF THE 206 REFERRED YOUTHS, 14 MALES AND 14 FEMALES WERE HELD IN DETENTION. AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY WAS 4 DAYS FOR MALES, 7.8 DAYS FOR FEMALES. THE VAST MAJORITY OF FEMALES WERE INCARCERATED FOR BEING CHRONIC RUNAWAYS. THE PROJECT WAS GENERALLY SUCCESSFUL IN ITS EFFORTS TO DIVERT STATUS OFFENDERS FROM THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. IN MAY 1977, THE COUNTY ESTABLISHED A YOUTH SERVICE BUREAU, WHICH DEALS ON AN EXPANDED BASIS WITH THE DIVERSION OF STATUS OFFENDERS. IN AUGUST 1977, PENNSYLVANIA PASSED A LAW REMOVING STATUS OFFENDERS FROM THE DELINQUENT CLASSIFICATION AND PLACING THEM IN A DEPENDENT (DEPRIVED) CLASSIFICATION. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)