TRENTON - The New Jersey Governor’s
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
(JJDP) Committee has awarded $166,552
to Saint Clare’s Center for the
Protection of Children (CPC), located
in Boonton Township.
The funds will be used to implement Saint
Clare’s Center for the Protection
of Children’s Girls Rule program,
for girls 12 to 17 years of age from Sussex
and Morris Counties. The program seeks
to assist girls who are on the verge of
involvement with, or who have had initial
contact with, the juvenile justice systems.
The program will provide direct services
and referrals to girls and their families
to a variety of human service organizations
that provide substance abuse treatment,
and medical and mental health services.
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. Programs that demonstrate
success are eligible for continued funding
for a maximum of three consecutive years.
“The
need for quality delinquency prevention
programs for girls in this state has been
markedly increasing as girls become more
and more involved in delinquency,”
said Committee Chairperson B. Thomas Leahy.
“Our Committee is pleased to be
able to provide support for this comprehensive
response to a very real community need.”
The Saint Clare’s program expects
to provide services for 144 girls who
exhibit behaviors that make them at-risk
of involvement with the juvenile justice
system. Many of these girls may have experienced
sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect,
trauma, and violence. Referrals to the
program will be provided by the Sussex
and Morris County Prosecutor’s offices,
the JJC, Planned Parenthood, the Division
of Youth and Family Services, child victim’s
clinicians, and the Multi-Disciplinary
Teams. After-school group counseling sessions,
and individual and family counseling will
be provided. A gender-specific screening
tool will also be developed that will
assess each girl’s needs for further
treatment.
“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.
Saint Clare’s Girls Rule Program
includes both prevention and intervention
strategies. "We are very excited
to funnel these funds into vital education
for Sussex and Morris Counties,”
said Helen Archontou, MSW, LSW, Program
Administrator, Saint Clare's Center for
the Protection of Children. “This
project will ensure that the Saint Clare's
Center for the Protection of Children
can provide a strong continuum of care
for adolescent girls in our region. We
know that the agencies in our community,
including law enforcement and DYFS, are
concerned about girls they know to be
at-risk. Up to now, we have not had a
specialized system, agency, or program
to refer them to. Thanks to the JJC, such
a program can now be a reality."
The funding of Saint Clare’s Center
for the Protection of Children’s
Program is a part of the JJC’s initiative
to provide gender responsive services
to juvenile females. The Girl’s
Rule Program focuses on ensuring that
the physical and mental health needs of
girls are adequately addressed and support
their individual personal development.
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