TRENTON - The New Jersey Governor’s
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
(JJDP) Committee has, for the third consecutive
year, awarded a grant of $206,076 to Youth
Consultation Service (YCS) of Union City
for a multi-systemic therapy (MST) project.
The program will address the needs of
45 youth annually.
The JJC, which is the designated planning
authority in regard to the allocation
of federal grant funds, works with the
JJDP Committee to identify appropriate
programs, award funds and monitor their
success. The JJDP Committee is responsible
for the distribution of more than $3 million
in federal grants to local and state agencies.
The JJDP Committee reviews proposals for
programs that will reduce delinquency
and create local delinquency prevention
programs. Programs that receive funding
work with individuals, families and communities
to reduce the risk factors associated
with delinquency.
“Our
Committee has been very impressed with
the work done by the Youth Consultation
Service Center for the Prevention of Violence
over the past two years and were glad
to provide this third, final, year of
grant support,” said Committee Chairperson
B. Thomas Leahy. “We sincerely hope
that continuing funding can be found for
this valuable program.”
YCS will serve as a placement option for
family court judges for juveniles in Hudson
County. The program targets female adolescents,
Latinos, and Africa American youth for
whom there are few effective services
available. This initiative is part of
the JJC’s State Incentive Plan (SIP)
that seeks interventions to successfully
divert youth from entering the JJC.
“The
Juvenile Justice Commission is committed
to helping local communities address the
specific needs of their young people.
We are proud to be part of a partnership
that takes a proactive approach to help
adolescents and their families,”
said Howard L. Beyer, Executive Director,
Juvenile Justice Commission. “We
know that the earlier we reach out to
children, the better chance we have of
ensuring that they lead productive lives.
We cannot wait until children are in trouble
to intervene.”
Created in 1995 to bring together services
for delinquent youth, the JJC is the state
agency responsible for providing juvenile
correctional rehabilitation and parole
services. The JJC also funds local prevention
programs to divert youth from involvement
in the juvenile justice system.
YCS strives to reduce recidivism among
participating youth by helping youth maintain
adequate academic levels and attendance
in an educational program that meets their
needs and by improving the ability of
parents/guardians to discipline and nurture
youth.
YCS has selected the MST model because
it is designed to address the needs of
youth who have the more serious behavioral
problems. “Youth Consultation Service
is thrilled that the JJC is providing
funding to continue its multi-systemic
therapy Program in Hudson County,”
said Michael B. Greene, Ph.D., Director,
YCS Center for the Prevention of Violence.
“The program enables adjudicated
youth who might
otherwise have been committed to JJC secure
facilities to therapeutic family-based
support to enable them to reside and thrive
in their communities.”
MST has been identified by the Federal
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP) as a Blueprint Program
based on rigorous research outcomes and
inclusion of key program components that
address the needs of delinquent youth.
The project is monitored by staff from
the Program Development and Prevention
Services arm of the JJC’s Office
of Local Programs and Services.
For more information visit: www.njjjc.com.
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