AFTER SCHOOL & OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME (MOST/Summer)

AFTER SCHOOL @ YOUR LIBRARY
     Programs provide a deeper level of library service at 15 libraries to approximately 450 neighborhood children during the after school hours. The program provides elementary and middle school aged children with homework help, reading practice, computer skill-building, and activities to promote positive social skill–building, and fun. The children learn how to utilize the library resources, such as books, videos, computers, study space and reference help from library staff. The library staff helps children find information relevant to homework assignments, i.e., books in the library and educational web sites. Children learn self-esteem and social interaction skills while building positive relationships with staff members. The intent is to have staff that are local to the neighborhood and reflect the same culture as the children they serve
     The program brings together the institutional strengths of the Broward County Library, and the School Board of Broward County by actively supporting mutual goals of providing reading improvement, homework assistance, and computer skill-building

Contact:
Rita Lipof
After-School Coordinator
Youth Services Broward County Libraries Division
(954)-357-7518


SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
     The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides youth ages 16-18 with up to 240 hours of summer work experience at local non-profit and governmental agencies. Youth earn minimum wage and may be eligible to receive supportive services such as transportation assistance and childcare, and attend employability skills training workshops prior to job placement
     Target Population: 16-18 year olds, countywide

Contact:
Anthony Carter WorkForce One
(954) 535-2300
www.wfl.broward.com


MAXIMIZING OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME (MOST)
     These afterschool and summer programs provide a safe, positive environment for children, including those with behavioral health and other special needs that enhances academic achievement, support a social and physical development and strengthen youth relationships with adults and peers within the context of their families, schools and communities, while strengthening youth protective factors and reducing risk factors.
     Program components include: homework assistance, remediation, and/or academic enrichment activities; physical fitness activities; nutrition education and healthy snacks; social skills that promote positive self-esteem, pro-social peer associations, and good citizenship; an array of high quality activities that expose youth to art and culture, music, social studies and science; service learning activities that help children feel a stronger sense of connectedness to their communities; employability skills training and counseling services for adolescent programs; non-school day programs when school is closed for teacher planning days or holidays.

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DELINQUENCY PROGRAMS

JUVENILE FIRESETTER PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION PROGRAM
     This program provides stringent and prescribed educational services and collaborates with the mental health assessment and treatment providers to reduce firesetting, related death, and injury in the community. The program targets youth, between the ages of two (2) to seventeen (17), who have exhibited heightened interest in fire, engaged in inappropriate matches/lighters exploration and use, or who have set one or more fires, constructed destructive devices, or been involved in threats to do the same.

Contact:
Courtney Palmer
Special Projects Coordinator
Fire Marshall’s Bureau
Broward Sherriff’s Office
(954) 831-8210


TEAM CHILD PROJECT
     Provides legal representation, advocacy, and case management services for juveniles, up to and including the age of seventeen years, involved in the juvenile justice system or at risk of such involvement. The project staff advocate for the client in a variety of legal issues that are attributing directly or indirectly to the clients’ delinquent or maladaptive behaviors. Clients receive an in-depth assessment of the individual contributing factors and advocacy for services to address these factors. The program’s attorneys shall advocate on behalf of the client with the Court, the school, or other agency and provide information to promote decisions that effectively address legal concerns while assisting youths to lead productive, law-abiding lifestyles. The program will also provide assistance in securing expungment of diversion records and/or sealing of judicial delinquency records where appropriate in an effort to help assist youth in entering adulthood with clean delinquency records.

Contact:
Walter Honaman
Supervising Attorney
Legal Aid of Broward County
(954) 736-2400
whonaman@legalaid.org


THE NEW DIVERSION ALTERNATIVES FOR YOUTH (New DAY) 2006
     Programs provide stringent and prescribed services to divert low-risk juvenile offenders from the delinquency system and reduce recidivism. Programs provide highly-structured diversion alternatives to protect public safety and decrease the likelihood of re-offending. The programs incorporate restitution, community service, counseling, family support services and youth development activities. Target juvenile offender populations may include typical offenders, juvenile offenders with behavioral health conditions, and/or juvenile sexual offenders. Youth served in delinquency diversion programs must be referred through the Juvenile Division of the State Attorney’s Office Circuit 17.

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EPIC (EARLY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN) BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS

The purpose of Early Preventive Interventions for Children (EPIC) programs is to serve children and youth with mental health conditions to reduce the intensity, frequency, and duration of behavioral episodes. Services for infants, very young children, and mothers.

Children and families served by these programs may face multiple challenges, such as:

• Low-income, single-parent household.
• Early (adolescent) and unplanned pregnancy of mother
• Premature birth, low birth weight, or other serious birth/medical complications
• Documented parental substance use/abuse (including cigarette use), including during fetal development
• Documented history of inadequate behavior management, poor parental supervision, and/or inappropriate or severe discipline practices
• Caregiver’s lack of knowledge regarding appropriate child developmental norms, leading to unrealistic expectations of the child
• Documented domestic violence
• Documented history of abuse/neglect with either the parent or child(ren)
• Documented parent mental or behavioral condition(s)
• Emotional/behavioral difficulties, as reported by parent and/or teacher: "acting out", impulsivity, aggression, withdrawn behaviors
• Documented school difficulties, e.g., peer rejection, school failure, attendance/truancy, behavior problems
• Negative life event(s) within the past year, the severity indicated by an appropriate life events scale

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FAMILY STRENGTHENING PARENTING AND FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Family Strengthening Programs help families at risk for child abuse and neglect by providing parent training in behavior management and conflict resolution. Services prevent out-of home placements and facilitate reunifications for families in the dependency system.

Families served by these programs face multiple challenges, such as:

• Documented history of child abuse or neglect with either the parent or child(ren)
• Disruptions in bonding and attachment between parent and child, i.e., frequent hospitalizations
• Persistent, serious family conflict or family violence requiring intervention by law enforcement
• Persistent, serious family stress which significantly impacts family functioning
• Family history of substance abuse
• Lack of knowledge regarding appropriate child developmental norms that leads to unrealistic parent expectations of the child
• Documented history of family management problems, poor parental supervision and/or inappropriate or severe discipline practices
• Involvement with the juvenile justice system
• Parent or child depression or other mental or behavioral conditions
• Low income, single parent household
• Teen pregnancy

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FUTURE PREP INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAMS FOR FOSTER CARE TEENS

Future Prep programs promote the development of life, academic, and employability skills to help youth transition successfully out of foster care and into healthy young adulthood. These programs target adjudicated dependent youth, youth in protective supervision, and adudicated youth in relative and non-relative caregiver living arrangements. Additionally, they offer counseling and hands-on activities that address the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of youth and help them to connect to appropriate resources in the community. The following services are offered through Future Prep programming:

• Assessment of each youth’s interests, aptitudes, and abilities;
• Development of a “life plan” that will help youth achieve academic and career goals;
• Workshops on life skills, employability skills, and health education;
• Connections with community resources;
• supervised independent living experiences;
• Individual and group counseling, case management; and
• Follow-up services.

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HEALTHY CHOICES PROGRAMS FOR TEENS

Healthy Choices programs provide innovative, year-round services that provide middle and high school youth with activities that include a strong pregnancy prevention component and accomplish the following:

• Helping youth develop resiliency, a positive outlook and future orientation, supportive relationships with adults and peers, increased knowledge, and attainment of inter and intra-personal skills and ability to set limits
• Reduce risk factors related to irresponsible behavior, perceived peer norms and unrealistic beliefs about pregnancy, extensive unsupervised time, and lack of skills to deal with coercive situations
• Provide comprehensive information about sexuality, risk behaviors, and safe strategies to delay sexual activity and prevent involvement in problem behaviors.

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KISS (KINSHIP INITIATIVE FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES) FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR CAREGIVERS

Kinship Initiatives for Supportive Services (KISS) provides services to maintain a stable home for Kinship Families in which a child or children are being raised by a kinship caregiver because the biological parent(s) are unable to do so.

By definition, "Kinship care is any living arrangement that involves the care of a child(ren) by the following: an individual who is related to the child by blood/marriage, through the third degree or through close family relationships that are acknowledged by the birth or adoptive parents. These relationships can include godparents, close friend, or other, more distant relatives." (Casey Family Programs, 2003)

The intent of the Kinship Support Program is to provide kinship families with a centralized service point of entry which ensures that they are linked with and receive services that promote safety, permanency, and the well being of children, with the goal of preventing children from entering the child welfare system.

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MATERNAL & INFANT HEALTH

Since 2005, the CSC has been a part of community efforts to ensure a continuum of maternal and child health services. Council funding supports initiatives to address the risks associated with maternal depression, a very high risk, complex problem.  Children’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center (CDTC), Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies and the Institute for Family Centered Services (IFCS) all provide in-home visitation services, treatment for maternal depression and parent training and support to promote mother/child bonding.

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ROK'N (REACH OUR KIDS NOW) YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

The ROK’N programs help youth develop positive attitudes, healthy family and peer relationships, connections to the community, and success in school. The focus of the ROK’N initiative is to build upon each youth’s area of strength while minimizing problem areas so that each individual can reach his or her full potential. Program services include counseling, afterschool tutoring, community service projects, recreational activities, leadership development, and parent training.

Youth eligible for ROK’N Programs are ages 10-18 years facing challenges such as:

• Family members are involved in the criminal justice system (includes siblings of DJJ youth)
• Identified as habitually truant
• Disciplinary problems in school or performing below grade level
• A history of delinquency
• A history of child abuse/neglect
• A history of substance abuse or mental health problems
• Reside in a high crime area
• Receive public assistance, such as TANF, or are from a low-income family (200% of poverty level)
• Have dropped out of school or been placed in an alternative school setting

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SAFE (SAFE ACCESS & FAMILY EMPOWERMENT) COURT ORDERED SUPERVISION PROGRAM

The SAFE Program provides supervised visitation, therapeutic visitation, and safe exchange services in Broward County, specifically to reach families with children who reside in the north and south areas of Broward County. The program serves families at risk for child abuse and neglect and families in crisis.

In order for families to qualify for these services, there must be a Family or Dependency Court Order for such services. Families served may struggle with several issues, such as:

• Documented history of child abuse or neglect
• Persistent, serious family conflict or family violence
• Family history of substance abuse
• Documented history of family management problems, poor parental supervision and/or inappropriate or severe discipline practices
• Involvement with the Broward County juvenile, dependency or family law court system
• History of verbal or physical altercations related to child visitation and/or transfer of child custody
• Parent or child depression or other mental or behavioral conditions

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SPECIAL NEEDS

FIRST CALL FOR HELP, INC.
     211 First Call for Help’s new position in the Special Needs service community has been successfully implemented, and information about special needs services is provided by trained professionals. The designated unit approach is in concert with national Best Practices; as most communities in the with 211 call centers provide detailed, special needs information as part of their service delivery system. The work plan for Fiscal Year 06/07 includes enhancements to the current data base to expand medical, dental, and therapy resources for this complex population.

Contact:
Billie Morgan
Special Needs Program Manager
(954) 390-0261
bmorgan@211-broward.org


LIFT LEARNING INDEPENDENCE THRU FOCUSED TRANSITION PROGRAMS
     These multi-faceted youth development programs are provided in an afterschool / out of school environment designed specifically to meet the needs of high school age adolescents with developmental, physical, vision, or hearing disabilities who require intensive social, vocational and communication supports not readily available elsewhere in Broward County. Services are designed to build on strengths, while providing small group activities to improve social, communication, relationship building, employability, and career skills. Program participants ages 16 - 21 must not be enrolled in other afterschool programs. All participants must have documented evidence of a disability and be currently enrolled in an approved educational program Program components include: Social skill building and social pragmatics that promote problem solving activities, and pro-social peer associations; Various activities that expose youth to art, culture, and music; Training and assistance in mastering daily living skills; Service learning activities that help children feel a stronger sense of connectedness to their communities; Employability skills training and career exploration; and, Non-school day programs when school is closed for teacher planning days or holidays.

For information, contact Piper Weber at (954) 377-1000.